Lily watched the rain roll down the common room windows. She couldn’t help but think of the last time there was a stormy night. She had been home over Easter holidays and had made the mistake of bringing her new boyfriend, Miles, with her to meet her parents. They had only been going out a week, but he was Lily’s first so she was excited for her family to meet him. That was a very bad idea however, as she soon found out whey they arrived at the station.





As soon as they crossed through the barrier Lily could tell that her sister Petunia would not take this change very well at all. Petunia had always been rather envious of the attention Lily received for being the only witch in the family, and though she was the older of the two, it was clear to Lily that she often felt overlooked and unappreciated. From the moment her letter from Hogwarts arrived with the post Lily watched her sister change from being her best playmate (though somewhat bossy) to acting like her biggest adversary. Everything became a competition where Lily was put down regardless of whether she won or lost. Of course Lily was hurt for being treated badly by her sister, but she knew Petunia was only doing it because she didn’t feel as special as Lily for being invited to attend an exclusive school.


That’s why when an argument broke out over dinner, Lily was not surprised. Petunia had treated her coldly all day, barely acknowledging Miles except to sniff disapprovingly and edge away from him in her seat in the car. Now they were sitting around the tale eating their mum’s beef stew in an awkward silence save directions to pass the salt and the sound of the rain drumming against the windows. Lily had given Miles somewhat of a warning of how Petunia might act, and she figured he would use his Ravenclaw smarts to realize that attempting conversation would not be the best thing to do. Unfortunately, that was not what he assumed.





Lily winced as Miles turned to Petunia and said in an overly cheerful voice, “So where do you go to school Petunia? I bet you’re glad it’s not too long till summer holidays.�





Petunia glared at Lily, making it obvious that she was not going to respond to such a question. Clearing her throat and giving him a significant look that this was not a subject to be discussed, Lily replied, “Petunia’s finished with her schooling.�





“Oh, so do you work now?� Miles plowed on, oblivious of his girlfriend’s visibly displeased demeanor.





“I can’t believe you brought this up,� Petunia hissed at Lily through clenched teeth, completely ignoring Miles. “You can’t go one day without reminding us all of that freak school you go to, can you? Gloating about it like you’re some kind of relation of the Queen’s or something, like going to a magic school makes you better than the rest of us.�





“Petunia, you know that’s not what he meant. He was just trying to be conversational. The least you could do would be to acknowledge that he’s even there.� Lily replied, ignoring the jibes from her sister.





“Why? So you can parade around your new boyfriend and shove it in my face that I don’t have one yet?�





“No!� Lily exclaimed indignantly. “I wasn’t thinking about you, believe it or not, when I invited him to stay. I wanted him to meet mum and dad.�





“Please. I bet you had to put some sort of spell on him to get him to even follow you around,� scoffed Petunia.





Lily gasped in astonishment. “Petunia!� their mother intoned raising her eyes at her over her glass of wine. Miles looked quite shocked. Lily was fairly popular at Hogwarts and was usually never insulted in such a way except by the likes of Severus Snape and other notorious Slytherins.





In irritation Lily retorted, “You know, if you stopped turning up your nose at everyone around you and focused on others instead of yourself, people might actually like you.�





“Girls, that’s enough,� their father declared. But that wasn’t enough for Petunia. She kept on making snide comments, to which of course, Lily replied with just as much fervor, and soon enough things escalated into a shouting match that significantly drowned out the thunderstorm. Needless to say, the rest of the holiday was not very much fun as it was spent avoiding Petunia at all costs or being forced to sit in a highly tension-filled room. Miles hadn’t broken up with her over it thankfully, though things had been a bit shaky ever since they returned to Hogwarts.





Lily sighed and returned to the transfiguration essay she and the other sixth-year Gryffindor girls were working on.





“Looks like Quidditch practice is over,� Ginger Brown happily informed the table. She nodded towards the team filing into the common room looking drenched, irritable, and very tired. All except James Potter, who at that moment climbed through the portrait hole with his three friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Though all four of them were as equally wet and disheveled as the team, they wore relaxed smiles and laughed when James said, “Did you see when the bludger flew at him? Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Peter move that fast.�





Remus patted Peter on the back and replied, “I think we have our back up seeker should Stebbins ever come down with something.� Peter chuckled nervously, glancing around uncertainly at the others as if he wasn’t quite sure if the thought really appealed to him. Lily guessed that he was the sort of fellow that was afraid of heights.





Groaning and stretching, Sirius made for the stairs to the boys’ dormitory saying, “After watching such a grueling practice, I think I’m beat mates. I don’t know about you, but sleep sounds good to me.� The other boys followed him, but James, upon glancing around the common room, spotted Lily and thought better about heading up to bed just yet.





“Yeah, I’ll be up in a minute,� he called as he threaded his way towards the table of studying girls.





The moment James’ eyes had met Lily’s she had hastily bent down again towards her essay. She certainly didn’t want him to know that she had been watching him, however idly. Merlin knew he already thought too much of himself. That was the problem with James Potter, Lily thought. He couldn’t get down off his high horse and care about anyone but himself. Everything had to be for his amusement, no matter the feelings of others. She frowned as she stared at the parchment in front of her, mentally making a list of all the annoyingly bad qualities James Potter possessed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him approaching and tried to look absorbed in her essay.





“All right, Evans?� he asked as he pulled up a nearby armchair and sat down. This caught the attention of every other girl at the table, all of which had absolutely no qualms about blatantly staring at the Quidditch chaser.





“Fine, Potter,� Lily replied evenly, side-glancing at his form.


A giggle erupted from Ginger who Lily gave a somewhat disgusted look to when she said, “Looks like that storm really took a beating on you, James.� Admittedly, he did look rather trampled on. Water still dripped from his robes which were so covered with mud at the bottom that the Gryffindor red looked like a dull brown, one of his sleeves was dangerously threatening to fall off, and his hair, half of which was sticking to his face, was even more wild than usual if that was possible.





“Er, yeah. Parks really wants us ready for the match against Ravenclaw for the Cup. Though, with practices like this one, I’m not sure we’ll even live to see the game,� James joked, giving them a winning smile. This produced even more giggles from the girls at the table and caused Lily to further attempt to engross herself in the methods of self-transfiguration.





“Oh, we all know you’ll score enough points on your own to flatten Ravenclaw,� May O’Brien gushed. Lily rolled her eyes and tried not to gag as the other girls tittered and James tried not to puff up his chest too much. For the life of her she could not understand why any girl would want to act like a complete idiot in front of boys. Normally May was a good and levelheaded girl, but increasingly she became as silly as a first year at the start of term feast anytime a boy entered the room.





Ginger gained back James’ attention as she waved her wand and performed a drought charm to dry him off. Looking down in surprise, he muttered his word of thanks and tried to brush off some of the dried dirt with the result that a lot of it landed on the floor, causing a nearby cat to sneeze repeatedly. Glancing back up with a hopeful look on his face he asked, “Are you coming to watch us at the match Evans?�





Lily continued writing a bit of her essay as she distractedly replied, “Well, Miles will be playing, so of course I’ll show up to support him.� Miles was the Ravenclaw keeper, so he’d been busy with practices since they’d returned from Easter holidays, yet another reason why Lily hadn’t spent a lot of time with her boyfriend as of late.





“Right,� said James grinning wryly and looking away. He should have seen that one coming. He hadn’t really believed Remus when he told him that Lily was going out with the seventh-year Ravenclaw. Miles didn’t really seem like Lily’s type, too hesitant and bookish. James had definitely seen Lily when she was in a fury, and though it was rather mesmerizing when her auburn hair almost stood on end and her green eyes flashed heatedly, it could also be rather frightening to be on the receiving end of such an outburst. James doubted if Miles could stand up to her and hold his own in the relationship. He’d just have to prove to Lily at the match that he was better suited for her temperament than Miles.





“Ooh, that looks like it hurt,� gasped Alice Fairfield, snapping James out of his reverie. Lily looked up and followed Alice’s finger pointing at James’ cheek where a large gash extended nearly all the way from his lip to his ear.





Fingering the cut and searching for an explanation James quickly said, “Yeah, um, collided with Stebbins during practice.� The truth was the previous night Remus had transformed into a werewolf and James, Sirius, and Peter changed into their Animagi forms to keep him occupied and away from the other students.





Lily narrowed her eyes and watched James carefully. Somehow she didn’t believe him despite his logical explanation.





“Yeah, Remus looked a little worse for the wear too,� she said quietly to herself. She had figured out that Remus was a werewolf in their fifth year but had kept this knowledge to herself because she knew others would treat him differently if they knew. Did that mean that James’ scar was from Remus? Would he be turning into a werewolf every full moon now too? Lily didn’t think he looked all that worried or changed, but then again how were you supposed to tell the difference when the person wasn’t transformed?





Catching the thoughtful look on Lily’s face, James shifted nervously and cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll let you ladies get back to your –er, it looks like your transfiguration essays,� he said glancing at their scrolls of parchment.





“How kind of you,� Lily dryly responded.





Backing up and ruffling his hair, James cracked a smile a said affectionately, “Awe, come on, Evans. You know you like the attention.�





“Does my head look that inflated, Potter?� Lily cried in a strangled voice. Ginger smirked as the other girls tried to hold their laughter in at the amusing pair’s antics.





“Well, ever since we tried those Bubble Head charms with Professor Flitwick…� James teased.





Lily gasped and threw her quill at him, nearly missing his arm as he ducked and headed for the dormitory stairs.





“One of these days, I swear…� Lily grumbled as she called her quill back.





“You’ll finally go out with James Potter?� Alice proffered cheekily. “You know it’s kind of cute the way he goes after you. Frank made a fool of himself too before he got up the nerve to ask me out.�





“Yes, but not all blokes turn out to be as sweet as Frank,� Lily replied sardonically. “And I hardly think accidentally falling down the stairs of the entrance hall as he asked you in front of the whole school compares with all the stunts Potter’s pulled.�





“She’s got a point,� said Ginger, who genuinely would not want to see James Potter snatched up by anyone other than herself.





Lily sighed and said, “Well, either way, it won’t help us finish our transfiguration essay by tomorrow.� And with that turned back to her three inches of parchment and refused to take part in any more discussion over James Potter.

Shafts of sunlight pushed through the thin veil of clouds overhead as James walked onto the Quidditch pitch. He had woken up extremely early for a Saturday and hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. After staring at the curtains of his four-poster bed for quite some time, he decided to make his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, where, though it was otherwise uninhabited, he dawdled around for a good bit before finally deciding to fly around the Quidditch pitch to pass the time till the match.



Weaving in and out of the huge columns surrounding the stadium, James squinted as the glare from the sun hitting something flashed in his eyes. He shielded his face with his hand and glanced over in that direction to see that the castle’s spires fairly sparkled with the sun’s reflection of last night’s dew on them. He pulled his broom up to slow down and appreciate the view. A couple of birds circled the top of the astronomy tower before landing on the edge of the battlement, and James was reminded of the incident on that tower that first brought the four Marauders together.



Remus and James had met on the train to Hogwarts, sharing a compartment and worries about their new school. Like all the other first years they had waited in line to be sorted, only to find out, with relief from Remus and satisfaction from James, that they belonged in Gryffindor with two other boys, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. Peter seemed alright to James; a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but nothing as near as bad as Sirius, who claimed he was best at everything. It didn’t take too long until James and Sirius were vying for the top of the class in just about every subject.



James couldn’t stand to see Sirius smirking at him after he’d learned a spell faster than him, and likewise, Sirius usually made some derogatory comment every time James answered a question first.



They hadn’t quite come to cursing each other, but things were getting pretty heated when they joined the rest of their classmates for a special Astronomy class atop the Tower one evening early in October. Professor Barrabee wanted them to see a certain configuration of the stars that only happened every thirty years of so. Unfortunately, Professor Barrabee was very absentminded and forgot to bring up his wand with him when he came up the winding tower steps. Upon discovering that he could not use his wand to point out the stars to the students, he tottered back down the steps to retrieve it, leaving the Gryffindors to, “observe the heavenly landscape and wonder at the marvels of the universe.�



“Wonder at the pointlessness of this class, you mean,� Sirius muttered to Peter after Professor Barrabee had disappeared down the hatch in the floor. He had been planning on spending the evening exploring more bits of the castle and sorely missed his chance to scout out some new terrain.



“Hey, people have actually used the stars to navigate,� Lily contended, revealing yet more Muggle information that Sirius thought useless. “As late as the eighteen hundreds sailors looked at the position of the stars for the right direction.�



“Yeah, well as stupid as that sounds, I doubt we’ll be manning a ship any time soon,� Sirius said, throwing her a disdainful look.



Lily opened her mouth to defend her statement, but James cut her off.



“The only reason you don’t like this class is because you can’t even remember which star configuration is the one you’re named after.�



At this Lily rolled her eyes and huffed at the two boys while Sirius growled and spat, “Oh yeah, well at least I don’t need inch-thick glasses to be able to see them.�



“Half-wit.�



“Git.�



“Come on James, forget about it,� Remus warned, glancing nervously at the door.



Continuing on and completely disregarding Remus, James replied, “I bet you don’t even know how to fight a real wizard’s duel.�



“I’ve fought harder people than you, Potter,� sneered Sirius. “You’re probably too much of a coward to actually go through with it.�



Furious, James yelled, “Am not! Remus is my second, who’s yours?�



Sirius looked around and realized that Peter was the only other boy on the tower. Resignedly he muttered, “Peter.�



“Fine,� James said as he stepped forward. “Let’s have a go at it then.�



“Oh don’t be stupid!� Lily shouted. “Neither of you knows enough spells to really do anything. Plus Barrabee will be back soon and you’ll both be caught and get in trouble, no doubt losing Gryffindor some points.�



But neither of them was listening as they made their bows and retreated to opposite ends of the tower.



“On the count of three,� Peter piped up from behind a glowering Sirius. “One, two… THREE!�



Barely before the words were out of Peter’s mouth Sirius shouted, “Expelliarmus!� James just ducked and the spell harmlessly bounced off a part of the battlement.



Springing back into a defensive stance, he yelled, “Impedimenta!�



Unfortunately, at the same time Remus grabbed his arm and yelled, “Stop, James!� jerking the position of his wand slightly. Time seemed to slow as the jet of light shot out of his wand and arched across the tower, illuminating the students in a faint glow, before finally reaching Peter and hitting him squarely in the stomach. There was an audible gasp as the force of the spell lifted Peter off his feet, over the battlement, and down towards the other side.



Thinking fast, Sirius wildly called out, “Wingardium Leviosa!� stopping Peter before he could descend farther down the castle walls. Instead he lazily started to drift higher and higher until he was once again beyond the height of the tower.



“Quick! Before the spell starts to wear off we’ve got to get him back on to the tower!� James yelled, running over to the now terrified floating boy. He climbed up onto the ramparts to try and grab Peter’s foot to pull him down. Ginger Brown fainted as he swayed slightly. Trying not to look down, James made another grab for his foot, but to no avail. Peter had floated beyond his reach, and if they didn’t do something soon, they wouldn’t be able to save him.



“I’ve got an idea!� James called to Sirius. “If I jump off and grab him, you can catch my legs and pull us both down.�



“Alright,� Sirius agreed.



Lily shuddered as she watched Sirius ready himself by standing against the side of the wall. “This is completely mental,� she muttered.



“Alright. Let’s both jump on the count of three,� James said with a nervous wobble in his voice. Screwing up his face, he counted with determination and leapt off the tower.



Right on time, Sirius hugged James’ legs as James closed his hand around Peter’s ankle. Remus caught hold of James’ legs as well and helped Sirius pull them all safely back onto the tower.



“Good thinking,� Sirius said a little out of breath as they disentangled themselves from each other.



Looking a bit green in the face as well, James replied, “Nice spell-work. He would have kept falling if you hadn’t thought of using that.�



Both of them winced as they heard Lily shout, “YOU IDIOTS! YOU COULD HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED!�



“But we weren’t,� James replied, cocking a smile. “Nice to know you care though.�



“James Potter –“ Lily started. But whatever she thought about him, no one found out because at that moment Professor Barrabee popped his head out from under the door over the spiral stairs.



“Everything all right?� he asked. “Potter, what are you doing down there on the ground?�



“He was pointing out the constellation of Canis Major to me Professor,� Sirius replied, winking at James and giving him a hand up.



James and Sirius stopped arguing after that and quickly became the best of friends. Soon the four Gryffindor boys could be seen traipsing around the school causing mischief and mayhem.



“Oy! Potter!� Carol Parks shouted from the ground, nearly unseating James from his broom in surprise. “Better change into your robes before the rest of the school gets here.�



“Sure thing, Cap’n!� James yelled back to her as he tipped an imaginary hat. He shot off on his broom towards the changing rooms, passing the first groups of students heading onto the pitch.



“Alice, wait up!� Lily called as she jogged to catch up with her friends. She had been talking to Miles near the Ravenclaw table across the Great Hall when Alice, May, and Ginger got up to leave for the match.



“Is Miles in tip-top shape for the match?� May asked, turning around as she walked.



“I think so,� Lily replied. “He’s really excited for Ravenclaw to win the Cup at his last game.� In fact, Lily thought to herself, that’s all he seemed to talk about lately. Granted, he had never seen the Ravenclaw team win the Quidditch Cup in all four years that he had played as their keeper. But still, it would have been nice to talk about something else in the few moments that they saw each other during the week.



“Don’t tell me you’re rooting for Ravenclaw too?� May asked.



Lily laughed. “No. I’ll be sitting with the Gryffindors. Don’t worry. You just might hear a whoop every time Miles makes a good catch though.�



“Hey look!� Alice pointed. “Henry Lovegood’s bewitched his toad to act like a raven again.� Henry had indeed transfigured his pet toad into a rather large raven which flapped menacingly and cawed in a loud voice every few minutes. If the crowds had not been so boisterous, it would have been likely to give Lily a headache.



“He is an odd sort of fellow,� Ginger remarked before leading them up into the stands.



“Yes,� Lily huffed, climbing the last of the stairs and sitting down at the end of the row. “But if you ever talk to him, you find you he’s really pretty sharp at noticing things other people normally don’t.�



“Ugh. It’s those Slytherins,� May interrupted. A group of them had pushed some first years out of the way so that they could sit in the front row.



“You know I really don’t like that Bellatrix Black,� Alice shuddered. “I was talking with Hagrid, the groundskeeper, the other day, and we caught her trying to make two crups fight each other. She said she wanted to see if they attacked each other like regular dogs do.�



“Yeah, she and that Rodolphus Lestrange are both a bit creepy if you ask me,� May replied.



Lily sighed. “I hope I don’t have to play disciplinarian today. It’s not like they listen to prefects anyway, much less younger ones.�



“Ah just forget about them and watch Miles,� Ginger advised, giving her a wink. “There he is now and the rest of the Ravenclaw team.�



Lily waved as he passed them by on his way towards the goalposts. He smiled and waved back, circling the hoops once before settling down on his broom in front of them. There was a loud swooshing noise and a swirl of red and gold as the Gryffindor team flew on to the pitch next. Minutes later the quaffle was released and the game started.



“And they’re off! Carol Parks grabs the quaffle and passes to Potter, who races down the pitch and dodges a bludger from Stone,� Mark Thomas roared from the commentator’s box. “Potter does a quick fake and aims for the hoops, but Miles Kirke catches the quaffle and throws it to McNew.�



“McNew passes to Davies, nearly collided with Charley Appleton there trying to avoid that bludger. He’s almost to the hoops now! Davies ducks to avoid Parks and swerves left. She shoots –and scores!! Ten points to Ravenclaw to start out the match!�



Fifteen minutes later Alice remarked dryly, “Well it’s a good thing Miles is keeper. Otherwise the Gryffindors might get some points.� The score was not twenty Gryffindor, seventy Ravenclaw with no signs from Miles that he was letting up on his goalkeeping stamina anytime soon.



“Sorry,� Lily replied. “At least we still have a chance at the snitch though.� In truth, she was a little irritated that Gryffindor was losing because of Miles, but she pushed this thought to the back of her mind and tried to watch the rest of the match with neutrality.



Her attention was distracted however, when May shouted, “Hang on. Why are those Gryffindors rooting for Ravenclaw?� Sure enough, a group of first-year Gryffindors sitting near the front were squeaking excitedly every time the Ravenclaw team made a good move. Suddenly, one of them burst out in a little song and dance number about the greatness of the Ravenclaws. Lily saw a small streak of light weave towards the group of first years and a second later another boy joined the song. Looking for the light’s source, Lily gazed around the stands and spotted the older knot of Slytherins laughing and gesturing animatedly at the antics of the small students.



“I don’t believe it,� she muttered, standing up and marching down to the row holding the troublemakers.



“Ten points from Slytherin!� Lily shouted.



Bellatrix turned around and sneered at her, “Do you really think we care about some stupid house points? Besides, it’s just too much entertainment watching these little ones dance around like idiots.� The others laughed while she shot another spell at the first years.



Lily furiously said the counter curse and turned on the Slytherins. “How dare you take advantage of younger students. Just because you can do more advanced magic doesn’t mean you can abuse your power and use others for your sport.�



“We were just having some fun,� Rodolphus said with an ugly smile on his face. “What are you going to do anyway? Report us to the teachers? Like we’re really afraid of them.�



Bellatrix leered, “Go on, Evans. Run off to Dumbledore and tattle on us. I’m sure he’ll make everything alright.�



Lily glowered and replied, “I hope you are expelled. It would serve you right.� And with that she turned and started to make her way down to the teachers’ box.



“STEBBINS HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH!�



Surprised by the outburst, Lily tripped down a couple of stairs and was further knocked off balance when she jerked to avoid two quidditch players colliding dangerously close to the stands. Suddenly she felt a shove from behind, and the next thing she knew she was tumbling over the edge of the railing. Lily frantically tried to grab onto the wooden beams, but her hands only painfully scratched the sides. In horror, she felt herself falling with an alarming speed towards the ground. Bile in her throat, Lily tried to scream but no sound would come out of her mouth.



* * * * *



“STEBBINS HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH!�



James grinned at the report from the commentator. Unfortunately, he couldn’t celebrate just yet because he was holding onto the quaffle and having a difficult time passing it off to anyone else as the Ravenclaw chasers were doing a superb job at blocking him. Finally in desperation, he ducked down and swerved left, taking an unrealistic shot at the hoops. He never got to see if it went in however, because Sarah Davies came at him sharply from the right. Before he could roll out of her way, she crashed into him and the two of them skidded towards the stands. Pulling up hard, James stopped himself from crashing into on of the bystanders and came to a halt in front of the stands.



“Impedimenta!� someone shouted and James looked around in surprise. He saw Rodolphus Lestrange pointing his wand down towards the other end of the row. He whipped his head around and watched as someone fell over the edge. His heart nearly stopped when he saw auburn hair fluttering around a pair of terrified green eyes and realized that it was Lily. Without a second thought James plunged after her on his broom.



An uneasy feeling rose in the pit of his stomach as Lily dropped closer and closer to the ground. He wasn’t sure that he would make it to her in time. James willed his broom to fly faster. But even as he closed the gap between them he could see that it wouldn’t be enough. She would already be too far under him for James to grab her.



“NO!� he shouted in determination, and in desperation he leapt off his broom a few feet away from where she was passing him and dived towards her body.



* * * * *



Watching the stands grow farther and farther away, Lily waited for the impact she knew was coming. She couldn’t see the ground rushing towards her, but she knew from the way the beams were speedily passing her by that it wouldn’t be long until the ground broke her fall. From the corner of her eye she saw a large blur coming at her. It have a loud roar and then suddenly leapt on top of her and rolled her around in the air until it was under her and she was facing the ground. She gasped as she found herself staring into a pair of hazel eyes, framed by glasses, which reflected her own fear. A split-second later James hit the ground with a loud grunt.



Catching her breath back and pushing herself up a little, Lily blinked in surprise and gaped at the boy under her.



“All right, Evans?� James groaned.



Lily continued staring for a second before coming to her senses and saying, “Are you ok?�



He gave a croaky laugh and said, “Yeah. My ears are still ringing though.� Lily moved off him as he slowly sat up.



“Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter!� Professor McGonagall called as she hurried towards them. “Oh thank heavens. You didn’t break any bones did you?� By now several of the other players had flown towards them and landed to see what all the commotion was about.



“I don’t think so, Professor,� Lily answered as she shakily pulled herself up.



“Well, why don’t you and Potter go on up to the hospital wing to check things out just in case?�



“No, Professor,� James protested. “I’ll be fine. Really. Besides, I can’t miss the rest of the match!�



“Oh, very well,� she agreed, not wanting Gryffindor deprived of one of its star players. “You may go Mr. Potter, and twenty points to Gryffindor –for saving the life of another student in a very courageous act.�



Still looking a little rattled, Professor McGonagall turned to Lily and said, “Now Ms. Evans. What happened?�



“It was Rodolphus Lestrange, Professor,� James broke in before Lilly had the chance to answer. “I saw him cast an Impediment charm on her when her back was turned.�



“Is this true Ms. Evans?� she asked.



“Well I was on my way to get a teacher because he and a couple of other Slytherins were bewitching some young Gryffindors to root for Ravenclaw when I felt a hard shove from behind, making me fall over the edge,� Lily said.



McGonagall sighed and said, “Well I wouldn’t put it past him. Are you sure you’ll be alright Ms. Evans?�



Lily nodded and turned to join her friends who were now rushing over from the bottom of the stands with worried looks on their faces. After explaining everything to them and reassuring them for the umpteenth time that she was fine, she followed them back up into the stands for the rest of the match. She hardly saw a minute of it though, as her mind was too tightly wrapped around the events that had just occurred. Only when a butterbeer was practically shoved into her stomach in the common room did she register that it was over and that she could go to bed without anyone noticing.



Someone did notice amongst all the celebrating however, someone with hazel eyes that were not twinkling with joy over the important win but frowning with worry over a certain redhead.

The days were growing longer as summer approached. Everywhere students could be seen taking advantage of the warm weather. Lily had even convinced Miles to take a break from studying for his N.E.W.T.s and spend some time with her outside. The two of them strolled around the lake and talked casually about the past year as well as their plans for the summer.



“So what do you want to do after Hogwarts?� Lily asked, kicking a pebble into the lake.



Miles picked a flower from a nearby tree and handed it to Lily, saying, “To tell you the truth, I honestly don’t have a clue. What about you?�



She twirled the flower around slowly in her hand before answering, “Well, I think I might want to be an Auror. That way I can really help people. You know, really feel like I’m making a difference and stopping bad things from happening, -preventing innocent people from getting hurt.� She had never really told anyone this except Professor McGonagall last year when she had picked out her classes. She thought it might sound stupid or too high-minded.



“Isn’t it a bit dangerous though?� Miles asked doubtfully.



Lily frowned. “For a girl, you mean?�



“No, in general,� Miles answered quickly. “I mean aren’t we always hearing about in the paper that this or that Auror has been attacked by some of You-Know-Who’s followers?�



“Yes, but I think it would be worth it,� Lily replied. “I mean, don’t you think it’s important to stand up for what you believe in?�



Miles shrugged. “I guess, but there’s no reason to risk your neck over it.�



Lily sighed and looked out at the lake. Maybe it was just a silly idea. She couldn’t save the world all by herself, but she still wanted to make a difference.



“Well, I’d better get back to studying,� Miles said, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you coming too?�



“No,� she said. “I think I’ll stay out here for a while.� Lily watched him trudge back up to the castle for a minute before walking on. She held out her hand and let the wind carry the flower he had given her away. It twirled around for a few seconds and then dropped into the lake. Suddenly she heard voices approaching.



“What about that Peter fellow who’s always following them around? He looks like he might do it.�



“Yes, but we’d have to get him right under Potter’s nose.�



Recognizing that sneer as belonging to none other than Bellatrix Black, Lily tried to make a quick exit before they emerged from the trees, but it was too late.



“Ah, if it isn’t perfect Prefect Lily Evans,� Bellatrix sneered. “I have to admit, I was taken by surprise when you slipped off the edge of the stands yesterday. So unlike the graceful poise and self-control we’ve come to expect from such a star student. How disappointing. Well, then again, you are a mudblood.�



“You know very well I didn’t slip off,� Lily replied coldly.



“Rodolphus sent an Impediment charm at me.�



“How would you know?� Rodolphus charged. “Your back was turned.�



“Really, Evans. You shouldn’t talk about what you don’t know. It only makes you look stupid.� Bellatrix added.



Annoyed at being talked to like a five-year old, Lily answered, “We were in a stand crowded with people. There were plenty of eye-witnesses.�



“Right,� said Rodolphus. “But there won’t be any eye-witnesses for this,� and he fired a wordless spell at her.



Lily had just enough time to produce a shield charm to protect herself, but hardly before the red sparks had disappeared Bellatrix shouted, “Expelliarmus!�



Lily’s wand shot out of her hand, arched over the trees and landed with a small ‘plop’ in the lake. Great, Lily thought, just what I wanted; to be stuck wandless and alone in front of a whole group of seventh-year Slytherins. But she wasn’t too deterred. Though she had been studying magic at Hogwarts for six years, she hadn’t forgotten that spells weren’t the only way to defend yourself. As Rodolphus aimed another spell at her she jumped for the nearest tree branch and scrambled up it. The Slytherins laughed.



“Awe, don’t go hiding on us, Evans,� Rodolphus said. “You know you want to come out and play.�



Lily held her breath and tried not to move so the leaves wouldn’t rustle and give her away. This was very difficult to do however, because she had the strong urge to shriek when she felt a very hairy something with eight legs crawl onto one of her legs.



“Yes, we were having so much fun,� Bellatrix called as well. “You are being rude, you know.�



“Obviously we need to teach her some manners,� Rodolphus agreed, guessing where she was and shooting a spell at her. Luckily for Lily it was about a foot or so to the right of where she was. Nevertheless, she grabbed another tree branch and swung herself up a little higher.



“Fine. If you don’t want to come down then we’ll just make you. You can’t stay up there forever anyway, Evans,� Rodolphus shouted. This time he fired a spell at the tree’s branches, making them go very limp. It was as if they were suddenly made of rubber instead of wood. Lily frantically tried to seize one of the tree’s limbs, but they were too smooth, and she slid down to the ground.



Covered in dirt and leaves, Lily hardly cared that she looked like a tree had tried to climb her instead of vice versa. All she cared about at the moment was getting away from Rodolphus and Bellatrix as fast as possible.



“Really, Evans,� Bellatrix laughed. “If you wanted to become a cat and go tree climbing, you could have just said so.� She pointed her wand at Lily and muttered something. Once again, Lily tried to dodge her spell, but she had landed on her ankle oddly, and it gave a funny wobble as she tried to jump out of harm’s way. The spell hit her right in the ear and shoved her back down.



Suddenly Lily felt very peculiar all over. Her arms felt like they were extending and getting thicker, and her nails grew long and sharp at an alarming rate. Her ears painfully shifted further up on her head and her nose lengthened until it touched her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes when some whiskers sprouted from the sides of her face. Pinpricks exploded all over her body as orange-reddish fur popped out everywhere. But perhaps the strangest sensation of all was when a long, powerful tail erupted from her backend.



Lily tried to scream but all that came out was a strange sounding yowl.



“Cat got your tongue?� Rodolphus chortled as the others snickered.



Lily did not think it was funny. She growled and started to advance on them but Bellatrix whipped up her wand and said, “Not so fast. I still don’t think you’ve learned your lesson.�



Lily let cat instinct take over and sprang at the dark-haired girl.



“Levicorpus!� Bellatrix shouted as Lily flew at her. A small yelp slipped out as Lily’s left hind leg was yanked up above her head.



“Now, let’s see how well cats can swim,� Bellatrix said with an evil gleam in her eye as she floated Lily nearer the water. Both her cat instincts and her normal senses were screaming to be kept as far away from the water as possible. But however much she kicked and thrashed about wildly in the air, it did her no good. Lily felt her stomach drop and her fur stand on end as she stared at the moving waters below.



“Liberacorpus!� Bellatrix cried and Lily crashed into the lake.



* * * * *



James whistled as he walked out of the castle and onto the grounds. He would have preferred some company but Remus was diligently doing homework, and Sirius and Peter were in detention for something they had done last week while he was at Quidditch practice. James could have joined Remus in writing his potions essay, but he hadn’t felt like it. He wandered around towards the lake, figuring he could at least look for that plant Professor Pollyweed wanted for their next Herbology class. But when he got there he didn’t feel much like doing that either. James sighed and sat down under a tree. That’s when he noticed the big cat coming out of the water.



What looked like a cougar to James stomped out of the lake and vigorously shook the water off of its reddish fur. Blowing some more water out its nose, it gave an angry growl and started pacing. James realized that it hadn’t noticed him yet and tried to back silently away. On his third step though, a twig snapped and the cougar brought its head up alertly. James froze, wishing dearly that he had his invisibility cloak with him.



Its two emerald eyes held him in place, waiting for his next move. He gulped and slowly started to back away, but the cat moved as well. Not wanting to incite it with any sudden movements, he carefully reached back to his pocket for his wand. The cat moved a little quicker. After a few more steps James raised his wand and the cat stopped, looking warily at it.



Lily wasn’t sure if she could take any more spells today. Please, she thought, let him trust me. I won’t hurt you, James, I promise. It would be her luck that James Potter would be the first person to stumble upon her in this feline form. How was she supposed to convince him that she really wasn’t just a big cat trying to eat him? Eyeing his wand, she took another couple of careful steps forward.



Five steps later James found himself backed up against a very strange tree. At first he had assumed it was a willow from the way its branches were bending over, but it was clear from the size and shape of its leaves that it was an oak tree. James looked back down at the cat only to find that it had stopped advancing on him and sat rather quietly just within his reach.



Minutes passed and James wondered what it was waiting for. It was staring at him as if it was clearly waiting for something, but he hadn’t the slightest clue what. Then it broke his gaze and thumped its tail, blowing air out of its nose as if sighing. It shifted a little and then glancing back up at him, it moved its head toward his empty hand. James jerked it away and the cat stopped and went back to its waiting position.



James was very confused. The cat did not seem tense or about to attack him, but maybe that was all part of its plan to calm him down and then take him unawares. But then again, with it so close to him, he seriously doubted he would have time to throw a spell at it if it did decide it wanted him for dinner. Taking a huge chance, James lowered his hand and extended it to the cat. It did not start sniffing it as James expected it to, but rather it brushed its head under it, pushing it up like a dog would that wanted to be petted. And that’s just what James did, letting out a relieved sigh, and scratching it behind the ears. This was, without a doubt, one of the strangest experiences he had ever been through.



Lily started purring as James rubbed her head. Ooh, that felt nice. Wait, she thought, I’ve got to concentrate! Turning her head a little and opening her eyes slightly, she just barely glimpsed James’ waist and his right hand limply holding his wand. Come on, she thought, just move your hand up a little more away from your body. She pushed her head up against his hand again and like she expected, he raised his right hand at the same time that he did his left. Seizing her chance, she grabbed James’ wand with her mouth and took off.



“Hey!� he yelled and dashed after her. He mentally berated himself for actually trusting the blasted beast. What had he been thinking? Of course it didn’t just want to be his friend. He prayed that it hadn’t already chewed up his wand and discarded it somewhere among the trees. He’d never be able to find it if that was the case, plus it probably wouldn’t even work properly any more. James moaned, or rather huffed because he was out of breath, at his fate.



Clearing the trees, he paused to look around. Strangely enough the cat was there with his wand still in its mouth, waiting for him. Waiting for him? Maybe it was a dog trapped in a cat’s body and just trying to play fetch. He hoped that was the case. Just as he started getting near it again though, it took off running.



“Stop!� he yelled uselessly.



“No, I’m not stopping,� is what Lily tried to say, when in actuality all that came out was another yowl. Not until I show you something that might make you understand. She had been running at a pace that he could keep up with, but she slowed down even more as she reached the Forbidden Forest. She didn’t like going in there as a human, and the thought still didn’t appeal to her even as a predatory cat. But she darted in between the trees anyway, knowing that it might be her only way of getting back to her normal appearance. Not hearing James crashing through the undergrowth behind her, she turned around and went back to the open grounds.



He stood with his arms folded and a look on his face that said, “You’ve got to be joking.� Normally James wouldn’t mind a jaunt in the Forest with the Marauders, especially if it was during a full moon, but he wasn’t stupid enough to go in there without proper control of his wand. He was anything’s snack if the cat decided it was done playing around with him. The cat waited.



“This is ridiculous,� James said, but he followed the cat anyway. This time it merely walked ahead of him, leading the way deeper into the Forest. After a few minutes they came to a small clearing and it paused. James was all but shocked when it turned around and dropped his wand at his feet. After gratefully picking it up, he watched the cat go to the edge of the clearing and pick some flowers. At least that’s what he thought it did, because cats do not normally pick flowers.



James remained puzzled when the cat looked expectantly at him, thumping its tail on the ground. Was this supposed to be some kind of peace offering for stealing his wand? Somehow he didn’t think so, because it now it seemed like the cat had only taken it to get him to follow it. James hesitantly took the flowers from its mouth.



Suddenly it tensed and looked around at the forest. It must have decided that it wasn’t safe for James because it started shunting him backwards to where they came from. And then James saw it. A pony-sized black, hairy spider was climbing down one of the trees opposite them. The cat growled and lowered itself into attack mode.



When she spied the huge spider, Lily had felt anything but brave. In fact, she had had the strongest desire to run screaming as far away from it as she possibly could. But then she let her cat instinct take over again, knowing that James would make a much easier target than herself. Lily prayed that James had had the sense to run when he still could. She couldn’t check behind her to see if he was still there because she knew if she took her eyes off the spider for one second she would be a goner.



Lily watched the spider approach, wondering how exactly she was supposed to fight it and come out alive. One thing she knew for sure; she did not want to get caught under those long, hairy legs. It paused, and she knew what was coming next.



With the force of all eight of its legs behind it, the spider launched itself at Lily. But she was ready for it and gave a mighty leap over it. Except she didn’t make it all the way and ended up on its back instead. She tried to dig her claws into its back but its armor-like hide was too thick. As it writhed around to get her off she grabbed onto one of its legs in a very uncat-like move. As she fell, she tightened her grip and found that with a vindictively satisfying crack the leg came off with her.



The spider screamed in pain and reeled around to face her. It immediately charged a volley of stabs at her. Lily tried to keep up, but the fall had left her off balance. Not sure of her footing, she slipped and the spider pinned her down with one of its legs. As it lowered its jaws she kicked and scratched with all her might. Suddenly sticky, white filament was all over her. Panic stricken, she squirmed even harder, willing herself not to give up because she knew that if she did she would be mummified alive.



The spider screamed again, letting its hold of her go, and Lily feared the worst. When the final blow didn’t come she struggled up to a sitting position, or as close to it as she could because her complete back end and legs were wrapped in the strong fibers. What she saw amazed her. A great, majestic stag was attacking the spider. Lily quickly tried to free herself so she could help it.



As she scratched at her bonds she thought of the odds of her and the stag defeating the spider. It had too many legs and a very thick exterior to protect itself from them. Better go for its eyes or, Lily shuddered to think of this, its soft underbelly. Finally freeing herself she evaluated the situation. The stag had dragged the spider away from her to the point that it completely had its back to her. Taking the opportunity, she lunged at the beast, and before it new what was happening, she was standing on its head, scratching its eyes out. It contracted violently and Lily lost her footing, sliding off the giant arachnid yet again. Once again she was too slow in getting out if its way as it writhed about in pain. By accident it stomped on one of her back legs, the one of course that she had fallen oddly on after climbing the oak tree. Before it could further hurt her, the stag charged it, sending it retreating back into the dark confines of the Forest.



Lily turned to the stag to somehow thank it, but as soon as she took one step towards it, it shot off into the woods. Better get out of here too before that thing comes back, she thought. But she had gotten so turned around by the fight that she wasn’t sure where the way out was. Looking around her, she realized that she was sitting right next to the patch of lilies that had been across the clearing when she first got there. Lily laughed emotionlessly. Now James was gone and it was getting dark. No one would believe that a dirty, wet, and bloody cat was really Lily Evans. On top of it all, her leg was killing her. As she began to limp out of the Forest, great big cat tears formed in hers eyes and dropped silently onto the undergrowth she passed over.



James sighed in relief and sagged against one of the trees at the edge of the Forest. What had that cat been thinking, leading him into the Forbidden Forest like that? It’s a good thing I was able to transform into Prongs, he thought, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a chance.



It was when he wiped his forehead with his hand that he realized that he was holding onto something. It was the flowers the cat had given him. Lilies. A crazy idea entered his brain. No, he thought, that’s impossible.



James straightened back up as he heard a rustling coming from the trees. The cat emerged from the Forest, limping slightly. It gave him a shocked look when it realized he was standing there. Then, letting out a soft, mournful cry, it looked at James, pleading at him with its eyes.



James was helpless. He had no clue what it wanted or furthermore what he could do for it. Glancing down at the crushed lilies in his hand, he thought back to the clearing. He had transformed into a stag to save the cat. What if the cat was someone else that had transformed? It might explain why it was acting so strangely. Why didn’t whoever it was just change back if that was the case?



He looked back up at the cat and asked doubtfully, “Er, you’re not –you’re not a student are you?� The cat all about started dancing, as it thumped its tail about happily. Then it started nosing his hand with the lilies in it.



James laughed, and still feeling a bit silly he said tentatively, “Lily?� She purred and nodded, thumping her tail some more.



“But how do I know it’s really you?� he asked. Suddenly James found himself being practically mauled by the cat. It leapt up and put its paws on his shoulders, pushing him down to the ground where it kept him. Still trying to catch his breath, James stared into the cats eyes. Green eyes.



James chuckled. Attacking him in a mad fury was certainly a very Lily Evans thing to do.



“Alright, Evans,� he said and did the spell that would change her back into a human. She collapsed onto him, which James had no objection to, and slowly transformed back from a cougar to the Lily he knew.



Once the changes had stopped, Lily rolled off of James and sat up, feeling her head.



“I’m going to kill Rodolphus and Bellatrix the next time I see them,� she groaned.



“Did they do this to you?� he all but growled.



She nodded and told him the whole story. When she finished he stared at her, taking it all in. She certainly looked like she had fallen in the lake and then traipsed all over the grounds. Her wildly disheveled hair sported a few leaves and one long stand of seaweed; her uniform was covered with dirt and ripped in a few places; and one of her ankles was bleeding slightly. He still couldn’t take his eyes off her though.



James was reminded of the moment in their fourth year when he realized that he liked her. She had looked pretty similar to the way she did now except she was still sopping wet. You see, she had been thrown in the lake by a banishing charm. Actually, James was the one who had done it. He and Sirius had just tried a new spell, which they had read about in a book from the library, on Severus Snape when she came barging over, preaching about how it was wrong to make idiots of other people just because you could. James was so tired of her yelling at him all the time that he just wanted to get rid of her. And that’s exactly what he intended to do with the banishing charm. He really hadn’t meant to send her into the lake though. That was just a perk.



James and Sirius were laughing when she stormed up the banks of the lake absolutely furious. It wasn’t until she was standing right in front of him, steam practically coming out of her ears, that something strange happened.



James was looking at a piece of seaweed in her hair, not listening to a word she was saying, when he noticed just how many freckles she had. And he realized also that even though her bright green eyes were shooting daggers at him, they were sort of pretty. As a matter of fact, he thought, she’s kind of cute when she’s angry. All at once, James felt a pull somewhere around his navel and had the sudden urge to lean down and kiss her.



“Are you even listening to me?� she had shouted, pulling him out of his trance.



He did a very foolish thing next when he said, “Will you go out with me, Evans?�



Sirius burst out laughing, Remus covered his face and groaned, and Peter simply looked at them eagerly.



Too disgusted to answer, Lily stalked off.



“So that’s a maybe?� he shouted hopefully at her retreating form.

James chuckled at the memory.



“What’s so funny?� Lily whispered. James looked into her eyes and felt the familiar tug he got whenever he was too near her.



“Nothing,� he whispered back. And this time he really did lean down to kiss her.



Lily hadn’t realized how close she and James were, because she was too busy staring into his hazel eyes. For once he wasn’t being annoyingly immature. In fact, he was being quite reasonable. A funny tingling started running through her body and Lily was suddenly incredibly nervous. Her breath caught in her throat as James leaned in. Eyes wide, Lily panicked and slapped him hard across the mouth.



“Ow!� he exclaimed and put a hand up to his face.



“James Potter,� Lily spluttered without any real force behind the words, “How dare you.�



“Jeez, Evans. You didn’t have to hit me. You could have just said no or something,� he said still rubbing his mouth.



Not about to apologize, Lily straightened her back and said, “Well nothing else would have worked. No matter how many times I say it, that thick scull of yours won’t comprehend that I DON’T like you and never POSSIBLY could.�



“Well I did save you,� he replied. “The least you could do would be to thank me.�



“Nonsense,� she said, sniffing and looking away. “I’m sure I could have convinced anyone that it was really me.�



James seriously doubted that, but he humored her anyway. Getting up, he offered her his hand and said, “Come on. You should probably go to the hospital wing to make sure there’s nothing wrong with your leg.�



She ignore his hand and got up on her own, saying, “I don’t need your help, Potter.�



“Fine,� he said frustratedly.



Lily started to determinedly walk off, half stomping, half limping, when she remembered that her wand was still at the bottom of the lake. Turning back around and looking pointedly at James she said, “I need my wand back.�



“Accio Lily’s wand,� he said without taking his eyes off her. About a minute of stony silence passed before her wand came zooming towards them.



“Thanks,� Lily muttered and turned back to the castle.



James decisively headed in the opposite direction, which as he soon realized, only led him back into the Forbidden Forest. Stopping at the edge, he grunted and kicked a tree. He had been so close! He could have sworn that she had wanted to kiss him too, so what had happened? James would give anything to know. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pacing a bit. Seeing the crushed lilies that he had dropped when Lily jumped on him, he bent down and picked them up. This would have to do for now, he thought, and headed back up to the castle.

Lily stared at the ceiling. She was lying on one of the cots in the hospital wing after she had hobbled up there to see the nurse. It seemed she had sprained her ankle during her adventurous day. Though the nurse had been able to mend it, Lily’s ankle was still tender so she was required to stay there overnight. Despite having the room to herself, she was having trouble falling asleep because of all the thoughts running through her head, most of which involved a certain black-haired Quidditch Chaser.





Lily had disliked James since their first year at Hogwarts because not only had he seemed like a spoiled little boy that expected everything to be about him, but on top of that he had teamed up with Sirius Black, becoming one of the most annoying trouble makers ever. She couldn’t stand that he acted like he was a cut above everyone else, the king of the castle who demanded that his subjects adore and pay homage to him in the form of amusement. What’s more, he didn’t care that he humiliated others or caused them pain. Lily hated that in a person -when they didn’t think about, or even care for that matter, how their actions might affect others. She understood people, or at least tried to see past a rough exterior and figure out what was really going on inside the individual. All she saw in James Potter was some superficial ego, waiting for the satisfaction of hearing her say yes to going out with him to complete his popularity status. Not that she thought that much of herself. She just figured that after having said no to him all these years, it would be the perfect jewel in his crown to get the one person who seemed to loathe him to turn around and adore him. At least that’s what she had thought since their fourth year when the little prat had started asking her out.





It had come as a complete surprise to her, more so even than when he had banished her into the lake a few seconds before that. Hexing her was just something James would do to someone that was annoying him, so she wasn’t too surprised that he did something like dunking her in the lake. Though her pride had suffered a little for looking like a drowned cat in front of a crowd of students, she was more hurt by James asking her out. To Lily it was a slap in the face because it obviously wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. Lily was self-conscious enough about her freckles and red hair that made her stand out like nothing else that she didn’t need any reminding that no way was any boy going to look at her twice. After that little stunt, Lily lost what little respect she held for James. Hexing someone was one thing, but insulting a girl’s looks was way over the line. From then on, it was James no more. Potter would do just fine.





Since then she had spared little real time or thought to his antics. She didn’t expect too much of him or take him very seriously. So why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? His actions earlier had quite shaken her up, and she wanted to know why. It wasn’t like her to get all jumpy around boys, especially James Potter.





With Miles, things were laid back and easy. Lily had actually been sort of surprised when he had asked her out. She had known who he was because, besides being on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, he was also a prefect like her. It was after one of their meetings that he quietly pulled her aside and asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. A bit flabbergasted as well as gratified, she had said yes, figuring that even though she didn’t really know him, this would be the perfect opportunity to find out what he was really like. Admittedly, she had been more than a little jealous when all of her friends started dating and she had yet to be asked by anyone. But then she all about smacked herself when she realized she was throwing herself a pity party over something as stupid as that. Lily didn’t need a boyfriend to have fun, and frankly, she knew that she definitely didn’t want to start acting as silly as some of the girls with boyfriends behaved.





She was glad she could feel so relaxed around Miles. She enjoyed their long talks together and was comfortable when he held her hand. She respected his studious desire to understand things and loved when he got so caught up in talking about this or that thing that he had come across in his studies that he got a big, boyish grin on his face and waved his hands around animatedly. They did have their disagreements on certain topics every now and then, but for the most part he was proving to be a great friend.





Wait a minute, she thought. Do I really think of him as just a friend? He’s supposed to be more than that. He’s supposed to be my boyfriend. That was really what was troubling her. She had never felt the way she did earlier today with James during any of the hand holding or conversations with Miles. Lily was very confused as to why James, who she had a distinct distaste for, could suddenly get her all wound up, when she didn’t feel anything strange or different around Miles. Down by the Forest, Lily had realized that James was going to kiss her and that she was going to kiss him back, and that’s why she had panicked and slapped him. She still felt all prickly whenever she pictured him leaning down. What was wrong with her?





She sighed and rolled over. She didn’t think she would be answering that question any time soon. Better focus on what she could work out. Lily had fancied a little boy in the school she went to before she came to Hogwarts, so she knew what that felt like. But when she came here she was too busy learning magic and having fun with her friends to think about boys. She hadn’t really felt that way again until earlier today with James. If she hadn’t felt something with Miles, it could only mean one thing: She just liked him as a good friend and nothing more.





Really? she thought disappointedly. He is a nice enough bloke. I wish for his sake it hadn’t worked out this way. She knew she would have the sad fate of telling him soon enough that there wasn’t any real affection there on her part. She hoped he wouldn’t be too let down. I have to tell him, she thought. It wouldn’t be fair if he thought I like him just as much as he likes me, when I don’t.





Sighing again and tossing around in bed some more she thought, I will do it… as soon as I get out of here tomorrow.





But she didn’t. When she went to find him after breakfast he was off in the library studying vigorously for his N.E.W.T.s.





I should let him study, she told herself. Besides, I don’t think it would be very nice to drop something like this on him right before such a big exam. Better wait till after he’s done with them.





But between taking her own end-of-the-year exams, packing, and having some last minute fun with her friends, she never got around to doing it.





By the time they were boarding the Hogwarts Express to go home she felt as if her insides would eat herself alive from all the guilt. Still, when she passed him in a compartment with his friends, she thought, He should have this last train ride home with his friends without anything troubling him.





Waving and smiling she moved on to where Alice, May, and Ginger were storing their luggage and joined them.





“Another year gone by,� Alice said, reminiscing. “It seems like we were just boarding the train for the beginning of the year.�





“I know, doesn’t it?� May agreed, wrestling with her bag a little.





“Here,� Ginger said, taking it from her and rearranging things to make it fit. “I’m glad it’s over with, to be honest. Just one more year and then we’re off to bigger and better things.�





Coming up behind her and smirking, Sirius Black replied in a mocking tone, “What could possibly be bigger and better than you?�





“I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear that Sirius Black,� she replied tartly.





May giggled and turned to Remus, Peter, and James who had come up behind Sirius. “What are you four planning for the summer holidays?� she asked.





“Oh you know, the usual mischief and mayhem,� Sirius replied for them. “Setting a few stray cats on fire, exploring the woods by James’ house, that sort of thing.�





At the mention of James’ name, Lily had glanced at him and then quickly looked away as he was staring at her. The nerve of him! she thought. He actually has the gall to blatantly stare at me after what he pulled. She resolutely walked into the compartment and out of his view.





“Well, we’ll catch you lot later,� Alice said, sensing trouble.





“See you, then,� said Remus as he started to move past the girls that were filing in after Lily.





“What was that all about,� Alice asked once they were all sitting down and the door was closed.





“Oh nothing,� Lily replied offhandedly. “I just don’t plan on being around Potter for more time than I have to. I might ask you why you’re not with Frank.�





“Oh that’s easy. I told him I’d meet him about halfway through the trip so we could each have time for our friends.�





“Gosh. It'll must be hard on you two next year,� May remarked.





Alice sighed and frowned a little before saying, “Yes. I’m not looking forward to the long breaks when we’re apart, but it’s not like there’s anything we can really do about it besides seeing each other over the holidays.�





Lily nodded quietly and thought to herself, It’s a good thing I’ll be spending the holidays away from James Potter. I’m sure I’ll forget all about him during the next couple of months. Pushing him out of her mind, she spent the rest of the trip talking and playing Exploding Snap with the girls.





Once the train rolled into the station however, she was the first to jump up and grab her things. She had to talk to Miles before he left. Charging down the steps, she landed on the platform with a soft grunt and began searching for the wiry, brown-haired Ravenclaw.





“Miles,� she shouted as she spotted him and made her way through the crowd.





“Lily! Hey!� he said.





“I need to talk to you.� they said at the same time.





“You first,� he said quickly.





“Alright,� she gulped. Breathing was a little hard at the moment. “Look, Miles. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you this past week, but I’ve put it off because of N.E.W.T.s and all that. But I’ve got to tell you now because I think it’s something you really should know.�





Taking another breath and looking away at the other students around them, Lily said, “I think we might be better as just friends.� Looking fearfully back up at him, she saw that he was smiling.





“Me too,� he said, sounding relieved.





Surprised, she said, “Really?�





“Yeah. I kind of realized that too. I didn’t want to upset you or anything, but I thought it best if we broke it off. With me leaving Hogwarts, it’d be hard to keep in touch and still stay close. And really, we haven’t gotten that serious yet.�





“Yes, I suppose you’re right,� Lily agreed. It did seem rather logical the way he put it. “Friends?� she asked.





“Friends,� he said and reached to pull her into a hug.





* * * * *





James stepped off the train and into the bustling crowd of students and parents. He and Sirius would have to make their way back to his house alone, as his parents had left for a week in Madrid a few days before. Looking around for his friend, he saw that a crowd of girls had cornered him and were badgering him about his plans for the summer holidays. Grinning and shaking his head, James headed towards the barrier.





He stopped however, when he noticed Lily and her boyfriend, Miles, talking a few feet away. James took satisfaction in the fact that Miles was not coming back next year, and that hopefully, such time spent apart would lessen Lily’s regard for him. He frowned however, when he saw them hugging. That couldn’t be a good sign.





James remembered what it was like to hold her as they were freefalling together for the briefest of moments. Wishing he could run after her and hug her goodbye too, he watched her walk through the barrier and disappear. He couldn’t keep letting her slip away. Lily Evans was going to realize that she was the one for him if it was the last thing James did.

Lily sighed as more cream-colored paint dripped onto her already mottled pants. She wiped her forehead with her arm and set the paint brush down on the edge of the can for the last time. With satisfaction she gazed around the room. She had finally finished. What had started out as an idle task to pass the time had turned into an all-intensive project that Lily was determined to see finished.

For some reason that Lily had yet to understand, her parents had gotten it into their heads that they wanted a quainter house, away from the city. So they had moved from the only home she had ever known, fifty kilometers west of all her favorite girlhood friends and hideouts. Not very happy with the change, but knowing there was no arguing with her mother once she got that look in her eyes, Lily had accepted her fate and begun exploring and assessing their new habitat. It was clear that some major renovations needed to take place, starting with the repulsive mustard-yellow paint covering the walls in her new room. She was planning on changing the light fixture, as well as finding some new curtains that didn’t clash with the new, more neutral color, before she moved on to the other rooms in the house. It had taken her what seemed like forever to finish sealing and coating over the putrid color, but she still had the trims to go. That would have to wait though, because she was going to take a well-deserved break and spend some time outside, in the fresh unpaint-fumed air.

“You better not smell like that when Vernon gets here in an hour,� Lily heard Petunia call from her room across the hall. “He already thinks you’re too much of a freak without that obnoxious odor warding off anyone within 10 meters of you,� she added before slamming the door.

Lily rolled her eyes and climbed down off the stepladder. That was the other unhappy change in her life: Petunia had met a boy when they moved. His name was Vernon Dursley. He had graduated from Smelting’s where he had been a star wrestler –something he liked to brag about a lot. He worked at a company that made drills, where he was sure he would be moving up any time soon --something else he was very proud of and never failed to mention when he was over for dinner, which was quite a lot. Too often for Lily’s liking, in fact.

Tonight would definitely be a test of character. She, Petunia, and Vernon were heading into London to show Vernon some of their old haunts while their parents hosted a party to meet their new neighbors. Though she couldn’t wait to see some of her old childhood playgrounds and favorite shops, Lily was not looking forward to spending the night as an unwanted third wheel, listening to Petunia gloat over the fact that she had a boyfriend and Lily didn’t. (Lily hardly cared about that point; it was just that the superior looks were getting a bit annoying.). On the other hand, just the thought of not having to watch her parents fawn over Vernon’s latest news about drills for one night was enough to lighten her mood. Smiling and gathering the paint supplies, Lily cleared the room and headed downstairs to rinse the used brushes before they dried and got all clumpy.

“What time are you leaving?� her father asked her between puffs of smoke as she passed him walking through the parlor. Though they had been in the house for little over a month, already, the parlor smelled like his pipe. He usually spent his evenings in there in his favorite chair, smoking and reading a book, or conversing with her mother. Lily traced her finger along the edge of the chair before answering in a monotone voice.

“Vernon’s going to get here in an hour.�

Mr. Evans chuckled.

“Really Lily. He’s not all that bad. I’m sure you two will warm to each other in time�

“Not unless I suddenly learn the art of drill making or he has a change of heart about magic,� she scoffed.

“Now, Lilykins,� he intoned, standing up and ruffling her hair like he used to when she was a small girl. “You should have seen me and your mother’s sister when she first brought me home. Of all the miserable cases in the world, there was hardly one as hopeless as mine. The girl wouldn’t talk to me for a full year, and that was before she started walking all over me.�

“Only because she hadn’t learned to talk or walk yet,� Lily laughed, walking into the kitchen and turning on the water to clean the paint supplies. She was surprised that her father had brought up her late aunt. She had been in a car accident three years ago and her mother had taken it very hard. Then again, maybe he had just forgotten about it, as he was prone to do in his old age.

She glanced back into the parlor as her father stood up and moved towards the windows that looked out into their little garden and front pathway. Lily missed these quiet moments with her father when she was away at school. She and her father had somewhat of a special bond because they were more like each other, just as Petunia and her mother were. At their old house they used to sit out on the front porch on the swing and watch the stars come out as Petunia and her mum would sit in the kitchen, discussing the latest fashion trends. It seemed like the summer months were quickly slipping by and her time with her father was growing shorter by the minute.

“Oh my God, the house will never be ready in time!� her mother exclaimed as she slowly came down the stairs holding a stack of boxes that looked like it would topple over at any second. Drying her hands, Lily hurried to help her mother unpack the decorative china pieces. Usually she tried to stay as much out of her way as possible when she slipped into her cleaning mode, because that was when her temper was on a short leash –a temper that Lily had inherited. Yes, her mother was a clean freak, something her sister Petunia was well on her way to becoming as well. Lily, like her father, was most certainly not. You could easily tell the difference between the two girls’ rooms, though they were set up in the same manner, because Petunia kept hers pristine while Lily liked to categorize the state of her bedroom as an “organized mess.�

“This isn’t even all of them,� her mother fretted. “But I don’t have time to look for the rest of them and tidy up both the parlor and the kitchen. What will the neighbors think? ... This house is a wreck!�

At this she nearly collapsed in tears were it not for the timely appearance of Mr. Evans who took the last bit of china out of her hands, calmly placed it on the table, and beckoned for her to let herself be enfolded in a hug.

“Now dear. The neighbors know we haven’t been here all that long and haven’t had a chance to get ourselves completely settled in. They moved here once too, I’m sure, and know what it’s like to have to find a new home for every little thing,� he said while patting her back.

“That’s right,� Lily chimed in. “And anyway, I don’t think any of them will have that new style of curtains yet that you bought last week.�

Lily knew this would lift her mother’s spirits, as she always liked to be the first on the block to have the latest new trend.

“Well,� her mother sniffed, “you know I’ve been over to the Whiteman’s house down the street, and they did have the most hideous curtains you had ever seen. They were lace, so I’m sure they were pretty at one time, but now they’re just all faded and horrid looking…�

Lily made a face as her mother continued. Motioning to her father, she quietly made her way towards the stairs to escape her mother’s speech about the fine points of the evolution of curtain styles. Once at the top of the stairs she headed to the lavatory to start the hot water for her shower. Humming a little as she went back to her room for some clean clothes, Lily rolled her eyes as she heard her sister shout through her closed door something about not hogging the bathroom. Honestly, like Petunia really needed to try to impress that dolt of a boy. And since when do I spend more than fifteen minutes in the bathroom? She rarely ever even bothered to style her hair, much less put on makeup. In fact, she could count the number of times on her hand that she had actually tried to get all dressed up, most of which, she was forced to by her mother. Stepping into the hot stream of water, Lily let her body relax. Tonight all she had to worry about was not accidentally killing her sister or her boyfriend. That wouldn’t be too hard, right?


* * * * *


Three hours later, Lily was finding this task more difficult than she had previously thought it would be. She, Petunia, and Vernon had spent the last half hour walking up and down Charing Cross Road searching for a specific shop Petunia had heard about from one of her friends. Lily was beginning to doubt if it even existed. Every few minutes Petunia and Vernon would erupt at each other and start arguing about, ‘had we tried that shop?’ and, “no, because that one could not possibly be the one they were looking for as it was surrounded by small children,’ and so on. Lily had learned early on that her logical advice to ask someone in one of the shops where the place was located was unappreciated and unwanted. Holding her tongue and grinding her teeth, she followed behind them for the rest of the trip silently brooding about how long this was likely to last before they gave it up as a lost cause and got some dinner, or better yet, went home.

“But we know Diagon Alley like the back of our hands. Why not see how the other half lives?... Stir things up a bit,� Lily heard a somewhat familiar voice say as she passed an alley way.

Wait a minute. Lily stopped walking and looked around. She was standing right in front of the Leaky Cauldron, which Vernon and Petunia had walked right past and stopped to argue in front of the shop next to it. Just then two teenagers walked around the corner of the building and nearly ran into her.

“Evans!� the one with the glasses cried.

“Ha!� said Sirius. “If it isn’t our old pal. So what are the likes of you doing around here?�

“Well, I am a witch if you’ll remember correctly, though I am not visiting Diagon Alley today,� she said motioning to the Leaky Cauldron. “I’m here with my sister and her boyfriend looking at the shops.�

James made a point of looking around her for her companions before saying with a cheeky grin, “Nice cover, Evans. But next time you’re waiting around the Leaky Cauldron hoping you’ll run into me, think up a better story.�

“Of all the…� she started, but checked herself. It wouldn’t do to start a verbal spat in front of Muggles that would quickly turn into a duel where sparks were sure to fly. Starting again, she more calmly said, “Petunia was looking for a specific shop and she must have found it when I bumped into you two. Or rather, you bumped into me.�

Just then Petunia and Vernon came out of the shop ahead of them still arguing and made their way towards them. Lily didn’t know which would be worse, Petunia and Vernon’s reaction to James and Sirius, or James and Sirius’ impression of her sister and her portly boyfriend. Maybe Petunia wouldn’t figure out that they were wizards. Right.

“Come on Lily, we’re going to the theatre. Apparently the shop’s closed down because the owners are on holiday,� Petunia snapped, paying no attention to either James or Sirius.

“So you must be Lily’s charming sister I’ve heard so much about,� James said, offering his hand and donning one of his most charming smiles. Lily nearly gagged.

Petunia narrowed her eyes at his hand and without taking it, said, “Who are you?�

“I’m James Potter and this is Sirius Black. We’re friends of Lily’s from school.�

Those were the magic words. Lily had one second to give James a look that clearly said, “you idiot� before Petunia started shouting at her.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TOLD THOSE FREAKS ABOUT ME. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT ME. OR VERNON. WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY MIGHT TRY TO PULL. FROM NOW ON IF ANYONE ASKES, YOU’RE AN ONLY CHILD. OR BETTER YET, ADOPTED SO MUM AND DAD DON’T GET INVOLVED EITHER.�

James stared with his mouth open and his hand still out. This was Lily’s sister? He didn’t think they could be more different. Even Sirius and Regulus looked alike and had one or two of the same mannerisms. But this girl, with her long face, bony nose, and sour disposition was nothing like the Lily he knew. No wonder Lily never mentioned her. Not that he’d ever had a conversation with her himself that didn’t turn into a shouting match.

“Right,� Lily said in an eerily calm voice that James knew all too well.

“Exactly,� cut in Sirius.

They all stared at him.

“Why don’t you let us take this foul creature off your hands for the evening,� he continued. “That way you won’t have to have a sister for another… three hours.�

Lily looked doubtfully at the two Gryffindors. Did she really want to spend the evening with these two troublemakers?

“Well Vernon and I were going to go to the show, and it would be a lot cheaper if you didn’t go too,� Petunia sniffed, talking only to Lily and not to Sirius.

Lily glanced at James and Sirius to gauge how much trouble she was likely to get in if she spent the evening with them. She found James giving her a funny look that created some butterflies in her stomach. It almost seemed like his eyes held some sympathy in them. Almost. Well, however aggravating Potter could be, he couldn’t possibly be worse than my sister, Lily thought. Making up her mind and following the feeling in her stomach that told her to go with the boys, she turned to her sister and said, “We’ll meet you back here at nine o’clock. You don’t tell mum about this and I won’t either�

They had promised their mother before they left that they would stick together while they were in London.

“Fine,� Petunia replied, and grabbed Vernon to go to the theatre.

Turning in the opposite direction, Lily folded her arms and marched down the street.

“Coming?� she called to the two boys who were still standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron, giving each other amused looks.

“Yes darling,� James replied with a genuine smile on his face.

“Alright,� Lily said, looking at her watch. “I think we’ve got about thirty minutes to grab some food before we need to catch the Tube to be back to the Leaky Cauldron by nine.�

“Catch the what?� Sirius said as he led the way out of the Science Museum. “Tell me that doesn’t involve being sucked through the piping system.�

“No,� Lily laughed. “We’ll just be taking that underground train again. It’s the fastest and easiest way to get around London.�

Walking behind them, James grabbed the door after Lily and said, “You mean besides flying or Apparating? I don’t know how you think using a train that stops every five seconds is fast.�

“Well, if you think about it, it’s pretty amazing what Muggles have come up with to function in society without having the option of just being able to wave a wand and say an incantation to get what they want,� Lily countered. “Just think how much it took to figure out how to make a device that allowed you to talk to someone on the other side of the planet just as if he was standing right next to you. Or the train system – building the tunnels and the trains themselves, and making sure they all run on time and connect at the right spots without getting in each others’ ways –that must have taken a while.�

They made their way down the steps and into the parking lot, passing a group of women enthusiastically exchanging greetings.

“Carrie is that you?� one of them holding a large, green embroidered bag exclaimed.

“Sure is. I told Ethel I was coming. I finally got Frank to agree to manage the house without me for one day. It only took me 27 years to do it!� the shortest one replied before turning to another woman approaching the group. “Emmeline Vance! It’s been too long since we’ve stirred up trouble together. Those were happier days.�

“Yeah, you know I still can’t figure out how they get that great big arrow-pain thing up into the air and keep it there,� James remarked, pulling Lily’s attention away from the ladies. “Seems like a lot of work compared with flying.�

“Do the Muggles have a novel way of getting dinner or can we do that regularly? I’m starving,� Sirius said as they weaved their way between parked cars.

Lily thought for a moment before answering, “I think there’s a deli a couple of blocks from here. We can go there.�

All in all, it hadn’t been a bad night. After splitting from Vernon and her sister, Lily had surprisingly begun to enjoy herself. She had given James and Sirius a quick walk around of Leicester Square, taken them on their first ride on the London Underground followed by a brisk walk through Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens, and shown them the Science Museum, hoping to raise their impressions of Muggles. Granted, she probably had come off as abrupt and uptight for the first half of the trip, but that was probably because she had been. Petunia putting her down for being a witch, even in front of friends from school, was nothing new, but something about today’s rant had been more infuriating than all of them put together. She told herself that it had nothing to do with the fact that this time it was in front of James Potter, because she really didn’t care what James Potter thought of her, but somehow she still felt a bit on the defensive side around him.

Once they had gotten off the Underground and she realized James and Sirius had forgotten all about it and were now too absorbed in the sights around them to care that her sister didn’t approve of magic, her mood had lightened considerably. She found herself laughing at the comments James and Sirius made about the other pedestrians they thought looked so strange but looked completely normal to her. And though she did have to put up with a couple of jibes from James about how much more superior magic was to Muggle inventions, not once did she have to turn down an invitation to go out with him. There were several moments when they were in the Science Museum however, when Sirius mysteriously left the room, leaving her and James alone and usually standing a little too close to each other to look at the same piece.

Right at that moment in fact, Lily realized just how close James was walking next to her. Frowning and picking up her arms and folding them, she picked up her pace a bit as well to catch up with Sirius who was a couple of steps ahead of them.

They were almost to the end of the parking lot when they heard a shout behind them. More screams followed before they could even turn around, and when they did, the sight that greeted them seemed almost absolute chaos. Clearly terrified people were pouring out of the Museum.

“Let’s see what’s up,� Sirius said and charged toward the building. James took off after him, and Lily followed.

When they were almost to the doors James stopped two teenagers they had seen inside earlier and asked them what was going on.

“The things, they’re coming to life,� one stuttered out. “It’s liked they’re possessed.�

“One of the displays of an airplane came to life and attacked someone when we were on the third floor,� the other boy said. “And the same thing was happening on the ground level when we tried to get out.�

“Thanks,� Lily yelled over her shoulder as she dashed after James and Sirius who had already whipped their wands out and were pushing counter-stream through the crowds of people trying to get out of the museum. Once inside they found they had more to dodge than just people. The atrium was filled with small inventions that had come to life and were wreaking havoc on the people trying to escape.

Sirius nearly tripped over one of the small model cars that were zooming in between the legs of people, but James grabbed him before he could fall. They heard rather than saw explosions coming from the Space Center straight ahead of them and moved through the throng of people towards the commotion.

They were nearly to the Space Center’s entrance when a rocket the size of a table lamp came shooting towards them. James spread his arms out and forced Lily and Sirius to the ground. Twisting around so quickly that she cracked her back, Lily pointed her wand towards the speeding rocket and cried, “Immobulus!� stopping it before it could reach any of its intended victims.

The three immediately scrambled back up again and ran into the darkened rooms that displayed the inventions of space technology. Through the smoky haze that enveloped the long room and the clusters of sparks issuing from a couple of light fixtures, they could see three figures moving around. One was performing a spell on another similar-sized rocket as the one that just nearly missed them, while the other two were concentrating on the huge rocket ship that spanned the length of the room.

Before the one could get any further with his spellwork, Sirius shot a spell of his own at him that sent him reeling back against a case of glass. Sirius sprinted towards the man’s fallen form before the man had a chance to regain consciousness. Strangely enough, the other two spellworkers at the end of the room seemed not to have noticed the three’s intrusion.

James and Lily made to go after Sirius but were thrown against opposite walls when the back end of the large rocket exploded as if the ship were taking off, emitting a powerful blast of air, followed immediately by huge flames. More to shield herself than to defeat the flames coming out of the rocket, Lily spouted off an Aguamenti charm from the end of her wand. It kept the flames nearest her at bay but did not solve the larger problem.

“We’ve got to do a Severing Charm to get the charged-up back end off of the rocket before it blasts off, and we’ve got to do it all at once!� James yelled from the other side.

“On the count of three,� he yelled. “One. Two. Three!�

In unison James, Lily, and Sirius shouted, “Diffindo!� and separated the back end of the rocket ship from the rest of it. Almost simultaneously, the bottom of the rocket gave a great spurt of energy, catapulting itself through the ceiling and bringing part of the rocket up with it. Chunks of plaster, tile, and metal rained down on them as the rest of the rocket swung precariously in its holdings before tipping nose-down and touching the floor with its point.

“Alright, Evans?� James shouted as he ran over to her once the majority of the debris had come down and the fires started by the explosion were put out.

“I’m fine,� she said, though she had sustained a few minor burns. From the reddish streaks on his face it looked like James hadn’t been completely safe from the flames either.

“Those two people went into the next room,� Sirius barked from his position a little farther down the room. “I couldn’t see exactly who they were in the light from the blast, but I could tell they were Death Eaters.�

“That one’s waking up,� Lily warned as the Death Eater Sirius had thrown into a glass case started groaning and shifting around, dislodging some of the debris that had toppled onto him. They raced towards him with their wands raised, but as soon as he saw them coming, he fired a wordless spell at them. Sirius was slammed backwards, knocking James and Lily down with him. They were halfway up from the ground when he Disapparated.

“Come on!� Sirius barked in frustration and ran towards the room the two Death Eaters had disappeared into, hopping around bits of ceiling and slipping carefully around the nose of the rocket that nearly blocked the doorway. What followed was a small, grey room with more glass cases of inventions that marked the beginning of the “modern day� inventions such as automobiles, locomotives, ships, planes, and the like.

Sirius remembered that the two passageways on either side of the opposite wall doubling as a staircase led to a larger, brightly lit space that housed the bigger inventions, while the staircase went up to the second floor. Had the two Death Eaters gone up or forward? Lily and James caught up to him as he debated. Hearing a crash from beyond the opposite wall, they sprang towards the passage on the left but paused in the short span of marble hallway before entering the room.

From what they could see the next room showed signs of the earlier chaos they had passed in the lobby. Several display cases were broken leaving glass everywhere, a number of small cars were rolling about the floor of their own will, and a lone model airplane zoomed around above them.

Of slight more importance to James, Sirius, and Lily though, was the life-size antique train engine rushing towards them. Lily smashed herself against the wall while James and Sirius leapt the other way. A communal sigh of relief followed as the locomotive crashed into another display and broke down. Before the last pieces of glass had fallen however, another rumbling sound was heard.

“Watch out!� Lily screamed as a buggy careened around the corner and made a beeline for James and Sirius.

Just in time they shouted in unison, “Impedimenta!� stopping the old automobile from ramming into them.

“They don’t want to play with our new toys, Amycus!� a female voice cried from the other end of the room, surprising them all and revealing a pudgy looking Death Eater.

“That’s not very nice. We just wanted to be friends,� Amycus replied as he popped out from behind a pole a little closer to them with a lopsided smile on his face.

“We can take them easily,� Sirius whispered as he glanced at the two Death Eaters leering at them.

Amycus giggled wheezily and said, “Don’t you want to be friends with the Dark Lord?�

“Never!� shouted James and shot a nonverbal spell at him. But the Death Eater was too fast and blocked it with a shield charm.

“Tarantallegra!� he cried, pointing at James

“Stupefy!� Sirius shouted at the same time. The Death Eater flew backwards and hit another invention while James danced uncontrollably.

Lily quickly said the countercurse, stopping James before he danced into the buggy.

Suddenly Sirius shrieked out in pain and fell to the floor writhing.

“If you can’t play nicely, maybe you shouldn’t play at all,� the female Death Eater warned as she watched Sirius thrash about in fascination.

“You –“ Lily started, but James cut her off with a well-aimed spell.

Dropping the Cruciatus Curse for a Shield Charm, the Death Eater deflected the curse.

Amycus groaned from his spot on the floor as he started to come back to consciousness, clutching first his head, then his arm.

James took this distraction as an opportunity for another shot at the woman and fired a Confundus Charm at her.

“He wants us back, Alecto,� Amycus shouted as he shakily stood up, still holding his arm, and promptly Disapparated.

Clutching her arm as well, Alecto stumbled out of the room towards a flight of stairs.

“Quick!� Lily cried as James helped Sirius up. They raced across the room after the pudgy Death Eater and reached the stairs just as she turned the corner at the bottom and went out of sight. Flying down the grey steps, they nearly tripped over each other in their haste to catch the Death Eater. They practically tumbled around the corner at the foot of the stairs and nearly missed being hit by a curse sent behind the running Death Eater’s back. The Confundus Charm was obviously beginning to wear off. Up ahead she vanished into a cave-like place lit by colored neon lights.

Glancing at the sign labeling the room as “The Garden� and noticing the odd formations and dark pathways made by the neon lights, Sirius remarked, “This is the weirdest garden I’ve ever seen. Are those things even supposed to look like plants?�

No one answered him as they pushed through a veil of long yellow plastic strips and spotted the Death Eater escaping up another flight of stairs.

“How many stairways does this wretched museum have?� Sirius puffed.

“Too many,� James answered as he caught the door to the stairs before it closed. “And there had better be only one way out for our sake.�

“Halt!� a policeman called as they came out of the stairway near the Space Centre. He wasn’t talking to them however, but someone just around the corner, who, by the sound of her footsteps, was not halting at all.

“Hey, you kids stop right there!� he called as Lily, James, and Sirius raced after her, past the lavatories and through an emergency exit door. Once their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night, they spotted Alecto running across Museum Lane towards an alleyway between two buildings.

“Where does she think she’s going?� Lily wondered out loud.

“Not too far at the rate she’s going,� James replied. The three were significantly gaining on their target, and they were almost to her when she ducked into the alleyway. Bursting around the corner, they barely stopped themselves from running into her.

They collectively inhaled as they realized the sight before them. Standing in the alleyway were about half a dozen Death Eaters and none other than Voldemort himself.

“Who are they?� he asked in a rasp.

From his place leaning against the side of one of the buildings, Amycus replied, “Some little brats who thought they could stop us.�

“Dispose of them,� Voldemort commanded.

Eyes wide, Lily stepped backwards with the intention of putting the building’s corner between her and the Death Eaters, but a loud crack from behind her told her that another Death Eater blocked that avenue of escape. Before they knew it, the three of them were backed up against the side of the building, surrounded. Instinctively, Lily grabbed James’ hand as the Death Eaters advance upon them.

James felt Lily’s grip tighten as the Death Eaters lifted their wands, and he drew breath for a curse.

All movement was stopped however, when a flash of white light revealed a tall, thin, silver-bearded wizard.

“Not causing trouble again, are you, Tom?� Dumbledore asked conversationally.

“How many times are you going to forget in your old age, Dumbledore, that I go by Lord Voldemort now,� Voldemort answered, clearly enraged that he had been stopped in his plans.

“I never forget one of my students, Tom. In fact, I believe you have three of my current charges in your custody,� he said, looking pointedly at James, Lily, and Sirius. “I must ask you to release them unharmed.�

“No, I don’t think I will,� Voldemort said caustically. “You see, you’re not the teacher any more Dumbledore. I don’t have to follow your directions if I don’t want to-“

While Voldemort went on, raptly drawing the Death Eaters’ attentions away from their three captors, an idea came to James. Lily still held one of his hands in an iron grip and he gave her a reassuring squeeze as he shot off a wordless spell. He watched as the sapphire spell slipped through the Death Eaters’ ranks and hit its intended target.

Blue flames sprang up at the hem of Voldemort’s robes. It took him half a second to put them out, but that half second was all Dumbledore needed to start an offensive attack against him. At the same time James, Sirius, and Lily attacked the Death Eaters around them.

“Stupefy!� Lily yelled, taking Alecto down. Sidestepping the falling body, she conveniently dodged a spell from another Death Eater. Whipping around, she fired a conjunctive curse at him, which he merely flicked aside. Instinct told her to shield herself so she wordlessly said the Protego Charm just in time for a shower of red sparks to bounce off it. Barely before the air had cleared, she wordlessly fired another spell at him.

Lily almost started laughing when she saw the great oaf strung up by one of his ankles in the air. It was perhaps, the first time she had ever used the Levicorpus spell. The next thing she knew however, she was as stiff as a board and falling flat on her face.

Though she couldn’t see what happened next, she could hear the many feet scuffling around her. It seemed to her that there were a lot more feet walking around than just Voldemort, a handful of Death Eaters, and Dumbledore, James, and Sirius.

She grunted as she felt someone heavy trip over her and hoped it was Amycus or Alecto. Then two pairs of footsteps were running down the street and a few moments later the spell was lifted off her.

“Lily are you alright?� James said from behind her as he helped her up. Taking her hand, he asked in a concerned voice, “You’re not hurt are you?�

Groaning, she rubbed her jaw with her other hand and replied, “I don’t think I broke anything. Just a few bumps and bruises. Did you and Sirius make out alright?�

“Yeah, help got here in time before the Death Eaters could surround us again,� he said, reluctantly letting go of Lily’s hand.

Looking around her, she saw a couple of other witches and wizards talking with Dumbledore and one she had seen earlier in the parking lot examining Sirius for any side-effects of a curse, while three Death Eaters struggled against the bonds that held them together.

Once Sirius was given the o.k. he walked back over to them and said, “It’ll take more than some mangy Death Eaters to take me down. You alright Prongs, Evans?�

“We’re fine,� James smiled, answering for the two of them.

“I certainly hope so,� said Professor Dumbledore as he walked over to them. “That was no picnic in the park. Are you sure you’re not hurt?� he asked once more, carefully scrutinizing each one of them.

They all nodded and he continued, “Very well, then. You’d better be on your way back home. I shall see you again on September 1st.� And with that he gave them a tip of his hat and disappeared.

“He’s right. We had better start heading back to the Leaky Cauldron,� Lily said with a sigh. Glancing at her watch, she realized they’d have to move a whole lot faster than she’d originally thought. “Great, it’s nearly nine. There’s no way we’ll make it there in time.�

“Unless we Apparate there,� James replied, using common-wizard-sense.

“Right,� Lily said, clapping a hand to her head. “Better go to that back alley you two were talking in before you ran into me.�

They nodded, and with a pop, vanished from the street. Reappearing in the narrow alley between the Leaky Cauldron and the shop next to it, they brought with them a small cloud of dust. Despite all their running around the museum, it seemed they were still covered in debris from the Space Centre room. James sneezed and more dust was dislodged from his hair. Laughing, Sirius lightly punched James on the shoulder and watched a puff of dirt rise up in the light of the street lamp. A second later the two boys were scuffling and giving off scads of the powdery debris.

Lily rolled her eyes as she performed some charms to clean herself off and heal some of the burns on her skin. I guess boys will be boys, she thought to herself. Gazing on Sirius and James tumbling around though, she realized that they weren’t boys anymore. Young at heart is more like it. Boys wouldn’t have run into the museum today and fought Death Eaters, much less taken a shot at Voldemort. Now that she thought about it, running into the museum to help people without a second thought seemed like a very un-James-like thing to do in her book.

I guess I underestimated him, Lily thought as she watched the boys break apart and clean themselves up. She shivered suddenly as she thought of their close call with death and confrontation with Voldemort. James noticed and immediately adopted a serious attitude.

“Not your usual run about the town, was it Evans?� he asked. “I’m sorry Voldemort and his cronies had to come and screw everything up.�

“It’s bad enough they ruin everyone’s lives in the Wizarding World,� Sirius commented. “But wreaking havoc with helpless Muggles is just wrong.�

Lily nodded. “I’d heard about incidents from the Daily Prophet, but I never thought I would get caught up in anything they might do. I can’t believe we just came face-to-face with Voldemort himself! That was absolutely terrifying!� she said as she shuddered again.

Though neither would admit to it, both Sirius and James had been scared out of their minds when they had been confronted with the evil wizard. Now they shifted nervously and remained silent as the scenes in the alleyway played back through their minds.

“Come on,� Lily said, breaking up their thoughts. “Petunia and her boyfriend are probably waiting for me, and if I don’t get there soon, I’ll probably have to hear about it for the rest of the trip home.�

Sirius and James nodded and followed her around the corner. Up ahead they saw Petunia and Vernon stiffly facing the street in front of the shop next to the Leaky Cauldron.

“Your late,� Petunia said through clenched teeth. Without giving Lily a chance to say anything in return she turned swiftly and dragged Vernon up the street. Lily sighed and said goodbye to James and Sirius before running after her sister. The two boys in turn headed into the Leaky Cauldron to return to Diagon Alley.

As they silently made their way around the crowded tables to the back of the humming bar, they couldn’t help but overhear the buzzing conversations about the night’s shocking news. Instead of the usually cheery atmosphere however, it was a fearful overtone that had taken over the well-known tavern. As they passed him hurriedly wiping down a table, Tom, the barman, stopped them before they could enter the back room.

“You boys play it safe tonight,� he said, giving them a stern look. “Some horrible things have happened and I wouldn’t want you two caught up in the middle of it. I know you boys don’t mean anything by your tricks and jokes, but all the same, better leave off the pranks for the time being.�

James and Sirius nodded before bidding the friendly barman goodnight. It was unusual for Tom to be so serious with them, but given the circumstances, they understood his demeanor. Tapping the bricks and saying the incantation, the boys returned to Diagon Alley still brooding about the night’s events.

James and Sirius weren’t two block from the bar before they decided to call it a night. The Leaky Cauldron might have been jam-packed with witches and wizards, but the streets outside were almost deserted, with only one or two people scurrying about their late-night duties, and a few shadows lounging about the alleys and street corners.

“This place is giving me the creeps,� Sirius said, running a hand through his long brown hair.

“Yeah,� James agreed. “Let’s get out of here.�



That night, as James laid in bed, going over what had happened during the day, he couldn’t help but think of that moment when Lily had grabbed his hand. Sure, he had been terrified that he was about to be obliterated by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but the truth was, James had felt like he could do anything, even take on Voldemort himself, when Lily had taken hold of his hand.

He probably would have too if it meant protecting her. Right now he felt on top of the world, though he wasn’t sure how long this world would last with Voldemort causing so much terror. He frowned and turned over on his side. I wish there was some way I could help stop this violence, he thought. It seemed like those witches and wizards with Dumbledore were a group and not just a few random people.... Maybe Sirius and I can find out about them.

He’d have to talk to Dumbledore about it the next time he saw him, but that wouldn’t be for another couple of weeks. Rolling over again, he pushed these thoughts from his mind and focused instead on a certain red-haired damsel he would most definitely be saving from distress any time she needed it.

It had been a month since James and Sirius had run into Lily outside the Leaky Cauldron. A month since they had faced the most evil wizard alive and lived to tell the tale. And tell the tale they had to anyone who would listen to it, which turned out to be only Frank Longbottom and the other Marauders. But even they didn’t want to hear about it after about a week, nor did James and Sirius want to talk about it for that matter. For soon after their run-in with Voldemort and his Death Eaters had occurred, a spree of violent outbreaks erupted throughout the country. It seemed every week a new story flashed across the front page of The Daily Prophet telling of death and destruction caused by the evil wizards.

It was the most uneventful summer ever for the Marauders, but none of the boys had even seemed to notice the slow down in mischievous pranks. A somber mood had taken hold of the country. Lupin’s parents had become even more protective of him than usual and rarely let him out of the house. Peter always seemed to be busy with “other things,� though he could never quite explain what these other things were. And Sirius usually spent the majority of his days ranting about his crazy family and worthless brother. They were all going a bit stir-crazy.

So it was no wonder that when James spotted the owls from Hogwarts bearing their yearly letters he nearly jumped for joy. Never had he been so happy to get a reminder about going back to school.

“Our school letters are coming!� he shouted, interrupting another one of Sirius’s monologues. Sirius sat up from where he had been lying on James’s bed and joined him at the window.

“Hang on. Why are there three of them?� he asked, opening the latchkey and drawing up the window. Sure enough, accompanying the two school owls was a slender, barn owl which swooped in ostentatiously and deposited a note tied with a pink ribbon for Sirius.

“Have you got another girlfriend I don’t know about?� James asked as he untied the heavy enveloped from his owl’s foot and gave it a quick pat before it flew away.

“Nope, this one is from Ginger,� Sirius answered, grimacing at the flowery scent coming off of the pastel-colored paper. “She says she and the other Gryffindor girls are going to Diagon Alley today if we’d like to come along. They’ll be there by eleven.� Glancing at his watch, he continued, “It’s only ten now, so we’ve got an hour to kill… or to primp if you want to look all pretty for Lily.�

When James didn’t make a come-back to this comment, Sirius glanced over to see if he had been listening. Holding something shiny in his hand and staring at the letter held in his other hand, James wore a shocked expression.

Walking over and attempting to read the letter, Sirius asked, “What’s up Prongs? They didn’t expel you did they? Because that dung bomb that exploded in Pringle’s office was totally my fault. I don’t think I told anyone about it because I wanted to leave my own personal mark on the dungeon keeper’s –,�

“I’m Head Boy!� James interrupted him.

Sirius stared at him blankly for a moment before grabbing the letter from him and exclaiming, “Are you pulling my leg? Why would Dumbledore make you, of all people, Head Boy? He’s got to be losing his marbles. Is Felicia Hart Head Girl then? She’d make an excellent one if she could only learn how to read.�

“Ha, ha,� James replied. “I’ll be damned if I can figure out why Dumbledore thinks I’d be the best man for the job, but he certainly wouldn’t give it to the likes of her. Five galleons the Head Girl turns out to be Evans or Davies.�

Sirius put the letter down on the chest of drawers and said, “Wouldn’t that just make your day, mate? Or year actually –having to see Evans every day? There wouldn’t be enough hexes or charms for her to use on you because she’d run out in the first week.�

“More likely she’ll be so impressed by my leadership of the school and see how much I’ve grown up into a man,� James said, puffing out his chest, “that she’ll fall at my feet, begging me to take her out.�

“Right,� Sirius said, laughing, “And then Hell will freeze over. Come on, Lord James, we’d better gather Moony and Wormtail along for our outing with the girls.�

James followed Sirius to the door and said, “You can laugh all you want now, but I’ll be the one laughing when Lily agrees to go out with me. This will be my year! If I can’t get her while we’re both Heads, I’ll never be able to get her.�

“Get off me! Alright, alright. I’ll get up!� Lily cried, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pushing her covers off.

“Come on Lily, our school letters are here!� May shouted as she ran into the next room.

Lily yawned and stretched one more time before she got up from the floor and padded after he friend. She, Alice, and May had been staying at Ginger’s house for the weekend and she had drawn the short stick and had to sleep on the floor. Rubbing her back, she joined the others in the kitchen where they were finishing breakfast and reading their school letters.

“Here’s your Lily, dear, and there’s a spot of toast left if you want some,� Mrs. Brown said as she cleared the table.

Lily took the enveloped and started opening it as she grabbed a piece of toast. As she pulled her letter out, something fell out of the envelope and hit her foot before it landed on the floor. Grunting and bending down to pick it up, she grumbled to herself about being required to use her brain in the morning or at least before she was properly awake. The shiny little badge she picked up from the floor however, was more than enough to clear the cobwebs in her brain.

“I’m Head Girl!� she screeched, causing everyone in the room to jump.

“Really?�

“Lily, that’s great!�

“I knew it’d be you!� the girls shouted, getting up from their seats at the table to congratulate her.

“Come on, we’ll all get you something together at Diagon Alley this afternoon to celebrate,� Ginger said.

“You don’t have to do that for me, but thanks,� Lily replied. She’d have to write to her parents and let them know she was chosen for the position. She would have liked to be able to tell them in person, but she wouldn’t be coming home before the term started. With only two weeks left, the anticipation for school to begin along with the growing number of fights with Petunia, had been too much, and she’d begged her friends to let them have her at their houses until September 1st arrived. Now she slightly regretted her early departure from home.

“Ooh, look! We’re going to need dress robes for something this year!� May exclaimed. “I bet it’s a ball!�

“I hope Frank will be able to come if it is,� Alice said excitedly.

“What a way to end our time here,� Ginger added. “Hey Lily, I know what we can do for you. Alice, May, and I can buy your accessories and things to go with your dress robes.�

The other girls nodded and Alice urged, “Go on, Lils, you deserve it.�

Blushing, Lily finally agreed.

“Well, I’d better get cleaned up if we’re going soon,� Lily said as she finished her last bite of toast.

“Oh,� Ginger called as Lily was leaving he room, “I’ve invited the boys along to Diagon Alley, if that’s alright.�

Lily knew she was referring to James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, and nodded.

Surprised, Alice called out, “Really? You mean you’re not going to make a fuss that ‘Potter’ is coming along too?�
Hesitating, Lily answered, “Well, you know I did manage to spend a whole night with him and Sirius in the Muggle side of London, and it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it would have been. He really can be civil if he wants to be.� Lily paused and looked around at the open mouths and round eyes staring back at her. Clearing her throat, she went on, “And it would make sense for the boys to come along with us. I mean, the bigger our group is, the safer we’ll be, and the boys aren’t to shabby at defensive magic either.�

“I’m glad at least one of you girls has safety on her mind,� Mrs. Brown interjected into the silence that followed Lily’s speech.

“That’s Lily, always the smart one,� Ginger replied, rolling her eyes.

“And smelly,� Alice said as she wrinkled her nose. “You really should take a bath.�

“Ha, ha,� Lily said as she left the room to get cleaned up before anymore questions could be asked about her feelings for James Potter.

* * * * *

“Where are they meeting us again?� May asked as the girls walked down the deserted street that was usually filled to the brim during this time of the year.

“By Eeylops Owl Emporium,� Alice answered, frowning at a pair of wizards that hurried into a dark alleyway. She shivered and picked up the pace.

“There they are,� Lily said in relief as she spotted the four boys coming out of the local joke shop, grinning and laughing suspiciously.

“Only you boys would be able to make jokes and play tricks at a time like this,� Ginger cried out, her overly cheerful voice ringing out across the empty street.

“Ah, but now’s the perfect time,� Sirius answered back, sporting one of his most charming smiles. “Who else can bring a smile and a laugh faster than we can?�

Laughing, Ginger pulled him into a hug while the others made greetings of their own.

“Good to see you, Remus,� Lily said as she embraced him, “though you do look a little worse for the wear.� The cuts and bruises he’d acquired from the full moon last week hadn’t fully healed yet.

“Hey,� she said awkwardly to James when it was their turn to face each other.

“Hey,� he said back, shifting on his feet. Nervously clearing his throat, he asked, “You haven’t killed your sister yet have you?�

She laughed and replied, “No, I’ve been staying with the girls some so I wouldn’t, though I did come very close at least once or twice.�

“Well, since the boys have gotten their joke shopping our of the way for now,� Ginger said, interrupting their conversation, I vote we get the boring, stuff like books and supplies, out of the way too so that we can do the fun things in the afternoon, like go shopping for dress robes.�

“You think shopping for dress robes is fun?� Sirius exclaimed.

“Well, if you don’t want to join in the fun, then you boys can just get something to eat while we find our dresses,� she answered back a bit haughtily.

“Fine by me,� Peter said, rubbing his belly. “I’m starving.�

“She said after we shop for everything else,� Sirius said as everyone else laughed.

“Come on, let’s buy our books first,� Alice called, walking in the direction of Flourish & Blotts. The others followed her in and dispersed throughout the book shop to find the books they needed. Because they were both studying to be Aurors, Lily and James had to buy the most books and found themselves last in line behind Sirius.

Slipping his bag of heavy books over his shoulder after he was done, Sirius grunted and turned to James and said, “Heads don’t get any special privileges like the answers to homework and tests do they?�

“Probably not,� James answered, but then checked himself when he saw Lily’s shocked expression. “Not that I would give them to you anyway,� he added quickly. He frowned and nervously ran a hand through his hair as her countenance remained unchanged.

Lily blinked and said, “You’re Head Boy?�

He nodded when no words would come out from his suddenly dry mouth.

Lily’s mind was reeling as she stared into his hazel eyes. James was Head Boy?? James?! How was she expected to get anything accomplished as Head Girl if James Potter was Head Boy? She could barely control the butterflies in her stomach now, so how was she going to be able to handle working with him one-on-one all year?

I’ll just have to get a better hold over my emotions, Lily thought to herself. I’m being silly anyway! This is James Potter we’re talking about, the boy who slipped slugs into your cereal every morning for a month when we were in Second Year. Mentally shaking herself by the shoulders, she brought her mind to attention. Breaking eye contact and offering him her hand, she said, “Congratulations, James. I guess this means that we’ll be seeing a lot more of each this year. I’m Head Girl.�

Grinning like an idiot, James slipped his hand into hers and slowly gave it a shake. The slight blush on Lily’s cheeks made her freckles stand out even more and her eyes shine like emeralds. Mumbling something about how he was looking forward to working with her, he could barely hold in the urge to lean down and at least give her a peck on the cheek to see if she could get any redder.

They both jumped when Sirius cleared his throat loudly. “I believe he’s ready for the next customer,� he said, pointing to the store clerk who wore an annoyed expression. Sirius gave James a hearty thump on the back and winked at Lily before leaving the store.

“Right, well…� James said awkwardly before turning around and presenting his books to the store clerk.

Snap out of it! Lily yelled to herself as she absentmindedly rubbed her hand on her side to get rid of the tingling feeling she had felt when they had shaken hands. Honestly, I don’t know what you’re getting all worked up about. You’ve never let James Potter get in the way of getting something done before, and there’s no reason for letting him now. You are a perfectly capable and bright young witch, and you can be a good Head Girl despite the fact that James will be Head Boy.

Paying for her books after James, Lily continued to argue with herself. So James has finally grown up. Big deal. That shouldn’t change anything, especially how I feel about him.

Taking a deep breath and grabbing her bag of books, Lily determinedly headed outside to join her group of friends. She would act like a normal human being around James Potter if it killed her.

Unfortunately for James, this meant that Lily avoided him all afternoon, only looking and speaking to him when she absolutely had to. She can’t avoid me all year, he thought in frustration as the girls were leaving at the end of the day. We’ll have to do patrols together, and I’m sure we’ll be meeting with Dumbledore at least a couple of times throughout the year.

In fact, the first order of business for the two Heads was to see the Head Master in his office after the Welcoming Feast.

“Thank you for dropping in to see me before you slipped off to bed,� the silver-bearded wizard said from his place behind his desk. “I know one’s first priority after consuming so much is to get to bed as soon as one possibly can. I just have a few items of business to discuss with the two of you before we enter that blissful realm of dreams.�

Lily and James glanced at each other.

“As you know, the Head Boy and Girl have several responsibilities, including organizing the nightly patrols, helping prepare the Halloween Feast, and keeping the general population in line. But you now all this from the letters you received. What I really called you here to talk about is this –,� he paused and brought the tips of his fingers together.

“I wish for my school to be a happy and safe place. In light of recurring harmful event promulgated by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, I am especially anxious to keep Hogwarts safe this year. I trust you two understand the severity of the situation from your experience at the Muggle museum some weeks ago.�

He paused again to peer over his finger tips at them.

“I do not wish for this somber mood to fill my school, however,� Dumbledore continued. “For this reason I have scheduled a Christmas ball to occur the last night of the school term before the Winter Holidays, as well as a special Halloween Feast to celebrate our wonderful wizarding history. It is your responsibility to plan these events as well as to inspire school unity among the different Houses throughout the school year.�

I wonder how well James will inspire feelings of unity with Severus Snape and other Slytherins, Lily thought to herself, but was quickly interrupted by Dumbledore.

“I know I can trust the two of you to act as leaders for your fellow students, which is why I selected you to be Head Boy and Head Girl. I look forward to the ideas you come up with for the ball. I don’t believe we’ve had one for quite some time. In fact, I believe the last one was held before Professor Slughorn was here, because I distinctly remember Professor Coleridge, who was the Potions Instructor at the time, whipping up a delicious concoction that left your ears ringing to the tune of Jingle Bells. It had a delightful chocolate-mint taste, but unfortunately, made conversations very difficult to maintain.�

“But I won’t bore you with an old man’s memories any longer. It’s late enough as it is, and I believe you have the first night’s patrol duties to perform.�

They bade the Head Master a good night and walked out of his office to start their patrol of the school.

A million thoughts were jumping through Lily’s head as she followed James down the old spiral staircase. Amid plans for the ball, and her own feelings of pride for being chosen by Dumbledore to be Head Girl, was the surprising new-found respect for James.

Dumbledore trusted James, which said a lot about his character. He believed James could act as a role model for the younger students. Two months ago she would have seriously doubted James could lead anyone in the right direction, but now….

She glanced at James out of the corner of her eye. Now, strangely enough, she felt like she could trust him. He was certainly an active proponent against the use of Dark magic and anyone following Voldemort, and he wasn’t afraid to risk his neck to save others. Maybe she should give him another chance. After all, who stayed the same person they were when they were fourteen?

Feeling Lily’s eyes on him, James looked over at her questioningly.

She stopped next to a suit of armor and turned to him to say, “James, I think we need to go over a few things before we get in the thick of it.�

He nodded, still confused.

Taking a deep breath, Lily went on, “I think we’re both starting this year with preconceived notions or feelings about each other, and I think if we want to present a united front to the school and inspire feelings of unity between the different Houses, we need to be on the same page as well. That is, we can’t be fighting all the time, but rather we should be friends.� She glanced down at her hands.

“Which is why I think we should call a truce.� Peering back up at him, she quickly continued, “I know I haven’t always given you a chance because I’ve decided things about you beforehand, and I’ve been horribly rude sometimes, but I think it’s time for me to apologize and for us to move past this. And I don’t know if there’s any biases about me that you have had that you need to get rid of in order for this relationship as Heads to work, but there it is.�

This was not going how she wanted it to at all. Why was it so difficult to say the things that she wanted to say? Flushing at James’s quirked eyebrows, she forged on, “So, what I’m proposing is that we start over. I’ll forget about all the times you asked me out and hexed other students if you’ll forget the times when I wasn’t very civil to you. I think we can be adults about this.�

“I agree,� James said as he realized that she was just as cute when she was determined about something as when she was mad, because the same fire lit up her eyes and made them glow with intensity.

“Truce?� he asked as he offered her his hand.

Lily hesitated.

“Really? Just like that? You promise not to ask me out anymore or hex the younger students just for sport?� she asked.

“Really,� James answered. “I promise.�

Still doubtful, she probed his hazel eyes for any flicker of dissent but found nothing that indicated dishonesty.

“Truce,� she said and slipped her hand into his.

After a few awkward seconds, the two dropped hands and continued their patrol of the halls.

Taking a secretive glance at Lily, James smiled to himself. Sometimes Lily surprised him. He thought he would’ve had to fight every inch, tooth and nail, to get her to be nice to him, but she had voluntarily taken a step towards being friends. Finally, she was taking him seriously. Now he could interact with her without worrying about making a fool of himself. He could take things easy and just act like himself without trying to impress her. Yes, this would definitely be the year that Lily Evans fell in love with him.

“Fried pumpkin seeds,� Sirius said and watched as the door to the Gryffindor common room opened. Waltzing in, he spotted Remus sitting in an armchair by the fireplace and made his way towards him.





“Haven’t seen Lord James anywhere have you, Remus?� he asked.





Looking up from his book, Remus replied cluelessly, “Quidditch practice possibly? Or maybe he’s in the library doing that essay for Professor Barrabee.� Closing his book, he went on, “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Lily around either. Maybe they’re off doing Head duties of some kind.�





Sirius smirked. “Right. Head duties,� he said.





Laughing, Remus said, “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I’ve seen James since Defense Against the Dark Arts class on Friday.�





Sighing, Sirius sat down on the edge of the chair and said in tragic tones, “He’s getting too popular for us, Remus. He seems to have forgotten all about his faithful comrades.�





Then standing up resolutely he said, “Well, there’s only one way to fix that. Someone ought to give him a good smack upside the head. What do you say we ground him back in reality?�





Before Remus could answer Sirius turned to the few people sitting inside on that lazy Saturday afternoon and yelled, “Oi! Have any of you saps seen a Mr. James Potter around the likes of here lately?�





“Have you checked up your arse?� Elise Johnson, a snappy fifth year on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, called when no one else in the room answered.





“Well I guess that rules out Quidditch practice,� Remus said.





“Come on, Moony,� Sirius called as he bounded towards the stairs. “The map will tell us where he’s gone to. And I’ve just come up with a brilliant plan to liven things up around here.�





Though he made sounds of protest, Remus followed him up to the boys’ dormitory.





Once in the room, Sirius flung open his trunk and began throwing things helter-skelter in search of the Marauder’s Map.





“I can’t even remember when the last time we used it was,� he said, barely missing Remus with an old sock in his haste.





He paused in his frenzied search however, when he pulled out a fuzzy green box. “What the bloody hell is this?� he asked, turning it around to find an opening.





“Don’t you remember?� Remus said laughing. When Sirius gave him a confused look, he went on, “We were all trying to transfigure our pencil boxes into rabbits in class first year. And you and James managed to get in a fight –this was before we were all friends. Anyway, one of your spells accidentally hit Lily and gave her rabbit ears.�





“Oh right!� Sirius interrupted. “And then she joined in the feud too and one of her spells hit my rabbit and turned him into this. I thought I could experiment on him once we learned more transfiguration spells, so I threw it in here and then forgot all about it. Guess I haven’t cleaned this thing out since.�





“You’ve never cleaned out your school trunk?� Remus asked in amazement.





“Hey, you never know when you might need something again. Now if only I could remember what spell Lily aimed at me.�





Remus rolled his eyes and said, “We came up here for a reason, Padfoot, remember?�





“Right!� he exclaimed and threw the box on top of his bed before continuing his search through the trunk. Finally he pulled out the map and opened it.





“There he is,� he said tapping the map where it read “James Potter� and “Horace Slughorn.� “Looks like old Sluggy has cornered him by the Great Hall. Come on, let’s rescue Prongs before he gets invited to another one of those ridiculous meetings.�





With that he jumped up, folded the map and put it in his back pocket, and raced down the stairs, Remus close behind him.





“So what is it exactly that we’ll be doing once we find James?� Remus asked after they had left the common room.





“Well, we’ve pulled a school prank for Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and just about every other holiday during the year except Halloween, which has to be a crime,� Sirius called over his shoulder. “Of course, we could have just been saving the best for last. This year we need to –Peter! I was wondering when you were going to show up!�





Walking up a stairway were Peter and a pudgy fifth year girl in Hufflepuff. Peter gave a guilty start when he saw his friends and squeaked a greeting in reply.





“He-hey Remus and Sirius. Th-this is Patricia Caldwell.� He nervously indicated the girl beside him who had suddenly gone into a fit of giggles.





Sirius glanced in bewilderment at Remus who just shrugged. “Nice to meet you,� Sirius said, barely giving her a second glance before turning to Peter and saying, “Listen, we’ve got a brilliant plan cooked up for the Halloween Feast. We were just on our way to get James and start putting the plan in action.�





“Oh, well Patricia and I –“ Peter began, but Sirius cut him off.





“Come on, Peter, this will be the best prank of our Hogwarts careers,� he said, grabbing Peter by the shoulders and steering him along the passageway. “It’ll be sure to go down in the books. Now we’ve only got two days to put everything in place, which puts a time constraint on us, but I think it’s definitely manageable.�





As Sirius went in to the finer details of their plan, Remus waved goodbye to Patricia for Peter and followed the two boys down the hall. Rounding the corner after them, he came to a quick stop to prevent himself from running into them.





“There you are James,� he heard Sirius say. “I thought we were going to have to call out a special Ministry task force to hunt you down.�





“A fat lot of good that would have done you,� James replied, folding up a note he had been reading and putting it in his pocket. “It’d taken them two weeks to find Hogwarts itself, much less if they could even pick up the faintest of trails I’d leave behind.� He brushed a stray piece of bark off his clothes and continued. “I just got free of Professor Slughorn on my way back up from the owlery. He wanted to invite me to one of his little gatherings, but luckily I just happened to have scheduled a Quidditch practice for that night.�





Sirius clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave a mischievous grin. “You wouldn’t have time in that busy schedule of yours to join us in completing only the best Halloween prank this school has ever seen, would you?� he asked.





James paused and said, “Well I don’t know. These next couple of days are going to be really busy, what with our match against Slytherin coming up, all the preparations for the Halloween Feast Lily and I have to do, and that essay for Professor Barrabee we have to turn in on Wednesday.�





Sirius groaned. “Come on Prongs, you’re killing me here. We’ve been deprived of any kind of fun ever since that outing to that Muggle museum over the summer. Do you really want to end our years at Hogwarts by fading out of existence?�





James looked surprise for a moment and tried to make a comment, but Sirius plowed on. “What kind of an example would that be to the pranksters that will follow after us? Will no one wreak havoc on Madame Pince’s nerves, or drive Pringle, that oaf of a caretaker, out of his tree? Seriously Prongs, we have to do something this year, and what better time than Halloween?�





James scratched his chin and thought for a moment.





“Forget all that other stuff,� Sirius insisted. “When was the last time you honestly had fun?�





James sighed as they reached the door to the Gryffindor common room again. Turning to Sirius with a dangerous sparkle in his eye, he said, “What exactly did you have in mind?�








* * * * *





James stepped out of the secret passageway that led to Honeydukes’, stowing his invisibility cloak behind the statue of the humpbacked witch for later use. He turned around just in time to see Lily coming down the hallway.





“Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!� she said as soon as she spotted him.





James ran a hand through his hair. Had she seen him come out of the passageway? “Hey,� he said. “Er – I’ve just been running around all day. I had to go to the owlery, and to see Professor Kettleburn, and some other places. I’m sure we just missed each other.� There, that should hopefully cover things.





James felt a sliver of regret for lying to Lily yet again. He’d had to make up a few stories this past week to cover for Remus during the full moon, as well as the rest of the Marauders when they became Animagis. On top of that, he’d had to leave patrol duties early on Friday night to meet the boys at the Shrieking Shack before it got too late, (It took all three boys to keep Remus entertained.) and then he’d been so exhausted the next day that he’d almost completely missed the meeting he and Lily had scheduled for the prefects about the Halloween Feast. Lily, amazingly enough, had covered for him, but he knew that she wouldn’t do it again.





“Oh,� she said. “Really? No one said they had seen you when I asked.�





That’s because they couldn’t see me under the invisibility cloak, he though, but just shrugged in response.





Lily frowned, but went on. “We’ve got a few things to take care of for the Halloween Feast.�





She paused as James ruffled his hair again. After a few weeks she had quickly recognized the gesture as a sign of nervousness, and not, as she had previously thought, an attempt to charm her. She peered at him closely as she said, “Professor Averett wanted to go over the list of games we had planned and make sure everything’s in place. He said to meet him in his office when I found you, but that was two hours ago.�





James nodded and replied all business, “Well let’s check there first and try to catch up on lost time. We’ve got a lot to do in these next two days.�





Lily nodded and led the way towards the Charms Professor’s study. Though she hadn’t said anything just then to James, she still felt irritated that he was acting like he was trying to hide something from her. The two of them had gotten along so well over the past two months that it was surprising. Not only had they managed to be civil to each other while performing their Head duties, but they had even found themselves having fun and goofing off with one another. It was a marked difference that the whole school had gossiped about. Somehow Lily Evans and James Potter had become friends, and there was no telling what would happen from there.





Absolutely nothing if it turns out he’s broken his promise and is doing something behind my back, Lily thought. She really didn’t want to be let down again by James right when she had finally started to trust him and feel like she could act like herself around him. Hopefully she was just being paranoid because of all the things she had to get done in the next couple of days. Seventh Year was proving to be the most difficult in terms of school work, which was to be expected as she was taking N.E.W.T. level classes, but also because her extracurricular activities were fighting for her time, leaving her feeling like a piece of rubber that had been stretched too much. She kept hoping things would slow down so she would be able to have more time with her friends in her last year at school, but life only got more hectic.





Unfortunately for the two harried Heads, the Halloween Feast came all too soon. What would have normally been a dreary, rainy Monday was brought to life by whispered rumors about the night’s events and a thin ribbon of excitement that wound its way through the school. Though the professors insisted on having classes, they did little good as most of the students barely paid attention. Even Lily and Remus were too occupied with their plans for the evening to listen to Professor Slughorn lecture on the properties of the moonstone in Potions class. As a result, they got a cheeky reprimand and a foot more due on their essay for next class. But no one seemed to mind too much.





Finally the hour came for the tall, oak doors of the Great Hall to be opened and the Feast to begin. The students gasped as they walked in and saw the thousands of jack-o-lanterns lighting the dining hall, with one massive one floating in the center of the room, instead of the usual candles. The four long tables that normally spanned the length of the room had disappeared and in their places were scattered several circular tables with various assortments of festive foods on them. An eerie gray mist covered the floor and cobwebs lined the walls and a few chairs. Set up in each of the four corners of the room, as well as alongside the longer walls, were booths for different games, including pin the tail on the thestral, magical chairs that moved when you tried to sit in them, and name that magical creature (if you got it wrong, you temporarily changed into that creature).





Unlike previous Halloween Feasts, students could come and go between tables and play the games or eat whenever they wanted. The Great Hall fairly thrummed with the activity and noise of the students and easily drowned out the pitter-patter of the dwindling thunderstorm outside.





Near ten o’clock the younger children began to drift off to bed, and it wasn’t too long until some of the teachers were claiming drowsiness as well. Professor Slughorn was the first to go, yawning and patting his overly large belly as he commented to Professor Taw, the Ancient Runes Professor, “Dumbledore can sure throw a party, can’t he? Of course it doesn’t hold a candle to a bash I went to back when I was in India. It was thrown by the Minister down there and had flying carpets and snake charmers and the whole circus. This was a nice little party for the kids though. Well, I’m off for my nightcap.� And he turned towards the doors.





Professor Taw was just about to follow him out of the Great Hall when he stopped to notice one of the floating jack-o-lanterns that was behaving oddly. It had started lazily spinning while the two teachers were talking and had progressively increased its motion until it was now gyrating so fast that it had become a bright orange blur. Suddenly it exploded like a firecracker in a burst of bright color, spewing pumpkin bits through the air in all directions, with the biggest glop landing squarely on the Professor’s small, shiny head.





The students nearby gaped and tried to hold in their chuckles, but were stopped when a pumpkin on the other side of the room did the very same thing as the first. They gave each other worried glances when a couple more jack-o-lanterns throughout the room began to turn and burst apart. Soon the whole school was ducking for cover as every pumpkin in the room self-detonated. It was pure pandemonium as people slipped on pumpkin bits and pushed each other out of the way to avoid getting hit.





Lily felt herself pulled under a table as she was just about to aim a spell at one of the pumpkins about to explode.





“I got you!� Alice said. “Ooh, but not before a pumpkin got you, it seems.� The whole left side of Lily’s school robes was covered in the orange goop, but she didn’t even seem to have noticed. She was glaring across the room at one of the tables where students were hiding.





As Alice had pulled her under she had spotted James and Sirius giving each other high fives from their hiding places. The two boys were free from orange glop, as well as were Remus and Peter, who were sitting under another table a couple of feet away.





“I can’t believe them!� she hissed, in a tone not unlike that of her sister. “I can’t – oh, they didn’t!�





Lily’s eyes widened as she stared like the rest of her classmates in horror as the huge jack-o-lantern in the center of the room began to rotate, the fire inside it roaring, making it almost look alive.





Everyone jumped when a deep voice rang out from the orange monstrosity and chanted:





Come one, come all, and break your fast


To celebrate the years gone past


The witches and wizards who led their time


We proudly boast and let them shine.





But Halloween has become much more than this


A night to fear not only a dementor’s kiss


Tonight I’ll show you what’s in store


For those more willing to explore.





Feast your eyes and use your ears


And swallow all your deepest fears


You’ve had your fill; you’ve had your fun


But the night’s not over when this song is done.





There is a surprise that waits for you


Though it may not be something new


To those who’ve spent Halloween


Without magic on the scene.





The Muggles in their naivety


Made a game from creativity


On this night and this night alone


They knock at every house and home





And when the door is opened thence


They put themselves upon the fence,


Asking for their neighbors to


Decide their fate and evening too.





“Trick or Treat!� the young ones scream


Dressed up like phantoms from a dream


And hold out their hands, waiting for


What they hope will be a chocolate bar.





But sometimes they’re turned away


By those folks who don’t like to play


And other times they’re merely given


Spitefulness for their question.





But now my friends the question is


Will your drink be all fizz?


You’ve been knocking at my door all night


And now it’s time to shed some light





Will good fortune be your lot


or orange slime be all you’ve got?


One way to know, it can’t be beat


Now everyone say, “Trick or Treat!�





And with that it gave an evil cackle and swiveled ominously, rotating faster and faster until it resembled a fat orange cyclone. Lily burrowed deeper back away from the open space and readied herself for the blast that was sure to come. Cringing and closing her eyes, she waited with her breath held expecting to be covered in the huge pumpkin’s insides at any moment.





A second later it erupted with a giant boom as fireworks of all colors zoomed out of it and a million small objects pelted the room. Lily uncovered her face just enough to peek at the bits and pieces that were raining down on her instead of the pumpkin slime.





“It’s candy!� Alice said from behind her and reached a hand out to catch a piece, laughing. Other students were shouting in happy relief and scrambling back out from under the tables to grab some of the tasty treats.





Lily however, stayed where she was and watched the four Gryffindor boys regroup and divide their spoils, congratulating each other yet again. She should have known that they would be responsible for a prank like this. Of course James Potter hasn’t changed at all this year! she thought. He’d only been fooling her after all. Of all the two-faced, arrogant little prats! How could she have trusted him? One thing was for sure, she wouldn’t be trusting him any more. There would be no more second chances for ‘Potter.’





Ignoring her friends’ pleas to stay a little longer, Lily marched back up to her bedroom to blow off some steam and clean herself off before she had to do patrols with James once everything in the castle had settled down. She didn’t even want to look at him, much less spend another hour of her life walking around the castle with him, but she couldn’t let Dumbledore down and slack off on her duties as Head Girl, however much James didn’t fit the part of Head Boy.





An hour and a half later she was marching back down the steps to the common room and mumbling to herself about having to work with such an irresponsible git. She found James sitting in an armchair by the fire, the only one left in the common room. Barely acknowledging him, she proceeded out the door and let it slam behind her.





Dumbfounded, James hurried after her. He didn’t think he’d seen Lily this mad since that time in Fifth Year when he and Sirius had strung Severus Snape up by his ankles after their O.W.L. exams. Was she this mad about their prank today? It had just been a harmless joke; and a pretty good one at that too. For Pete’s sake, nothing bad had happened! They hadn’t made fun of anybody or even just picked on the Slytherins. In fact, everyone had been equally sprayed with pumpkin debris and candy, so if it was school unity they were going for, it couldn’t get much better than that. Not to mention the fact that most students had fun skidding around in the pumpkin glop once they got over the initial shock of it. Some of them had stayed up long past the official close to the Feast just sliding around and pelting each other with the orange goop until Professor McGonagle showed up and made them all go to bed. He didn’t remember seeing Lily among those students, however. He had lost track of her after the big explosion.





Maybe it wasn’t even the prank she was mad about, but something else entirely. He took a quick side-glance at her and gulped. Few people could actually get her this fired up. In fact, the only person she ever got this furious at was him.





He frowned as he thought about this. She had to get mad about other things too, even if she rarely showed it. Why should he have to be the one on the receiving end for everything she got pissed off about? Why was everything always his fault? He glanced at her again. It was pretty unfair of her to unload all her anger out on him. He thought they were supposed to be friends now and talk to each other whenever one had a problem with the other. What happened to starting over? She was acting like the past two months had never happened.





Both of them remained silent for a while, brooding about the other’s behavior. It wasn’t until they were walking down a hallway on the third floor that either of them said anything for the first time that night. Right as they turned the corner they caught two students going into a classroom.





“Finally,� Lily said. “I knew there’d be students out of bed on a night like this. I was beginning to wonder why we hadn’t found anyone yet.�





“Maybe if you weren’t making enough noise to warn anyone within 50 meters that we were coming, we’d have caught more of them by now,� James said as they reached the door to the classroom.





“What?� she said as she threw open the door. “I was not making that much noise!� The two young boys they found in the classroom gave a guilty yelp as Lily and James came storming in.





“I’d be willing to bet that these boys didn’t just head towards this classroom because they had a feeling that someone was coming,� James retorted, pulling out his wand and holding it ready in case the boys tried to pull anything.





“That’s right, James,� one of them piped up. “We heard someone stomping down the hallway and figured it was someone in a bit of a huff.�





“We don’t want to come between whatever you two were arguin’ about,� the other one said with large, innocent eyes.





“Don’t worry, you won’t,� Lily said before James could get anything out. “Now it’s up to Professor Dumbledore’s office for you two, for being out of bed after hours.�





Clearly terrified at this prospect, the two boys turned to James.





“Come on, James!� the second boy said. “We were just doing it for a friend.�





“Doing what exactly?� Lily asked.





The first boy gave his friend a dirty look before answering, “We were getting a book from the restricted section to learn a spell to cast on someone. But we never actually got to the library because we got lost, so technically we haven’t done anything wrong.�





“Except break curfew,� she reminded them “and that’s still punishable.�





“We had to get back at George Stilts!� the other boy cried. “He’s a Slytherin in our year that played a nasty trick on Jane.�





“Jane?� James said quizzically.





“Mark fancies her,� the first boy said, indicating his friend, who gave him a punch in the ear.





Making eyes towards Lily, the first boy went on, speaking specifically to James, “If anyone would understand about hexing a Slytherin for making fun of the girl you loved, it’d be you. You’d probably even do it with a lot more style than we ever could.�





Lily rolled her eyes at the boys’ obvious flattery of James in order to worm their way out of a punishment and was a tad bit irritated with them for including her in their appeals.





“Don’t tell me you never snuck out to try and carry out a plan to make Evans, here, fall in love with you.�





Lily made a strangled sound, but the boy continued in a last attempt to sway James, “Can you really punish us for something you’ve done a thousand times?�





Laughing at the brashness of the boys, James answered, “Yeah, because I never got caught.�





“James!� Lily exclaimed. “This is ridiculous!�





Turning on the two boys, who really were terrified now that she was good and mad at them, she practically yelled, “You two are not getting out of a punishment just because Dumbledore temporarily lost his sanity and made this idiot Head Boy! You were out of bed, and it doesn’t matter if you were caught or not, you broke the rules!�





“Wait a minute!� James interrupted, his hackles rising. “What if I think they should be let off? I am Head Boy, whether Dumbledore was sane or not when he decided it, and I have a say in what goes on here too!�





“Not really, Potter,� she said icily. “Our jobs are to hand over troublemakers to the proper authorities who then decide what should be done with them. Save taking away House Points, we don’t have the power to deal out punishments.�





James glared at her, wishing there was some way to prove her wrong.





“Come on,� she said, herding the boys towards the door. “We’re wasting everyone’s time just standing here.�





James grunted and followed along after them up to the Head Master’s office. It wasn’t long until they were standing in front of the golden griffin that guarded the door. The tense silence was broken only by the grinding of the steps as they brought them up to face the large oak door.





Lily was surprised when it opened barely before she finished rapping it smartly with her knuckles.





“Come in,� Dumbledore said from his place behind his desk. He was wearing a light blue cap and dressing gown.





“Sorry to have disturbed you, Professor,� Lily began.





“Not at all,� Dumbledore said congenially. “I was up late anyway mulling over a few thoughts that had been bothering me lately. I see you’ve brought me two boys from Ravenclaw. Not out of bed, were we?�





The boys shifted uncomfortably as the Head Master gazed at them.





“Thank you Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. I’ll take it from here,� he said. “Oh, and if you would, please check the greenhouses during the rest of your patrol duties. Professor Pollyweed has reported missing some marsh weed she’s been growing.�





“Yes Professor,� they said as they left the office.





Neither of them said anything else until they were outside the castle, walking through the wet grass. It had finally stopped raining, and the moon was just starting to peek out from behind the clouds. The air was crisp and clear.





James didn’t think he could last for very much longer not talking to Lily even though he was frustrated with her. It had only been twenty minutes since they left the Head Master’s office, but it had felt like days. Breaking the silence with a sigh he said, “What’s going on Lily?�





Without looking at him or slowing down, she answered back, “What do you mean, Potter?�





“You know exactly what I mean, Evans,� he retorted angrily. “What’s with calling me Potter all of a sudden, and blowing up at me for nothing?�





“Nothing?! I wasn’t ‘blowing up’ at you for nothing, Potter!� she yelled over her shoulder.





“Then what are you so upset about?� he called back.





Finally she stopped walking and said, “You really want to know?�





“Yes!� he exclaimed in frustration.





She gritted her teeth. “Fine.�





Slowly she turned to him. Absolutely fuming, but at the same time, straining to hold back tears that she really did not want James to see, she said, “I thought you had finally grown up James, that you were done with your tricks. Dumbledore specifically planned this feast to be an important reminder for the school of the good wizards have managed to do, just in case anyone felt things were going down the drain because of Voldemort. It was supposed to inspire hope. But you and your friends just had to have your one bit of glory and ruin everything.�





“When Dumbledore chose you to be Head Boy, I thought you had recognized that now it was the time to put away the tricks and act like an adult. And you know, I actually believed him even though it went against everything I knew about you. You really pissed me off tonight, James, and more than anything you really disappointed me. Is that why you were shirking off Head Boy duties these past few days, to plan this ridiculous fiasco??�





James shifted nervously, trying to think up a story to tell her to cover for Remus. Ruffling his hair, he began, “Well, you see, the prank tonight was just a last minute thing Sirius conned me into. He did most of the work really. The reason I was late sometimes was because I was running around, trying to put things in place for an outing for the two of us. We’ve both been so busy lately that I thought we could take a break together.� He attempted to give her one of his best smiles, hoping that she would buy this argument. James had been thinking about doing something like that, but Sirius had just jumped in full steam ahead with their Halloween prank, and he had forgotten all about it.





Furious, Lily exclaimed, “I can’t believe you, Potter! Where the hell do you think you get off assuming you should be let off the hook for anything you do just for giving everyone that God-awful charming smile and ruffling your hair?�





“Damn it, Lily, I’m trying to explain to you, but you just won’t listen to me,� James yelled. “What happened to starting over and giving each other second chances? I thought we were going to listen to each other.�





“I would if I could believe anything you tell me,� she shot back.





James ground his teeth together in aggravation and ran a hand through his hair again. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn’t tell Remus’ secret or very well get the rest of the Marauders in trouble for being illegal Animagis, but he had to tell Lily something. He glanced back over at her as she stood with her hands on her hips, burning a hole through his skin with her gaze.





“Tell me the truth this time James,� she said.





And James, staring into her eyes full of hurt, could tell that nothing short of the exact truth would allow them to be friends again like they had been these last two months. So he told her. He told her about Lupin and his ‘furry little problem.’ He told her about their ability to change into Animagis illegally. He told her about Sirius egging him on to go along with the Halloween prank and how hectic life had been this year. He told her about how proud he had felt when Dumbledore sent him his letter telling him he was Head Boy and how much he had wanted to prove that he was the right person for the job. And finally, he told her how her friendship with him meant more to him than anything in the world, and how he would rather take back all the pranks he had ever done and give up being Head Boy if it meant that they could be friends again.





After all this she was very quiet, staring out over the moonlit lake where the giant squid was lazily doing the backstroke, causing ripples to gently break the water’s otherwise clear surface.





“I guess I can forgive you for helping out Remus,� she said.





James sighed in relief and said, “I’m sorry for lying to you about the Halloween prank. It wasn’t fair to you to skip off on Head duties when you were just as busy as I was with schoolwork. I should have just said no to Sirius in the first place.�





Lily gave James a small smile. He really had grown up this year!





“The four of you really learned how to become Animagis by yourselves? That’s really advanced magic!� she said.





Surprised, James felt the color rising in his cheeks as he tried to play down the compliment.





“Listen, I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions and going back on our truce,� she said in a more serious tone.





James shrugged and replied, “That’s alright.�





They stood there for another moment, each with the faintest beginnings of a smile on their faces.





“Can I walk you back up to the castle?� James asked.





Lily was not prepared for the flip-flops in her stomach that suddenly took hold of her when she looked back up at James.





“Yes,� she managed to get out before she looked away so he wouldn’t see how red her face was getting.





James was on the verge of kissing her but stopped himself. He didn’t want to push his luck after he’d just managed to regain her friendship. Pulling back before she looked up, he sighed to himself. He really wished that the someday when Lily would be his would come a lot faster. He had made a lot of progress in just two short months though! Maybe it wouldn’t be too long. Silently rejoicing, he led the way back up to the castle.





Neither of the two Heads remembered about the greenhouses as they returned to their common room and said goodnight. Both were too wrapped up in their thoughts about the other to notice. James fell asleep easily, falling into a dream that involved a certain redhead in a white dress, while Lily lay awake for a bit thinking about the day’s events. Secretly she was glad that there wasn’t anything between her and James anymore, because everything had seemed upside down in her life when there was. She liked that they could talk honestly with each other and wondered how that was possible. But soon she too was drifting off, her questions becoming more and more entangled as she transitioned into the subconscious.

What must have been for the first time in weeks, Lily was the earliest to wake up in her dormitory. It was a Saturday morning late in November and snow was falling gently outside, lighting the room with a soft glow. The soothing sound of the other girls’ breathing made her want to stay in her warm bed for just a little while longer. Stretching, Lily turned on her side to look out the window through the thin curtains and slowly woke herself up as she watched the flurries pile up on the ledge. There’s something special about today, she thought, but I can’t remember what, something that had me excited last night.

Lily frowned slightly as she tried to recall what it was. She was going somewhere, that much she knew, but where she had no idea. She slowly tore her gaze away from the winter scene outside and yawned widely as she glanced at her night table for a clue. Nothing unusual or out of place here, she thought. Then she noticed a scrap of paper that had fallen to the floor that read, “gift for Dumbledore, more stationary, new gloves?�

That’s right! Today was the day for the school outing to Hogsmeade! Lily leaned over the side of the bed to pick up the scrap of paper. Now wide awake, she decided that she would sacrifice walking across the cold floor to get changed and ready for the day. Hopping out of bed, she grabbed a pair of jeans and a warm sweater and ran towards the showers. She was out in record time and quickly ran a comb through her hair before putting it up half way so that it was out of her face.

She skipped down the steps to the common room and made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast, wondering if anyone else was awake yet. To her surprise, Remus was sitting at the Gryffindor table enjoying a hot breakfast and reading the paper. She sat down on the other side of the table from him, pouring herself a cup of tea and saying hello.

“Anything interesting in the news?� she asked.

“Not really,� he said as he folded it closed and grabbed the pot to refill his own cup. “There were a couple more sightings of You Know Who, though nobody knew just quite what he was up to, because he didn’t kill anybody or take anything again.�

“That’s odd,� she said, frowning. “I wonder what he’s planning. Well, it can’t be anything good, that’s for sure.� She shivered as she remembered her run-in with him over the summer.

Swallowing some oatmeal, Remus said, “I’m surprised Dumbledore is letting us go to Hogsmeade with all that’s going on. I’m not complaining, but I wonder if it’s safe.�

“I know,� Lily agreed. “But I don’t think Dumbledore would risk letting us off the grounds if he wasn’t absolutely sure that nothing would happen.�

Remus nodded and was on the verge of taking another bite when he looked back up and said, “Morning James.�

Lily turned around to see James walking towards the table and covering a yawn with his fist.

“Morning,� he said to Remus and smiled at Lily, sitting down next to her. “It feels absolutely wonderful to have the day off, doesn’t it?�

“Amazing,� Lily answered back while Remus nodded, his mouth full of food. The teachers had been considerate in assigning a light amount of homework this weekend because of the trip into Hogsmeade for the students. It was the lightest load the Seventh Years had had all year, and in celebration, James had canceled Quidditch practice for the day, and he and Lily had decided to take a break from planning the Christmas Ball. They were as carefree as First Years.

“I’m so excited to go into Hogsmeade!� Lily said. “I haven’t gone since before Christmas last year. I hope this isn’t our last time.�

“Well, if it is, we can always come back whenever we want when we’re adults,� Remus said. “How come you missed the one in February?�

Lowering her voice even though there were hardly any students in the Great Hall, she said, “Because that was when Alice and Frank broke up.�

“Oh, right,� Remus said. “I had forgotten all about that. I think it surprised everyone, even them.�

Alice and Frank Longbottom had gotten into a serious discussion around Valentine’s Day of last year about what would happen after Frank finished school and went into Auror training. Alice still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do after she left Hogwarts, though she was taking classes to be an Auror as well. Somehow her uncertainty about the future translated to Frank as doubts about their relationship, and he thought she was trying to break up with him. The whole thing turned into a big misunderstanding with them actually breaking up even though neither of them wanted to. After a week of crying on Alice’s part, and much more than usual clumsiness and absentmindedness from Frank, their friends had made them sit down and explain their feelings for one another. As a result, they had rarely been seen outside of each other’s presence until the end of the school year.

“Are they still together?� asked James in between bites of bacon.

Lily nodded. “She’s meeting him today as a matter of fact. He got the weekend off so he was able to come down and meet her.�

The two had been writing to each other at least two or three times a week, and Lily had been there when Alice found out he was coming. She didn’t think she had ever seen quiet, shy Alice that excited before. They and the other girls in Gryffindor had celebrated by sneaking down to the kitchens. (Yes, Lily had been out of bed after hours, but it was her and James’s turn to do patrol duties that night, so she snuck the girls out after they got back.) Alice had been on cloud nine ever since.

Laughing, Remus commented, “You know, Sirius had thought about asking Alice out just to – Oh wait no that was you, James!�

“What?� Lily exclaimed, almost choking on her toast and giving James a look of disbelief.

Putting his hands up, James quickly said in his own defense, “It was only to get Frank playing well in Quidditch again. I wasn’t serious about it, because I was sure Frank would have a fit and ask her out again. We were going to be playing Ravenclaw and we had to pound them if we wanted to play in the House Cup!� (Despite his clumsiness, Frank had made an excellent Keeper for the Gryffindors.)

Still giving him a look, but adding a sarcastic twist and a saucy smile to her words, Lily said, “And you think she would have actually gone out with you?�

James scoffed and said over Remus’s laughter, “She was on the rebound. Anybody could have gone for her easily.�

“Right, and I suppose she would have just fallen into your arms and forgotten all about Frank,� Lily quipped.

“Something like that, yeah,� James said, trying hard not to smile but letting the corners of his mouth turn up anyway.

Lily made a fake huffing sound in her throat and rolled her eyes, turning to face the other way.

Still laughing, Remus interjected, “You know James would never ask anyone out when he’s in love with –,�

James gave Remus a swift quick under the table to cut him off. As of right now, Lily and he were just good friends, and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn’t want to scare her off with any declarations of love.

“-- Quidditch,� Remus finished lamely. “How could he think about girls when he has to manage a whole team of players? We couldn’t let Gryffindor break its streak of winning the House Cup while we’re at Hogwarts!�

Lily looked at them suspiciously. “Quidditch?� she asked.

“I thought you canceled Quidditch practice today, James,� said Sirius, breaking the awkward silence as he joined the table.

“I did,� James said, still not looking at Lily. “Now we can spend more time in Hogsmeade. Which reminds me, I saw something in the joke shop last time I was there that I thought looked interesting. Did Peter say he was coming this time?�

“I think he was going to be walking around with his girlfriend,� Sirius said making a face. None of the boys really understood Peter’s decision to date the pudgy Fifth Year. He didn’t even seem to like her all that much, and kept reiterating the fact that her uncle had an important job in the Ministry. They had seen a lot less of him ever since, not that he had been around a lot anyway before he asked her out. The three boys still included him in their activities though, and talked to him in class.

Lily frowned. It had been odd not see all four of the boys together, now that she thought about it. She knew what it felt like not to have a friend around because they were in a relationship. Alice had been practically glued to Frank’s side for all of last spring, leaving Lily feeling more than a little lonely. She had just become better friends with Ginger and May though, and now the four girls were fast friends.

Just then the three girls walked into the Great Hall and made their way towards the table. Lily scooted over and made room for Alice to sit on the other side of her.

“What’s got everyone looking so glum?� Ginger asked, seating herself next to Sirius.

Sirius smiled and answered, “Nothing now that you’re here.�

“Aw, that’s sweet, Sirius, but honestly, you’re going to need to try harder than that if you really want to borrow my most beloved pet in the world,� she said. For the past couple of weeks Sirius had been begging Ginger to let him borrow her pet rabbit, Mr. Tibbles, so that he could experiment on him and figure out what changed his rabbit into a fuzzy green box in First Year. He hadn’t told her that this was why he wanted to borrow him, but she had guessed it wasn’t for anything good and had refused to let her pet be used as some sort of science experiment.

“What do you suggest then?� he asked.

She smiled vindictively. “Well, we do have that Charms essay coming up, and I haven’t had time to figure out the answer to that Potions assignment either. You wouldn’t be able to help me with that would you? Come to think of it, I need to pick up some more pellets for Mr. Tibbles while we’re in Hogsmeade, but I’m not sure if I have enough pocket money with me. You wouldn’t be able to spot me a few galleons would you?�

“Galleons?� Sirius cried. “Since when is pet food that expensive?�

“Since you decided that you just had to borrow Mr. Tibbles,� she answered. “Come on, Sirius, there’s got to be other people with pet rabbits that you could borrow. Why not just buy one of your own anyway?�

“Because what am I going to do with a pet rabbit when I’m done with it?� he cried indignantly, letting a bit of food go flying off his fork.

“Give it to me!� Lily said. “I’ve always wanted a rabbit.�

Almost flinging more food, he said, “So now I’m just buying you a pet rabbit?�

“I’ll buy the rabbit if it’s that much trouble!� an exasperated James said. “That way you can do whatever you want with it, and then Lily can have it when you’re done.�

Lily made a face and said, “If it’s still alive.�

Rolling his eyes, James said, “Well, you’re getting a rabbit now, whether you want it or not.�

Lily smiled and continued eating while the others moved on in the conversation. It was nice to have James for a friend, and not just because he was going to give her a pet rabbit. Since their fight about three weeks ago they had been spending more time together than ever, even if it was just doing homework together in the common room. James could actually be pretty funny sometimes, and he proved to be very adept in Transfiguration, which was not her strong suit. Every now and then she still caught him staring at her, but he never made a point of it anymore. In fact, more often that not, she was the one staring at him. She blushed guiltily as she remembered just such an incident happening yesterday afternoon as they were working on their Charms essays. She had finished hers in no time and was left helping James with his. She had gotten so caught up in watching him write that Alice had had to call her name about five times before she realized she was trying to get her attention. Thankfully, Alice hadn’t said anything about it in front of James, but other people were beginning to notice too, and it wouldn’t be long until the whole school was gossiping about how Lily Evans fancied James Potter. I don’t fancy him! she firmly told herself. There is no way that I like him as anything more than a friend! He’s just fun to hang out with is all. So what if he’s handsome and has amazing hazel eyes; that doesn’t mean that I like him!

The Seventh Years stayed in the Great Hall for a little while longer, laughing and chatting, until it was almost time to leave for Hogsmeade. Hurrying back up to their dormitories, they all grabbed their hats and coats before heading out into the snow. As they roamed from store to store, the merry bunch was aware that at the same time next year they might all be scattered throughout the country, but they kept having fun anyway. Later in the day, they began to break off into smaller groups to get their various errands done, promising to meet back up at the Three Broomsticks when they had finished. Alice and Frank wandered off to Madame Puddifoot’s, while May and Ginger stopped in at Honeydukes’.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to get a Christmas gift for Dumbledore,� Lily said to James as they, Remus, and Sirius were left walking through the snow. “Did you want to go in on something with me and give him a present from both Heads?�

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,� he answered. “What did you have in mind?�

She scrunched up her nose and said, “Well, I had a thought, but I’m not exactly sure how we would go about getting it.�

“Fine, leave us too,� Sirius called as the two turned down a side street away from him and Remus.

Turning around, James called back, “We’ve got something to do. We’ll see you later.�

“Yeah, yeah,� Sirius said, waiving them off. “Just don’t forget about us.�

An hour later, with their purchase firmly in hand, Lily and James made their way back outside into the cold. The snow was now solidly packed down from all the foot traffic through the village, though flakes were still falling. As a result, the steps down from the shop were a bit slippery, and Lily almost lost her footing.

“Careful,� James said as he grabbed her hand to steady her.

“Thanks,� she said as they slowly made their way down the remaining steps.

Instead of letting her hand go when they reached the bottom, James held on tight to it. It was like their hands were stuck together with glue. He either couldn’t let go or wouldn’t; he couldn’t tell the difference. He only knew that they felt perfect together, like he knew they would. Continuing on down the street as if nothing had happened, James firmly walked towards the main stretch of town, hoping against hope that Lily wouldn’t suddenly decide that she hated him again, wrench her hand out of his, and start yelling at him loudly enough for the younger students at Hogwarts to hear. He honestly hadn’t planned this at all, but had just gone with his gut reaction to the feeling of her hand in his.

Lily stared straight ahead, a little mystified as to what had just happened. Was James Potter really holding her hand? She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. There were a few butterflies in her stomach and her breath was a little short, but she wasn’t going crazy with nervousness like that time at the end of Sixth Year when he had tried to kiss her. It definitely wasn’t a bad feeling though. In fact, a warm glow was beginning to spread throughout her body. This was nice.

James cleared his throat and asked, “Do you want to walk around for a little bit? We’ve still got some time before we need to meet the others at the Three Broomsticks. Or are you too cold?�

“No,� Lily replied quickly. She barely felt the cold anymore at all.

James’s face fell when he heard the negative reply, thinking that she didn’t want to prolong their time together. Realizing her mistake, Lily hurriedly said, “No, I’m not too cold!� She could feel her cheeks turn red as she said, “A – A walk sounds like a good idea.�

“Oh, ok,� he said, visibly relieved.

We’re just walking together, Lily thought to herself, trying to rationalize their behavior. There’s nothing wrong with that. We walk through Hogwarts all the time together on patrols. We’re friends. Friends walk together… Ok, maybe friends don’t hold hands, but it’s not like we’re snogging or anything.

James led them slowly down to the edge of town where the forest began. Weaving his fingers together with hers, he momentarily decided to show her a ridge in the forest that gave a spectacular view of the valley below.

“Come on,� he said. “I want to show you something.�

“In the woods?� she asked, a little confused.

“Yeah,� James answered back. “It’s this place I found up on one of those ridges that has a really nice view. We should have time to go see it before we need to meet everyone.�

“Ok,� she agreed and they turned to enter the white-filled woods.

The sounds from the village slowly died away, leaving a peaceful stillness broken only by the crunch of the snow under their feet. Suddenly sunlight filtered in through the tree branches as the snow clouds momentarily drifted apart, making the snow sparkle and the forest seem otherworldly.

Invigorated by the cold air and the beauty around them, they began to climb up the beginning of the ridge. About halfway up, James reluctantly let go of Lily’s hand when it became too difficult to walk side by side. He didn’t remember it being this much of a hike, but then again, he had never actually come up here as a human, only as Prongs. Just as they began to huff and puff from their exertions, they reached the spot James had been thinking of. Reaching the crest of the hill, they stepped over the side and carefully made their way down sideways a couple of steps to a ridge that jutted out to the side. Stepping out first onto the short ledge, James extended his hand for Lily to use as she hopped across to join him.

The ledge had been perfect for a stag the size of Prongs, but now it barely held the two of them. Slipping a hand around her waist, James pulled Lily a little closer towards him and away from the edge.

“Sorry, I forgot how tiny this ledge was,� he said. “I’ve only ever come up here by myself before.�

Hearing the honesty in his voice, Lily replied, “That’s ok. It’s an incredible view.�

And it was. The valley down below was dotted with pine trees and a small lake whose frozen surface glittered from the sun’s bright rays. Off to the left there was a small cottage with smoke coming out of its chimney, and on the far side of the valley Lily could just make out a couple of deer stripping some trees of their bark.

“It’s just like a picture out of a story book,� she said.

They stood there for a few moments, taking it all in. After a while, Lily began to feel a crick in her neck from staring in one direction for too long. When she turned her gaze she was surprised to feel James’s breath on the side of her face. Already warm from standing so close to him, but not wanting to make her neck sore, Lily stayed how she was and tried to ignore the heat that was passing through her body.

No longer paying attention to the scenery either, James was simply aware of Lily standing next to him. If he leaned forward he would be able to smell her hair, which he was sure would smell like some kind of flower, probably even a lily. Once again he hadn’t planned for them to get this close, it was just the circumstances. He didn’t think he’d be able to just let this one slip by either. Forget just being friends for the time being; he might never be this close to Lily for such a long period of time again. He slowly edged her closer with his arm and then put both hands on her hips.

As her insides exploded in anxiety, Lily looked up at James, whose hazel eyes were not staring back into her own, but were clouded over and gazing at her lips. She thought her heart was going to thud its way out of her chest as he started to lean down. Not sure what to do, she put her hands on his chest.

“Maybe we should go back,� she said, stopping him right before he kissed her.

Snapping out of it, James looked up in surprise.

Blushing, she looked away and said, “It’s probably almost time to meet everyone at the Three Broomsticks, and we still have to climb back down.�

“Right,� he said gruffly, straightening up and abruptly letting her go.

Lily guiltily turned around and climbed off the ledge. James followed behind her and they made their way back down to Hogsmeade in an awkward silence, both of them lost in thought.

Lily had never seen James look so disappointed before, and she felt horrible for being the cause of his unhappiness. Should she have let him kiss her? They were supposed to be just friends like they had agreed upon at the beginning of the school year, but it was clear that he still liked her as far more than a friend. He had never asked her out though, which she thought she should give him credit for. The fact that he had been acting like himself and not the prat he used to be made Lily question if he really had liked her all along since that moment in Fourth Year when he first asked her out. He couldn’t have genuinely liked her for that long when she had totally despised him, could he?

Lily was still deep in thought when they arrived at the Three Broomsticks. Thankfully, their other friends were too distracted to notice the tension between James and herself. As soon as they walked in, Ginger pulled them over to the table, excitedly chattering about something they just had to see for themselves.

“You won’t believe it!� she said, leading them to the back where all of their friends were gathered around a table.

“What’s the big news?� Lily asked everyone.

“Poor Frank has signed his life away,� Sirius said, bemoaning his friend’s fate.

May gave him a reproving look and said. “He has not. He’s just made the best decision of his life.�

“I thought you were becoming an Auror, Frank,� James said in confusion.

“I am,� he said, chuckling. “It’s Alice who’s becoming something different.�

Having a hunch, Lily looked for Alice’s hands, but one was held by Frank and the other was under the table.

“Alice,� Lily said, smiling determinedly, “show me your hands.�

Alice shyly removed her hand from Frank’s and showed her friend the diamond that was sitting on her ring finger.

“They’re engaged!� Ginger shrieked excitedly, unable to keep the secret any longer.

Lily leapt around the table to hug Alice, while James shook hands with Frank.

“I’m so happy for you!� Lily said. “Congratulations! I never thought it would be this soon!�

“I know,� Alice said. “But I think it’s the perfect time. We won’t get married until Frank is finished with his training.�

James watched as the girls chattered on for a bit longer and wondered if he and Lily would be announcing the same thing in about a year. If he was ever to marry anyone, it would be her, but after today who knew? At least she didn’t slap me again, he thought. He had been risking a lot trying to kiss her again, and he was slightly surprised that she didn’t react more strongly than she had. Lily hadn’t even seemed mad about it. That must be good, right?

Maybe. Maybe they would always be just friends, and she would never like him as anything more than that. Why else would she have stopped him today? He didn’t know how much longer he could do this if that was the case. Was there any hope for him at all or should he just give up?

Suddenly Lily glanced over at him, catching his eye. For a split second he swore there was a look of apology in her eyes before, blushing, she turned her attention back to May, who had been talking. What did that mean? James let out a sigh and tried to block out the confusing knot of emotions that was threatening to take over. He couldn’t think about this too much. Otherwise, he had a feeling he would be doing something that he would later regret a whole lot more than a simple kiss.

The weeks after Hogsmeade kept the Seventh Years as busy as ever as the teachers tried to cram in everything they could before the Christmas Holidays. Lily and James continued to spend a lot of time together, working desperately to get everything in on time to their teachers and participate in all their other activities, but the chemistry between them had changed. James was a little bit stiff with Lily and rarely ever relaxed around her anymore, and most of their conversations consisted of questions about schoolwork or grievances about their ridiculous schedules. Every time Lily tried to joke around and have fun with him, James would close up and revert their attentions back to the task at hand. In the back of her mind, she knew that he was still upset over what had happened during their walk in Hogsmeade, but she kept hoping that he would go back to his usual carefree self.

She didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on these thoughts however, because she was kept busy running around by all of her responsibilities, the biggest of which was planning the Christmas Ball. It was all the school could talk about as each day only brought it nearer. Notes were slipped in class about who was going with whom, and every conversation in the girls’ washrooms centered around what style of dress robes each girl was going to wear and how she was doing her hair. The younger students nervously bumbled about asking each other, while the upperclassmen coolly took their time.

When the week before the dance arrived and some of the Seventh Year girls still hadn’t been asked however, they began to protest that the boys were taking too much time.

“I’ll just die if I have to go the ball alone,� May whined Wednesday when they were all at lunch. “I don’t think I’ll be able to show my face if I’m the only Seventh Year without a date. What’s the point in going anyway if everyone will be dancing and having fun without me?�

“Stop exaggerating,� Lily said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Of course you’ll still be able to have fun without a date; it’s not like you won’t be able to put one foot in front of the other just because you don’t have a partner to dance with. And who said you won’t be getting asked in the next couple of days? There’s still time.�

“That’s easy for you to say,� she retorted back. “You don’t have to worry about being asked because you’ve already got a date.�

Lily frowned and said, “No I don’t. What made you think that I had a date?�

Surprised, May glanced over at James before answering Lily. “Well, I – I thought that – I mean I assumed that – I don’t know. I guess I just heard somewhere that someone had asked you, but I guess they were wrong.�

Lily knew May was talking about her and James, and wondered herself why James hadn’t asked her, but only shrugged and said, “I guess that proves that you can’t believe everything you hear.�

Everyone had automatically assumed that James and Lily would be going together because they had been so chummy this year, or at least because they were Head Boy and Head Girl. It was no secret that almost every girl in the school had a crush on James, and Lily was fairly popular herself, but ever since the two of them had become friends, most people had given them up as a lost cause and hadn’t even tried to ask either of the two of them out.

As the conversation moved on to their plans for the Christmas Holidays, Sirius turned to James and said in an undertone, “Why haven’t you asked her yet, mate? We’ve only got a couple of days left.�

“Who said I had to ask her out?� James replied before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. The truth was that after Hogsmeade, James had decided that it was no use in chasing after Lily, because she would always think of him as just a friend, if even that. Or at least that was what he had been trying to convince himself.

Sirius gaped at him before saying, “But you’re always asking her out. I would think this would be the perfect opportunity because she’s bound to say yes this time and -,�

Before he could get any further, James grabbed his books and said, “I’ve got to get to class early and finish up the essay that we have due. See you later,� and left.

Sirius frowned after him. What had gotten him all up-in-arms? He had been acting strange lately but Sirius had been attesting it to the awful workload they’d had to deal with as the term came to a close. Obviously though, it was something more than that. He didn’t think Lily and James had had a fight, because they were still talking to each other. Maybe he had already asked her and she had said no.

“Hello! Sirius, I’m talking to you,� Ginger said, waving a hand in front of his face to get his attention.

“Sorry,� he said, “What’s up?�

“You’re not taking anyone to the ball yet are you?� she asked.

He wrinkled his nose before answering, “No! I’ve been successfully avoiding potential askers all week, and I don’t plan on getting caught anytime soon. Speaking of which, there’s Felicia Hart, and she’s starting to make her way over from the Slytherin table.� He began to shrink down in his seat to avoid her gaze but it was too late. “Great, I think she’s spotted me. Gotta run!�

“Sirius wait!� Ginger said grabbing his arm. “Just go with May. That way you won’t have to try and avoid half of the female population for the rest of the week, and May will have someone to go with.�

“But I don’t want to go with anyone,� he said stubbornly, trying to wrench his arm free in time to escape.

Holding on fast, Ginger whispered so that only he could hear her, “All you really have to do is bring her to the dance anyway; May won’t care if you dance with her or anything. As long as she can say she has a date, she’ll be happy.�

Before Sirius could respond back, Felicia barged in, shooting daggers at Ginger for holding Sirius so closely. “Hey Sirius,� she said in sugary tones.

“Hey,� he said back, visibly trying not to cringe.

“I tried to catch you after Charms today, but you left too quickly for me to get your attention.�

“Er, I had to run back to my room to get something before the next period,� he lied.

“Oh well that’s ok,� she said, plastering a fake smile on her face. “I can ask you now.�

He laughed nervously while Ginger smirked at him with folded arms.

“You wouldn’t mind going to the Christmas Ball with me, would you?� she said more as a command than as a request.

Sirius frantically racked his brains to come up with a way of saying no to the bullying Slytherin without having to fear for his life. “Actually,� he said swallowing, “I – I can’t go to the ball with you because -,� he faltered as she glared at him, “because I’m already taking May,� he finished in a rush.

Wide-eyed, May backed up in her seat to distance herself from Felicia as the girl turned on her. Stepping in front of her to shield her friend, Ginger looked the Slytherin in the eye and said resolutely, “I guess you’ll have to ask someone else. I hope you can find someone in the next two days.�

Felicia narrowed her eyes at her but said nothing as she stomped away from the Gryffindor table.

“Come on, we’d better get to class,� Ginger said as she watched her go. Everyone agreed as they packed up their things and finished their food.

After they had left the Great Hall May turned to Lily and asked, “So what’s going on with you and James?�

Lily thought about denying knowing what she was talking about, but if May had to even bring it up, then clearly something was wrong. Sighing, Lily said, “I think he’s given up.�

Giving her a quizzical look, May said, “Given up? On what?�

“On me, or at least on thinking he’s in love with me or something like that,� she answered, suddenly finding the paintings on the wall very interesting.

“What?� May exclaimed dubiously. It seemed almost unnatural for the Quidditch Captain not to be seeking Lily’s attention. But for him to have completely given up on having a chance with her was the last thing anyone expected.

“That can’t be right,� May said. “Maybe he’s just been so distracted lately with all he’s got to get done before we leave that he just hasn’t had time to think about you as much as he usually does.�

“I don’t think so,� Lily said. “Even though we talk about the Ball at least ten times a day for all the planning we have to do, he’s never asked me to go with him or even brought up that part of the subject.�

Knowing full-well that it wasn’t the case, Alice said, “Well, you can be happy now that Potter’s off your back and not asking you out every five minutes. I mean, isn’t that what you wanted all along?�

“Yeah,� Lily answered, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice but failing.

Was that really what she had wanted? She had made James agree to it at the beginning of the year, but was she regretting it now? Truth be told, she kind of missed the attention, but more than that, she missed the closeness she had had with him. Homework had become a chore again without the jokes bandied back and forth, and patrols of the castle were downright boring. She had thought about flat-out asking James if he wanted to go to the Christmas Ball together, but had never quite worked up the courage. It was a lot harder to ask someone out than she thought it was! Plus, she didn’t know what she would do if he said no.

How could he have standed being rejected by her so many times and still have the nerve to keep asking her out over the past four years? She was beginning to appreciate his determination in winning her over, even if it did look like it had finally dissolved. As she entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom behind her friends, Lily made a promise to herself that she would try to win James back. If not for the fact the she felt like she owed it to him, she was at least almost confident that she really did want to go to the dance with him.

During the rest of the day Lily made an effort to be around James and hold his attentions. It wasn’t an easy task, as she soon found out, because there was a lot that needed to be focused on, like schoolwork, Quidditch, and Head duties. In his spare moments walking to and from classes (and even during class for that matter), she was right by his side, making witty comments and joking around with him. By the time ten o’clock rolled around though, and it was time to do their patrol of the castle, Lily was just a little bit frustrated at her lack of progress with the bespectacled boy. Running out of steam, and things to say, Lily walked tiredly down the halls next to James.

“The Ball’s coming along, huh?� she said, taking a stab in the dark at conversation.

“Yeah,� he answered. “It should be a nice break for the school –something fun after all the hard work we’ve done this year.�

“Yeah. Hey, you’re going right?� she said as they climbed a flight of moving stairs.

James frowned. He’d never really thought about not going, but then again, he’d never really made plans to go either. “Er, yeah I guess so,� he answered. “I mean, we’ve put so much work into it that I’d want to see how it all ends up turning out.�

She nodded in agreement but groaned on the inside. Could he make this any more difficult? A month ago he would have jumped at the opportunity in this conversation to ask her out to the dance, but now he seemingly remained clueless.

Trying an approach that was a bit more direct, Lily asked, “So are you going with anybody?�

“No,� he answered quickly. “No, I don’t think there’s anyone that I’d want to ask.�

“Oh.�

Lily felt her heart sink as she realized that she had been right in thinking earlier that he hadn’t even been thinking of asking her to the dance. Now she really was regretting not letting James kiss her in Hogsmeade. Would there always be a distance between them now?

“Are you?� James asked, breaking into Lily’s thoughts. James all but kicked himself for asking that question. Of course she was going with someone to the Christmas Ball. She was the most beautiful girl in school. The question was really, who was the bloke that he was going to be insanely jealous of and want to pulverize the whole night. Now that he thought about it, maybe he shouldn’t go to the dance at all.

“No. No one’s asked me,� Lily said with a bit too much force than she had intended.

Surprised, James said, “Really?�

Lily couldn’t help herself from giving him a look of annoyance. You’d be the only one to ask me, James, she thought. Since it looked like we were practically dating this year, everyone assumed I would be going with you.

“Yeah,� was all she said as they turned the corner to walk down the Charms corridor.

Realizing that she didn’t want their walk to be any more tense, she elaborated a little more and said in a more conversational tone, “Well, I really wanted someone to ask me this year, because, you know, it’s our last year –the last chance we’ll have, and I wanted it to be special. I didn’t want it to be like just any old dance.�

James nodded and said, “That makes sense,� not committing to any opinion about it himself.

They walked for a minute in silence down the empty halls. As the time grew between conversations, Lily began to feel the pressure of the stillness of the castle weighing down on her. Racking her brain for anything to say to break the quiet, she blurted out what she had been wondering about for the last five minutes.

“You don’t want to go with anyone?� she asked, still not really believing that he didn’t want to ask her.

James paused as he tried to think up something to tell her that wouldn’t be a lie. As they turned another corner he said, “Dances aren’t really my cup of tea; I’m not even sure if I’ll actually go to this one, now that we’ve talked about it.�

“James! You have to go to this one!� Lily exclaimed. “Dumbledore expects us to lead the first dance. If nothing else, you can leave right after that and come back when it’s time to do patrol, but you have to at least be there for the first dance.�

“Oh, I had forgotten about that,� he said, already dreading the moment when he’d have to be in such close contact with her again.

“Don’t sound too excited,� she said darkly as she picked up the pace, suddenly wanting a quick end to this awful patrol with him.

He frowned and hurried after her to keep up. Lily had been acting differently all day. First she had been practically hanging all over him, and now she was getting upset about everything he said. Maybe it was the stress. He shook his head and followed her down the steps to the Great Hall. One thing was for sure, and that was that the Christmas Holidays could not come any sooner.

The next night as he was packing up his things after spending a few hours in the library he couldn’t help but think the exact same thing. His brain was fried from composing a six-foot long essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he was ready to catch up on some sleep. Most of the other Seventh Years had left long ago, but James had only had these few hours tonight to squeeze in time to work on it. Passing Madame Pince warning some First Years that the library was closing, James made his way towards the stacks to put his book back.

He was almost to the row where his book belonged when something made him stop short. There, with a pen in her hand and her textbook open, was Lily Evans, asleep. She was bent over the study table with her head resting on her arm and peacefully drooling on her parchment. James paused to lean against the side of one of the bookshelves and watch her. The soft light from the candlesticks in the passageway lent a glow to her form, giving her an ethereal look. As she rhythmically breathed in and out, a lock of hair that was partially covering her face shifted with the air movement. Instinctively, James reached out and carefully tucked the strand behind her ear. As he took his hand away she stirred, slowly opening her eyes.

“Hey,� he said softly, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be over her.

“Hey,� she managed to get out before a yawn escaped. “What time is it?�

“Nearly ten,� he said, noticing the marks her sweater had left on her face. “The library’s about to close.�

Glancing down at her half-filled parchment, she sighed and said, “I guess I’m finishing this in the common room then. Thanks for waking me up.�

“No problem. Do you need any help putting away your books?� he asked as he noticed the stack on the other side of her.

“Yeah, that’d be great. I think the professors must have a bet going to see who can assign either the longest essay or the one that requires the most research books,� she said as she grabbed a few and began shelving them.

James smiled and took a few books himself. “That or how many students they can break the will of.�

Lily half laughed and half moaned. If there hadn’t been only one more day of classes until the holidays, she knew she probably would have cracked under all the pressure. It helped to have friends like James around though. She smiled as she realized he was finally acting like himself again.

Grabbing the last book off the table, she reached to put it on one of the higher shelves; as she did so James quickly tried to get a book in on one of the lower shelves by her knee. Unfortunately, Lily didn’t see him and tripped over him, sending them both sprawling. James’s head landed against the side of one of the shelves, while the rest of his body got pinned down underneath Lily. They both stared with surprise into each other’s faces, which were only inches apart. Seconds passed as neither of them was aware of the world around them, save the other’s eyes. Lily’s breath caught in her throat and her insides began to do the wriggle. There was so much meaning behind James’s eyes that she was beginning to lose herself in them. There was no way that he didn’t like her anymore!

Suddenly James blinked and something slid into place behind his eyes. In an obvious effort at an emotionless tone he said, “Alright Evans?� and jerked a little so that she slid off him.

Taken aback and wondering what had just happened, Lily opened her mouth to reply in an equally cold tone, but then all at once everything made sense. A bubble of laughter started to rise up that she couldn’t keep in, causing her to let out a chuckle at the whole situation. She glanced at James who gave her a clueless look. She couldn’t help herself then, and collapsed on his shoulder in a fit of laughter.

Of course she had thought James had given up on her! He had been shoving her away as well as his emotions for her, to protect himself from getting hurt again like he had at Hogsmeade. Just like he hadn’t acted like himself all those years before, calling her Evans and showing off, for the past few weeks he’d been pretending not to care about her, causing him to seem distant and not like the James she knew.

As Lily laughed at her misunderstanding of him for all those years, James bewilderedly held on to her, mentally yelling at himself to push her away again, though his body refused to obey. She was making it very difficult to feel unattached. He couldn’t help but give a small laugh of his own at her odd behavior though.

His laughter stopped short however, when she brought her head back up and said with a challenging sparkle in her eye, “Are you alright Potter?�

For the second time in five minutes, their faces were so close that they could feel each other breathing. James was absolutely dying! If he didn’t know better, he’d have said that Lily was asking for him to kiss her. She was definitely flirting with him, right? Then again, maybe she wasn’t, but just reverting back to their old banter because he had called her Evans. The best bet was to play it safe and not do anything, though he was having a hard time coming to terms with that idea as he glanced down at her lips. No way James! he thought. You don’t want to be slapped again, so just get up now and go back to the common room.

Tearing his gaze away from her lips, he quickly looked back up into her eyes and tried to get out some kind of goodbye before he stood up, but Lily wasn’t staring back at him. Instead, he swore he saw her looking at his own lips and leaning the slightest bit forward.

In an instant he was connecting their lips and losing all awareness of the outside world.

Lily thought she had died and gone to heaven. This was amazing! Why the Hell didn’t I go out with him in Fourth Year? she thought. But soon she wasn’t thinking anything at all.

Several long moments later, they were interrupted when Madame Pince hit a book over the top of James’s head and shrieked at them to get out of the library because it had closed. Grabbing her hand, James pulled Lily up and dragged her away from the irate librarian, apologizing profusely and practically running towards the door. The two burst out laughing as soon as they were safely out into the hallway. Taking their time walking back to the common room, they reveled in the unspoken change between them.

“Don’t you have something you want to ask me?� Lily asked as the painting of the Fat Lady finally came in sight.

James furrowed his brow and said, “No. What would I --,� but stopped walking when he suddenly realized what she was talking about.

“Will you go out with me, Evans?� he asked in a rush, a huge grin on his face.

“Yes,� she said, smiling back as she put her arms around his neck. “Yes, I will go out with you, Potter, you arrogant bullying toerag.�

It wasn’t for another half hour or so that the two Heads went back into their common room and up to bed. The two sixth year prefects from Ravenclaw that discovered them didn’t have the audacity to report them for being out of bed after hours, but they did tell anyone and everyone they knew that Lily Evans and James Potter were caught snogging outside the Gryffindor common room and that they were finally going out after six years.

The next two days went by in a blur for James and Lily, and before they knew it, they were leading the school in the first dance of the Christmas Ball. As they twirled across the floor, first a little awkwardly as the whole school watched, but then more relaxed as they forgot about everyone else in the room, they both wondered at the fact that they were dancing in each other’s arms. Lily never would have believed it, while James was ecstatic. As their friends joined them, they loosened up and started having a good time.

“I’m glad Dumbledore decided to have a Christmas Ball,� Lily said later that evening when they were sitting down to take a break.

“Yeah, this has been fun,� James agreed.

“Great job planning this!� May said as she and Sirius joined them. “I don’t think there’s anyone here who’s not having a good time.�

“It couldn’t have come at a better time too,� Alice chimed in as she and Remus, her stand-in date for Frank, sat down at the table as well.

The week before, another attack from Voldemort and his Death Eaters had happened in a village not far from Hogwarts, shaking everyone up and making some of the students afraid to go home for the Holidays. The excitement about the dance had lessened the worry about the future as the Dark Lord continued to gain power, but it was safe to say, that no one was scared about it now as they danced around the Great Hall.

“You know,� Lily began thoughtfully. “I’ve always felt safe at Hogwarts, but I always thought it was because Dumbledore was around. I realize now that it’s also because I’ve got all my friends here with me. It’s kind of like the speech Dumbledore gave at the beginning of the dance, that even though we’re all unique and with our own talents, as a whole, the school is stronger together than anything else anyone could bring against it, because we’ve got each other. The most important thing we can do is to care about those around us. I think he’s right.�

Everyone nodded while James squeezed her hand.

“After Hogwarts, we’ll just have each other,� Alice agreed. “Let’s promise to keep in touch.�

“I don’t think we’ll ever stop being friends,� Remus said.

“That’s right, James has got way too much to blackmail me with if we ever started hating each other,� Sirius broke in.

They all laughed and gradually branched off into lighter topics of conversation, enjoying the rest of the evening before they had to leave in the morning for the Christmas holidays. Only years later would they realize the true meaning behind Dumbledore’s and Lily’s words, when they had to rely on each other for strength and support. But the bonds they had forged during their days at Hogwarts would keep them together; stronger together.