Chapter I:
James looked down at the two dots. He had been looking at the Marauder's map, trying to find the safest way to escape the school for a night of exploring at Hogsmeade. But then he had spotted the peculiar scene on the grounds. One dot was his best friend, Sirius Black who alongside James was awarded the title of 'school heart throb for his long black hair and dark mysterious eyes.

Sirius and James had been practically inseparable since they had met on their first train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, on which occasion James had nearly knocked Sirius onto the train-tracks. The accident was due to the fact that James hadn't been able to see over the numerous boxes stacked on top of his trolley. A prankster, after all, always takes his secret stash with him. James had apologized and Sirius was so taken aback by his generosity that he had followed James into the compartment, zombie-like. However, as soon as they began talking, a mischievous twinkle appeared in Sirius's eyes. They became so close that when surnames were announced, it hadn't mattered to Sirius that his friend James Potter was a blood traitor, and it hadn't mattered to James that Sirius Black was a son to one of the most blood-righteous families in the world. They were best friends, through hell and high water.

The second dot was labeled Alianne Nesher. She had straight honey-colored hair and lake blue eyes, along with a perfect hourglass figure. James even thought that he might have dated her if he hadn’t been so obsessed with Lily. Alianne and Sirius had been friends since sixth year when Alianne joined the chasers for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. What had surprised James and Sirius the most was that Alianne had never tried out for the team before, yet flying was as natural to her as it was to an eagle.

It wasn't unnatural for Sirius and Alianne to be spotted together. That wasn’t what bothered James. What was seriously wrong with the scene he was viewing on the Marauder's Map was that Sirius wasn't moving, yet, usually Sirius was practically hyperactive. You could never get him to stop moving; not in class and sure as hell not on the grounds. As he took a closer look, Alianne’s dot was also uncommonly still….

Unless…

James leaped out of bed and grabbed his trusty Invisibility Cloak. He carried it under his arm ready to put it on as soon as he got out of the Common Room. He didn't want to be caught out of the Gryffindor Tower after hours. If he was caught, he might not be able to reach Sirius. He ran as fast as he could down the stairs, not paying attention to anyone or anything around him. He was in such a rush that he collided with Lily Evans, who was pacing in the common room.

James paused to look at who he had hit. The flaming red hair and gorgeous emerald eyes alerted him immediately to her identity. He had been infatuated with Lily ever since their third year. Unfortunately for him, she wanted nothing to do with the “Arrogant Prat,” and by practically crushing her, he was not helping his chances. She had a temper as fiery as her hair, but he didn't have time for one of her usual tongue lashings.

“Potter! Watch where you’re going, you clumsy oaf!” She exclaimed, distraught.

“Well, I'm sorry, it's not like it was only my fault!" He shouted as he continued running out of the common room. Lily was in shock. James hadn't taken the chance to ask her out? He must’ve been sick.

"Potter, are you feeling all right?" she called after him.

“No.” He didn’t even turn around as he replied. Lily was even more flabbergasted with this response. People who aren't feeling well shouldn’t go running when they should be in bed.

“Potter, explain to me what is going on this instant!”

"Our two best friends appear to be dead, or close to it." The note of urgency in his voice startled Lily. Then the meaning of his words hit her. Alianne was her best friend.

"What?" Lily exclaimed, alarmed. James didn't even bother to turn around. Instead, he continued to run down the stairs. Lily followed him, not even aware of the fact that they were out after hours. In his hurry, James forgot to put on his invisibility cloak, which worked out to Lily's benefit, as she could follow him through the corridors. At long last, they reached the great oak doors.

James raced right through them, apparently knowing the exact location of their two friends.

It crossed Lily’s mind to wonder how he knew where to go, but she quickly dismissed the thought. All that mattered was Alianne What Lily didn't notice is that James was looking at the Marauder's map. Finally, their friends’ mangled bodies came into view. They lay spread-eagle on the grass, wands in hand.

James muttered 'mischief managed' and stuffed the map into his pocket as he ran towards their friends’ fallen bodies.

He immediately went to Sirius. Upon seeing the only thing wrong with him was a lump on the back of his head, he went to Alianne and started to wipe the blood off of her face. Shockingly, new blood flowed over where James had just wiped. He tried a few healing spells, but they were ineffective as well. By that time he had Alianne's head in his lap. He was beginning to get desperate.

"Tfarim! " He shouted as Lily managed to finally catch up to James.

"The cuts aren't healing," he muttered.

"We have to get them to Madam Pomfrey quickly." Lily said. She immediately levitated Alianne and started jogging towards the castle. James levitated Sirius and ran in after her.

They raced up to the hospital wing in silence. Once they were there Madam Pomfrey immediately started bustling around. She tried all the spells James had previously attempted plus some he did not know. At last she found a potion that stopped the blood flow. As soon as Alianne and Sirius were in no immediate danger, she spoke up.

"How did they get to this state? This happens when someone is hit with multiple spells, including the Cruciatus Curse." She motioned to Sirius. "He fell and got knocked on his head. He may not remember anything that happened that night when he wakes up." Then she pointed to Alianne. "And never in all my days have I seen something like this. She has been hit with both the Cruciatus Curse and a curse I have never seen that caused these severe gashes. She has lost a lot of blood which may cause her to remain unconscious for a while longer than Sirius." She shuffled around again, trying to get the two students into a better state.

She paused and turned to them with a suspicious look on her face. "It is now after hours. How did you find them?" She gave them a scrutinizing look.

James was about to answer, but Lily beat him to it.

"Potter saw them lying on the ground outside through the window. He called me, and we raced down to see if they were all right. Then we took them up here." James was taken aback by this answer. Lily Evans, Goody-two-shoes Evans, Head Girl Evans, had just lied. Sure, James was Head Boy, but he had never acted the part. Evans, on the other hand did, and yet here she was lying to the school nurse to save his arse. Now that was a change he could happily accept.

"Then you didn't see who did this?" Madam Pomfrey persisted.

"No, we’re sorry we can't be any more help," Lily said apologetically.

Madam Pomfrey looked at the two of them disbelievingly but let it go. After all, Lily Evans would never lie to someone with as practically much authority as a professor.

"You may go now, I suppose. If anyone stops you on your way, tell him or her you were helping me. Good night." She said brusquely.

"But- " James started.

"No buts about it Potter! It is after hours. Head Boy should know better!”

As soon as they were out of the hospital wing, Lily turned to James. "How did you know where they were, Potter?"

"Actually, it's like you said, I saw it out the window." James replied.

"Yeah, right. You are such a lying git, Potter!" Lily said. "You are extremely lucky I had a cover story for you." She turned and walked away.

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Chapter II:

“…and then she turned and walked away.” James looked over at Remus expectantly. Remus Lupin was the third member of the Marauders, as James, Sirius, Remus and Peter Pettigrew called themselves. But Remus was different than the rest of them. Sure he had, light brown hair, and blue eyes, and looked fairly normal, but he had a secret. He was a werewolf. He had been ever since he was bitten at the age of five by Fenrir Greyback. And as much as the other Marauders wished, they couldn’t do anything about it. But they could make his transformations more enjoyable. They had become Animagi in order to be able to spend the time with him, without the risk of becoming werewolves themselves.

But the reason James was asking Remus, shy, quiet, Remus, and not school heart throb Sirius for tips to get Lily was not only because Sirius was unconscious and incapable of speaking; It was because Remus was a friend of Lily’s. When Lily had found out about Remus’s ‘furry little problem’ during their fifth year, she did not run away as Remus had expected. She befriended him and helped council him after some of his most gruesome transformations. She helped him make up the missed school work after every full moon. Because of that, he was the perfect person to ask for advice regarding Lily.

Remus thought about what James had told him. Lily usually only tells James off for a good reason. Even if it was only because he had asked her out, it was a good reason; after all, he did ask her out every chance he got. And it usually was extremely embarrassing to be at the receiving end of one of his invitations (which tended to include flowers and sappy love songs in a deafeningly loud voice.) But to tell him off because he told a small lie was most definitely not like her. “Maybe she was just still angry about this morning.” She had had an encounter with his flowers that very morning. “You’d better stop with those flowers if you’d like to ever be able to talk to her civilly, even strictly about Heads business. “

“I know, I know, but this morning it wasn’t my fault. Sirius is the one who bewitched them. I thought they were normal flowers! You know I wouldn’t usually do it to her, not anymore. I love her, Moony. ”

“I know that now, but she still doesn’t. I’ll go tell her. But you owe me,” Remus replied as he got up.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


“Why is he such a prat to me, yet so kind to Alianne” Lily thought as she lay on her stomach in the Gryffindor Common Room. “Just this morning he makes a fool of me in front of the entire school, and then he can gently take care of Alianne. After all of that, he even has the nerve to lie to me! What is wrong with that guy? What’s wrong with me, for that matter? What-“

Her thoughts were cut short by footsteps coming from the direction of the boy’s dormitory. She sat up quickly. She saw Remus walking down the stairs and immediately relaxed. At least she still didn’t have to face Potter again quite yet.

“Hi Lily,” Remus said hesitantly. Lily frowned. Why is he scared?

“Hello Remus, what’s wrong?”

“Listen, Lily, this morning, Prongs didn’t mean to embarrass you. He didn’t know that the flowers were bewitched. He thought they were regular flowers. He’s matured since last year.”

“Mature boys don’t lie to someone.” Lily retorted.

“Unless the lie was protecting a secret that he and his friends have been hiding from the rest of the world for the past two years.”

“What are the four of you hiding?”

“Lily, I’m not allowed to tell you. Believe me, it’s hard not to. And it’s probably double as hard for James, who-“the portrait hole swung open and Peter Pettigrew walked in. Peter looked pale and shaken. “Peter, what’s wrong?”

“I…I went to the hospital wing for a potion against stomach aches and I saw Sirius and Alianne.”

“Oh, you better go to sleep. Good night Peter.”

“’Night” he walked away.

“I better go too. ‘Night Lily.”

“Good night, Remus.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Sirius, she's fine."

"No, she's not. She's unconscious." Sirius replied.

"So were you till five minutes ago. She'll wake up soon enough." Remus retorted, in a gentle voice.

"She's hurt worse than I am. I should have protected her." Sirius said in a sad voice.

"How do you know that you didn't try?" James replied. "Listen, Padfoot, you were most probably attacked from the back. You can't protect someone if you are unconscious. Or if you don't know what's happening." His eyes showed pain for not being there with Sirius when he was needed.

"You don't know that we were attacked from the back. Even I can't be sure of it." Sirius replied, flatly objecting to cheer up.

"We saw footsteps leading from the forest, behind you. Right, Lily?" He said, turning to Lily for the first time that evening.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure we did. I couldn't see much, because it was very dark, but now that you mention it, yes, I did see footsteps." Lily thought a moment before continuing. "Come to think of it, it was a little too dark. They must have used a darkening spell." James sent her a look of gratitude at those words.

Sirius finally looked cheered at these words. "Well, I guess it's possible…we'll just have to ask Alianne when she wakes up."

"Yes, and there is nothing to do just now. So, is anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" James looked at Lily hopefully.

"Only if you want Madam Pomfrey to kick us out." Lily said in an amused voice.

"So, how about…Wizard Chess?"

"There are more than two people here." Sirius reminded him.

"A tournament then."

"Hope you're ready to have your arse whipped." Sirius said.

"Same to you." James said, a smirk on his face.