A/N: Hello everyone, after about a three- or now i suppose it would be four- year hiatus... I HAVE RETURNED. and completely wiped everything out because i'm sure you can imagine what those three or fours years can do to the improvement of one's writing. But besides that... i can't seem to change my avatar and is anyone else having this problem? mine looks a bit sad. but oh well onward. rest assured these author's notes may contain several grammatical errors-like my disregard of capitalizing each letter- but this will not occur in any part of the actual chapters, in anything i write. i just feel as though i can take my metaphorical bra off around you guys and be comfortable in these notes.

and if you haven't been scared off yet, i love you.

quite some time ago i decided i wanted to write a marauder era story. and it is my great ambition to throw several fat chapters at you and make you entirely and wholly happy. That being said, this is simply a short preview/prologue/excerpt of what is to come and i know that that is almost nothing to go off of but hang in there!

everything will be explained soon. or later.

Disclaimer: Everything is Rowling's, bless her. I'm just having fun.

flashbacks are written in italics for the sole purpose of because i want them to be~

Prologue

There was something beautiful about the grounds at this time of night.

James pondered this while running his wand deftly between his thumb and forefinger. His solitude only inspired the current awe that six years spent at Hogwarts could not eliminate. He walked slowly now, in contrast to his usual brisk march.

He had reached the lake. It was twenty minutes ago that he left the Great Hall with a short dismissal of words to Sirius, Remus and Peter. He told them he was going to take a walk. This was not a lie. And it was the sort of thing the other Marauders would expect of James after the events that had occurred within the last 32 hours.

James thought about this and knew he wouldn't worry them with his absence. Had it been twenty minutes though? Judging by the absence of students meandering and the knowledge of the time it had been when he left the Great Hall, he guessed he might have been wandering for a longer amount of time than he previously believed.

He made his way to a large oak placed about fifteen feet from the lake and sat down. A Marauder out of the dormitory after-hours was nothing short of presumable. He ran a hand through his hair and once again let his mind bring forth the previous incidents of yesterday and today combined. All that he had had seen. All that he had done. And had not done.

Against his usual practices of acting before thinking, he had decided, after seeing the look in her eyes, to hold back. Later after facing some serious questioning from, well, Sirius he knew he might have made the right decision. No matter how strongly all of his being objected. It was as if Remus understood right away. And that was what Moony would have done in his place. So maybe he did do the right thing. Peter agreed interminably.

That's what he continued to tell himself.

A surging feeling would not leave, though. The part of him that would have acted that is. The feeling balled up in his chest and even after countless reassurances from the Marauders, friends and onlookers could not be unwound. The hour and a half walk didn't help either James thought.

But sitting against the tree and watching the dark ripples in the lake made him feel better in some small way. One significantly large ruffle in the water caught his eye, and he was reminded of a simpler time.

It was his third year and the first chilly winds of fall had crept up on the students of Hogwarts.Much like now James mused, and yet so different in every other way. How comforting the weather is, to remain in a constant pattern despite everything. He made the mental note and focused on the memory before it escaped him.

He was a git he decided. But a ceaselessly happy thirteen year old git.

The Marauders, as they had been newly acclaimed, lounged about languidly before the Black Lake. James laid on his back, toying with a snitch- he had no doubt 'borrowed' from the quidditch supply storage- and occasionally brought about important discussion. Like how short Vanity Sinclair's skirt was, which teams were going to win the upcoming quidditch match, and did you see Evans smile at my joke? Sirius sat sprawled about near James, occasionally glancing about to and fro for 'birds' to walk by. He and James had developed a system, as they called it, of performing push-ups each time a nice girl strolled by. As they did this, Remus was to count each one they did- and stretch the truth 'just a little' they persisted- by calling out the numbers starting at one thousand. Remus didn't mind doing so. He sat habitually with his book and called out the numbers with little enthusiasm; except for one occasion when Lily Evans and Hestia Jones walked by… He took this as his opportunity.

Sirius quickly saw them and smiled.

"Oi, Prongs." He said swiftly.

And that was all it took.

He and James were quickly on all fours and then began executing as many push-ups as they could.

"Moony!" James breathed through gritted teeth.

The girls were now parallel to them.

"One, two, oh come on we just started! Three, good form Sirius don't give up, four, now James would you really call that a push-up?" Remus had put his book down and was now almost jumping up and down in impatience. Peter, who had been sitting nearby with half of an apple, understood what Remus was doing now and couldn't contain a chuckle before joining Remus in the mockery.

Lily and Hestia shared a glance before letting out a few small giggles and continuing on their way.

James made sure that the girls had disappeared before kicking Peter, who was unfortunately closer to him than Remus, and far less intelligent. For Remus, who knew what was to come for such a prank, was already sprinting half way up the path back towards the castle before Sirius or James could get to their feet. When they did though, Sirius and James exchanged a look which caused the first to laugh, and the second to smile. Damn that Moony for being so clever. He would be sure to get him back later, though. Now with Sirius's gaudy laughter and Peter's chiming in, James looked at the lake and was carefree.

But the present day James was brought back from this cheerful memory at the sound of footsteps. He felt for the cloak. But before his mind registered the fact that Sirius was the last to use it, and therefore it was in the dormitory and not his robes, he realized that he may not need it anyway.

Because before he saw the flash of red hair, he heard a whistling that he recognized immediately.

"Why are you whistling?" it was a question laced with annoyance and amusement that escaped his lips.

Lily Evans, who had earlier decided that she was in need of a walk after everything that happened to her recently, jumped at the sudden voice.

"Merlin Potter, would it kill you to make your presence known? Or supply a proper greeting?" Lily asked once she realized who the voice belonged to.

James did not get up or make any movement from his current seat beneath the tree. He looked up at her though, and said, "Yes it might in certain circumstances. And if a proper greeting is what you want then I could ask the same of you. Back to 'Potter' now are we?"

Lily rolled her eyes. The boy could talk.

"Hello James." She sat down. Bloody close to him James concluded. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hello Lily, I'm guessing that despite the fact that you're a prefect, you're not going to berate me for being out late." Lily glared. "And if you must know, I am thinking. Which might take you as a bit of a surprise." He added thoughtfully.

Lily smirked. "Actually, after what you did today, it doesn't." He glimpsed at her expression. She wasn't joking, and after some time of looking at the lake, met his eye.

James did not want to bring up anymore of what transpired earlier that day and before. So he left it at that. He looked back at the lake.

"You never answered my question." He declared after some time. "Why on earth are you whistling around at... whatever time it is, in the dark?"

"Does there have to be a reason for everything James?" She pretended to be annoyed.

"Yes." Instantaneous.

"Well I don't know. I like whistling, I suppose. It's night time, and that is why it's dark. But I believe one should not suppress whistling to an action only justifiable during the day. Is there anything vaguely wrong with that?" Lily was humoring him. And for a moment he believed that this could all be happening without any sort of complication. Their bantering. Their friendship.

But he glanced at her smile and the gleam in her green eyes, and knew it could not.

"Evans, you truly are barking."

She laughed.

"So what the hell are you doing out here this late anyway?" He suddenly remembered.

Lily's smile faltered "The same reason as you actually. Everything is so complicated now and just walking... Whistling… And the lake are not."

"You do realize that there's a giant squid in there."

She laughed again. And James wondered how he could describe the sound.

"You know what I mean." She began "You were thinking about what happened yesterday, and today?"

"Of course." James closed.

Lily observed the change. "Listen, I know you think what you did wasn't right and that you should have done exactly what you normally would, but that would have made everything much, much worse. This way nothing too serious happened. and no one can get expelled." her voice was solemn.

"I know you don't actually believe that." he stated bluntly.

She looked him straight in the eye.

"James. You know how that made me feel. You know how angry I am. And so does he. This would have solved nothing. Except maybe one less Marauder for girls to choose between."

He smirked. This was the Lily that considered everyone in the situation. Lovely Lily Evans.

"I don't believe he knows at all. Why would he say that if he did?" James' voice grew louder.

She sighed. "I don't know James, but he wouldn't just say something like that. And he has apologized. And I'm not sure if I've forgiven him or if I ever will but for Merlin's sake can we just drop this?" She was tired.

He opened his mouth to say something but opted against it.

It was colder now. And what time could it be?

James leaned back against the tree and studied her. Lily was still 'bloody close' to him, and the moonlight suited her well. It peeped through the leaves of that great oak and rested on her hair and face, lighting her skin and eyes. James was still studying when she looked back at him.

Lily decided that moonlit James wasn't bad either. His hair was darker, his face was more prominent, and there was a funny glint on his glasses. Lily gave him a small smile. And then she got up.

James did the same.

It was funny how all of this had happened he decided. How they were talking now. But her uncertain voice brought him back.

"James, I just… I want you to know that whether you had acted on that and gotten expelled… or what you did do… but didn't do in doing that. Which is ironic be-"

"Lily."

She closed her eyes and breathed in.

"I just want to say thank you." She had opened her eyes.

James had the sudden urge to say 'for nothing' but bit his tongue. what was up with him lately?

So instead he said "You're welcome."

And then she walked back to the castle.

James returned to the dormitory at 12:25 AM and realized he had been walking around, and then talking to Lily for three hours. Well, the Lily part had only technically been for about an hour. But their time was measured in something else.

He snaked his way through the mess that was the boys' dormitory and crawled into bed. Remus breathed softly in slumber. Sirius muttered in his. Peter snored away. James yawned and removed his glasses. He had a thought and quickly put them back on and checked the map. Something he did every night. But not for one person of course. Never. He made sure no one creepy was roaming about suspiciously. Noted the usual couples in broom closets. Filch and his cat. Dumbledore's pacing. And always last was a dot he made sure was stagnant in her dormitory. He just wanted to make sure she got back okay. But of course, he didn't always do that.

James put the map and glasses on a bedside table. And he noted before falling to sleep, the surging feeling had vanished.

As Lily was falling into a well deserved sleep she recounted all that had happened one last time. She could forget them now. Things had turned out alright. She felt better. But something was still bothering her.

She could not put her finger on it, either out of ignorance or exhaustion. She would think on it later. And if Lily had been a lucid dreamer she may have realized that the plaguing feeling broke away in her dreams by someone with a funny glint in their glasses.

A/N: So there you have it, and if you are completely confused then i have done well.

I'm kidding. All will unfold.

I do hope you enjoyed and are anxious to see the story develop. otherwise i suppose this makes a very nice oneshot.

Reviews are the days when i am not feeling extraordinarily murderous,

xx Kaytlin