It was February 2nd 1977, and James Potter had just woken up happy.

Utterly, blissfully, Puddlemere-have-just-won-the-league happy.

This was not particularly noteworthy, in itself. Unlike the other Marauders, James' capacity for levity was not hindered by such trifles as hangovers, tealess-ness or the sheer audacity of daylight. While not exactly a morning person, James could generally be persuaded to imitate one, if given the right incentives.

A dismal Monday morning in early February, however, with a Care of Magical Creatures practical looming before lunch, would not usually have been sufficient to inspire him, were it not for certain other factors.

The source of his happiness today (and indeed on many other days) was tucked in close beside him, nose pressed into the hollow of his collarbone and fingers curled over his heart. Lily's face was hidden from view by an impressive volume of tangled red hair, the rest of her by a bulk of pilfered blankets, but the sight still managed to thrill him.

This is my Lily, he thought smugly. Not the brave, brilliant, beautiful Lily of daytime – she belonged to something much bigger and more important than him, he knew that. But this one. This soft, sleepy, tangled creature was his, and his alone. He smiled. This was what heaven was made of.

But by sweet Merlin's sainted nostrils, it was cold.

Colder than it should have been, all things considered. Even allowing for the fact that he was bollock naked and his darling girlfriend had gleefully (but also lovingly, he assured himself) stolen all the covers during the night, Gryffindor tower could usually be relied upon to provide a cosy, almost womb-like environment – but not this morning, for some reason.

Somewhere in the distance he heard a bird wittering.

Ah. That would be it then. Some cruel person had left a window open overnight - Remus, most likely. Moony was occasionally and worryingly prone to saying things like "can't be healthy," and "terrible smell," and "half-eaten tuna sandwich that I swear is from a year ago, Padfoot."

James rather thought he made it all up.

But be that as it may, if he lay like this much longer he was at serious risk of losing his testicles to frostbite. Getting up to close the window would mean dislodging Lily, however, so obviously that was out of the question. He settled, instead, for trying to gently wrest some of the covers back from her grasp. Lily shifted irritably in her sleep and – was that a growl he heard? – dug her fingernails into his chest. He winced, and let go. After a moment's thought, he reached for his wand on the nightstand instead, but his fingers had just closed on it when Lily moved against him in a way that jolted all the way to his toes. And when her bare hip rubbed into his cock under the covers he jumped, wand clattering to the floor.

"Fuck," he swore, momentarily forgetting to keep his voice down.

"Good morning to you too," said an acerbic voice from somewhere in the region of his pectorals. He looked down to find himself fixed in a baleful green glare.

"Ah. Sorry." He wrinkled his nose in embarrassment. "That wasn't directed at you."

She raised an eyebrow. "I should hope not."

"Er, yes. Quite."

"My, and aren't you eloquent in the morning," she added sarcastically, but her smile diluted the effect. She stretched, sitting back on her knees and tipping her head back as she reached up towards the canopy, fingers splayed. "Positively Shakespearean."

"Who?" said James faintly, hypnotised.

"Never mind." Lily relaxed and crossed her arms over her chest, effectively drawing his gaze back to her face. "We've got bigger things to worry about. Like how, exactly, we're going to get me out of here without any of your mates noticing."

"Hmm." James cocked his head, frowning. "Guess we didn't think of that last night."

"No," said Lily, blushing. "We were a little distracted, I think."

He smirked. "Well," he said, "we could always- "

But he was interrupted, as if on cue, by a creak of bedsprings and the swish of hangings being drawn back. Then a pad pad pad of bare feet on floorboards, followed by the chick and clunk of a door being opened and shut, and the sound of running water.

"Remus," James whispered.

"Shit." Lily grabbed for her underwear. "Does he normally take long in the shower?"

He shook his head, throwing her a stocking. "Five minutes, tops."

With James' help, Lily was more-or-less decent three minutes later. Her skirt was crumpled and her blouse was inside out, but if she closed her robes in front then that would hide the worst of it. The water had stopped and she could hear Remus humming as he shaved. She was just combing her fingers through her hair when –

"Good morning world!"

Sirius' booming tones were unmistakable, as was the muffled groan that signified Peter pulling the covers over his head.

"What's gotten into him?" Lily hissed. "He's never normally conscious before ten, at the earliest!"

James could only shrug, clearly just as confused as she was.

"Chirpy as ever I see, Wormtail," Sirius continued. "But I'm afraid you'll have to step it up a notch." There was the distinct thwop of a pillow hitting a body on the other side of the room.

"And how are you on this fine morning, Prongs old sport?"

They stared at each other in panic. Anyone with even a passing acquaintance with Sirius Black could guess that there was nothing he could say and no excuse James could give that would prevent his best mate from ripping open the curtains to verify it for himself. It was only a matter of time.

"Prongs?"

They jumped into action, Lily diving for her wand as James dived for his robes. James got there first, though not after clunking heads painfully in the middle, and began riffling frantically through his pockets. Bits of parchment and half-eaten sweets flew everywhere, and as a Sneakascope splintered against one of the bedposts, narrowly missing her head, it occurred to some distant part of Lily's mind that the muffliato from the night before must still be in place. She lifted her wand, trying to think of a spell that would help. Sirius was walking over now, probably wondering what was going on. James was making desperate flapping motions at her over his shoulder.

"What is it James, I – "

A door thunked open.

"Moony!" Sirius exclaimed, bounding away across the room and – judging by the faint wheeze that reached their ears – hugging Remus rather over-enthusiastically. But it bought them a moment's reprieve, long enough for James to find what he'd been looking for. He shook out the invisibility cloak with a flourish and jerked his head at the mattress. "Quick. Lie down and I'll cover you with this."

"What's got you in such a disgustingly good mood?" came Remus' voice, sounding distinctly put-upon. Lily scrambled to arrange herself, pulling in her limbs and lying as flat as she could as James draped the cloak over her, tucking in the edges so it wouldn't vanish bits of the bedclothes as well.

"Can't a bloke greet the new day without having his motives questioned?"

"Not if it's you. With you it's just suspicious."

"Why must you always think so ill of me, Moony?"

"Call it bitter experience. Has Prongs surfaced yet?"

"No." James threw himself backwards, apologising hastily for landing on Lily's arm, and feigned drooling unconsciousness. "The curtains haven't so much as twitched."

"Maybe he never came back at all – might have persuaded Lily into a broom cupboard or something." There was a snort from the Lily's side of the bed and James aimed an elbow in the general direction of her ribs.

"Soon find out." The hangings were ripped back with no further ceremony, revealing a shirtless Sirius and Remus – fully dressed but with shaving cream on his nose – peering over his shoulder. Both recoiled at the sight of James sprawled stark naked amid a wreckage of rubbish and discarded clothes.

"No class," Sirius observed.

"None," Remus agreed. "We should take a picture. Threaten to send it to Lily as blackmail."

James could feel her silent laughter shaking the bed and repressed the urge to elbow her again.

"Prongs," Sirius bent over the bed. "OI, PRONGS."

"Wha…?" James sat up, rubbing his eyes and trying to look bleary.

Sirius smirked. "There's a pimple on your arse that's uglier than Evan Rosier."

James made an obscene gesture and began pulling on his socks.

"What is all of this?" Remus wanted to know, indicating the debris littering the bedspread. "What in Merlin's name were you doing? We thought you were with Lily."

"I, er. I was." James rubbed distractedly at the bridge of his nose. "But I came back here after. Must've… Must've sleepwalked or something."

"Sleepwalked?" Remus sounded sceptical, and James didn't blame him. "Prongs, in the seven years we've shared a dormitory you've never sleepwalked once."

"Oh. Right." He could hear Lily rolling her eyes. "Er. I dunno, then."

"Anyway," Sirius said forcefully, clearly having reached the limits of his patience. "Fascinating as your nocturnal activities undoubtedly are, Prongs, they are distracting us from the main business of the morning."

"What's that then?" Peter, at last, had emerged.

"New jam," Sirius declared. "I went down to the Kitchens for a snack during the night, and Titch said they were testing a new jam today."

"Really?" Remus' eyes lit up.

"Gooseberry and horseradish," said Sirius rapturously. "A truly inspired combination. But," and here he glared pointedly at James, "they're only doing one pot per table, so if we don't go quick we'll miss it.

James hesitated, glancing uselessly at the spot where Lily lay hidden. "I, er –"

"New jam, Prongs," Sirius was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "New. Ruddy. Jam."

"You go ahead," James said suddenly, with the air of one who has just had a much-needed brainwave. As, indeed, he had. "I still need to dress, so I'd only slow you down. Tell me if it's any good though, yeah?"

"You're going to miss it?" Sirius stared at him, appalled. "But you love jam! We all love jam! It's one of the pillars of our friendship!"

"One of the many pillars," said Remus placatingly. "And I'm sure we can think up some more. Come on, Pads. Prongs seems determined to sacrifice himself for the greater good, so we might as well ensure it's not in vain."

"Yes." Sirius nodded. "Yes, definitely. Come on lads, we're doing the work of four this morning!" And with that he was gone, still shirtless, pausing only to throw James a reproachful look over his shoulder. Remus' parting glance was more calculating, but Sirius grabbed his wrist and tugged him away. Peter followed seconds later, slamming the door and shouting at them to wait.

There was a moment of silence before Lily pulled the cloak off.

"You," she said, "are without a doubt the worst liar I have ever met."

"I was under pressure!" James protested. "Besides, it was for your sake I was doing it. It would've done my reputation no harm at all to be found with a naked woman in my bed." He leered at her and she swatted him away, giggling.

"Poor Remus might never have recovered."

"Lily!" James feigned shock. "What exactly are you implying about my mate?"

"Only that he'd never be able to look me in the eye again if he'd seen me naked and debauched in his roommate's bed. Why? What were you implying that I was implying?"

James shrugged, grinning. "Oh, you know, the usual cliché. That he's never seen a woman before and wouldn't know what to do with a pair of knockers if they hit him in the face."

"How terribly unkind."

"Not if it's true." She giggled again and he tackled her, using his bodyweight to pin her against the mattress.

"Shouldn't you… Shouldn't you put some clothes on?" She sounded a little breathless and her eyes were greedy, drinking him in.

"I don't know. Should I?" He leaned forward so their lips were almost touching, exulting in the way he felt her shiver underneath him.

"Don't you have some… terribly important marmalade to attend to, or something?"

"It was jam," he murmured, not taking his eyes from hers.

"Oh yes," she breathed. "Not nearly as important as marmalade, then."

"I don't know about that," he said sternly, rolling his hips slightly against hers and noting how her breath hitched in her throat. "Breakfast is a serious business."

"Really."

"Oh yes." He moved his attentions to her throat, nuzzling at the soft spot under her jaw. "There are so many different elements, you see. Devilishly difficult to get the balance right. Kippers. Porridge. Eggs and bacon." He pressed a kiss against her skin, making her shiver. "And jam, of course."

She raised her eyebrows at him, attempting to regain a little of her usual poise. "Are we really discussing breakfast foods right now?"

"Yes," said James with dignity, rolling his hips again. "I don't know what things are like in the girls dormitory, but we gentlemen take our gourmet pleasures very seriously."

"You're insufferable," she muttered, eyelids fluttering closed. "You're naked on top of me and you're talking about jam."

"I like jam," he said, trailing kisses along her collarbone. "Everything is better with jam. In fact," he continued, beginning to unknot her tie. Lily suppressed a moan as his other hand palmed her breast through the fabric of her blouse. "Even you, delectable as you are, would probably be better with jam."

She glared at him. "If you think I'm going to let you put jam on me, James Potter, you've got another think coming."

He pouted. "But Lily..."

"No."

"Not even a touch of marmalade?"

"Absolutely not."

"Spoilsport," he murmured, working open her buttons with deft fingers. "And yet somehow I can't help but like you."

"Mmmm," she agreed, arching her back to allow him better access. Unfortunately, this also provided a clear view of the clock on the nightstand. She sighed.

James didn't lift his head. "What is it?"

"You're not going to like it."

"Probably not." He slipped a hand into her bra, letting his fingers graze the taught skin of her nipple. "What is it?"

"We've got Potions now."

"You're right. I don't like it." He began easing her blouse back from her shoulders.

"James." She gently pushed him away from her. "We've got NEWTS, and we're the Head Students besides. We should go."

"You're right, of course." He sat back with a rueful smile. "And we can always continue this later, I suppose."

Lily arched an eyebrow at him. "You get me all worked up, and now you're just going to let me stew? Not very chivalrous, Potter."

"But – you said – "

"I know what I said." She grinned at him. "But I think we still have time for a little game of kiss chase, don't you?"

And in one fluid movement she swiped his Cloak from the bed, throwing it over her shoulders as she bolted for the door.

"Catch me if you can, Potter!"

"What?" James scrambled after her. "Lily!"

She stopped just long enough to stick her tongue out at him – making sure he saw it, naturally – before flying away down the stairs. James made it all the way to the Common Room before remembering he was starkers and running back upstairs again with a slew of curses that followed her all the way out the portrait hole.

Lily giggled as she skipped down the corridors, dodging into the Great Hall long enough to pilfer a piece of toast. She wasn't quite sure what'd come over her, only that the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. Clearly she'd been spending too much time with the Marauders.

She finished her toast, rinsing her sticky fingers in the first-floor bathrooms (she didn't think much of the new jam) before making for the dungeons. She guessed she still had a head start, but James knew where she was going. And they would probably still have a few minutes to themselves before the rest of the class arrived.

She smirked.

Sure enough, the dungeons were cold and quiet when she arrived. There was a small cauldron set on each desk, along with what appeared to be silver-bladed knives, but no ingredients. The store cupboard door was locked, and Slughorn had still been finishing breakfast in the Great Hall. She pursed her lips, weighing up her options. Of course, being invisible, she didn't actually need to hidebut it still seemed important to choose a specific waiting place, rather than simply drifting about the middle of the floor. Eventually she chose a bookshelf against the back wall, wide enough to make a comfortable seat and allowing a good view of the door. She moved a jar of pickled earwigs out of the way, then used her sleeve to wipe the top so the dust wouldn't give her away. And no sooner had she done so than the door creaked open and James tiptoed into the room. He was grinning.

A lesser man might have called her name, but James didn't need to. He knew she was there. Now he simply had to pin her down.

He went first to her usual seat at the front, feeling the space with his arms like a blind man. He tried his own seat next, beside Sirius, and then the teacher's chair. Lily had to admit she half-wished she'd thought of that one, imaging propping her feet up on Slughorn's stack of dog-eared Potioneer magazines. Really, this invisibility thing was making her quite insolent.

James rattled the handle of the store cupboard, then made a cursory check of the other desks before turning to face the room at large.

"Okay Lils, this is bags of fun and everything, but unless you want me to snog you in full view of the class you're going to have to give me a hint."

She put her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh as she drew her wand, but James cocked his head before she'd even decided on a spell and moved purposefully in her direction.

Damn. She'd forgotten how good his hearing was.

He grinned again, stopping about three feet from her and closing his eyes. He inhaled deeply through his nose.

"Ah yes," he said. "Essence of soap and new parchment, with a hint of shoe polish."

He inhaled once more, seemingly for dramatic effect, before moving unerringly to where she sat on the bookshelf and planting his hands on the wall on either side of her head. He must have known she was there all along, she thought.

"I think I win," he whispered, trapping her knees between his thighs. She laughed in earnest this time, lifting the Cloak up to drape over him as well. "Did you save me any toast?"

She should've known he would smell that too. "Afraid not," she said, edging forward on the shelf to press herself against his chest. "Can I make it up to you?"

He chuckled, but there was a dark glint behind his glasses. "I'll take that kiss, for starters."

He leant forward, still keeping his hands firm against the wall. He brought his forehead to hers, so close she could feel his breath on her lips and her voice caught in her throat, the smart comment she had been about to make suddenly forgotten. His gaze hadn't left hers and she felt pinned, a deer in the headlights.

Slowly, so slowly, he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers gently at first and then harder. Lily couldn't breathe, her thoughts scattering like mayflies. Her eyes slipped closed and there was only him, only the kiss. She pressed back, suddenly desperate, snaking her arms up around his neck and drawing him down to her. He responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her so tight he almost pulled her from her perch, each clinging to the other as a startling sense of urgency flooded them. They had kissed before, of course – they had slept together, everything, they knew each other well by now – and yet this still felt different somehow. There was something almost frightening in this, as though they stood together on the edge of the abyss and only the kiss could save them. Lily kissed him like her life depended on it, and in that instant perhaps it did. She kissed him and she tasted blood and terror. She tasted war.

James shoved her knees apart with sudden roughness, and she somehow knew he felt the same strange force and need and almost-panic that she did. They weren't children, in that moment; they were soldiers, they were martyrs. They were the last refuge against the dark.

He went to his knees before her and she pushed herself up an inch or two to let him pull her knickers free. He stuffed them in his pocket before pinning her hips in an iron grip and burying his head between her thighs. There was no teasing this time, no slow build-up, and Lily's gasp hitched to an almost-yelpas she fought to keep control. James went straight for her clit, sucking it, stroking it, pulling it between his lips and twirling with his tongue until her breath was escaping from her in bursts and she knew she would have bruises where his fingers were holding her still.

He had just run his tongue the length of her folds, sucking her sharply into his mouth in a way that made her let out a high-pitched noise that was halfway to being a wail when he suddenly froze, clamping one hand to her arm in silent warning. Lily shuddered but managed to stay quiet, and belatedly recognised the growing clatter of conversation outside that she had up to now managed to ignore.

"Fuck," she whispered, but James shook his head, relaxing again now but still holding her firmly in place.

"James! We can't – "

He grinned up at her. "We can't what? You forget we're invisible, my dear. Nobody knows we're here."

Before she had a chance to argue back the door opened and the first students began filing into the classroom, passing not two feet from where they were sitting. Lily squirmed, cheeks flaming with embarrassment as she spotted Remus, followed by Sirius and Mary and then Professor Slughorn oh sweet Merlin, Slughorn, I think I'm going to die, but James stayed where he was, still smirking up at her in that insufferable way of his.

She was looking for Severus, more with a kind of morbid dread than anything else, when James ran his tongue the length of her folds once again. She squeaked, and Mary Macdonald turned, looking confused. She felt herself flush beetroot.

"Ignore them, Lily," James murmured, "there's only us. There's only you and me."

It was tempting – so, so tempting – to give in to him, but she wouldn't do that to Severus. Not in the same room, no matter what else had happened between them. But even as she struggled to hold onto her resolution she realised that his usual seat at the front was empty.

"No Snivellus today," said Sirius loudly, clearly noticing the same thing she had. "Must be time for his annual bath."

Several girls giggled, while Slughorn attempted a look that was simultaneously indulgent and admonishing. Severus was his best student, but no teacher was immune to Sirius' charms. "Yes, well…," he frowned. "Your friend Mister Potter also seems to be missing, I notice. And Miss Evans too."

"I think I heard Lily mention something about a change in tonight's patrol rota, Professor," Remus offered. "Maybe they're sorting that out?"

Remus, of course, had heard no such thing, but he had the well-honed Marauder instinct to cover first and ask questions later. Lily could have kissed him.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Mister Lupin." Slughorn favoured Remus with a rare smile. "Now settle down," he added to the class at large. "Settle down now, we have a lot to get through today…"

James, perhaps sensing that anything else would ruin the mood, if mood it could be called, had remained still and quiet throughout the interlude. Now, though, he used the clatter of chairs and bookbags to full advantage, taking her totally off-guard as he slid a single finger smoothly into her.

"Oh," she breathed, arching her back. He grinned at her, pulling it back and slowly sliding in a second alongside without breaking pace. "Ohh."

"To begin - who can list the properties of salamander scales…?"

Lily grimaced, clutching the edge of the shelf and clamping her mouth shut as James continued to draw his fingers in and out, in and out, at such a leisurely pace that she felt like strangling him. Apparently sensing this, he slowed a fraction more, lowering his head again to lick delicate spirals on the inside of her thighs. Lily swallowed a groan.

"Salamander blood, meanwhile, is both more potent and more expensive. Because of this, newt is sometimes used as a substitute, especially by less experienced potioneers…"

James gradually began to speed the rhythm up again, allowing his lips to graze her clit. The touch on her hyper-sensitive nub sent a violent tremor through her, a sharp breath hissing out through her nostrils.

"Now for today's brew we shall also be using essence of valerian, and as such I would remind you to be careful of the fumes…"

He drove his fingers deeper, fucking her properly now, all teasing abandoned. She clamped her legs around his waist, trying to draw him closer, but his head was still bent over her clit and the angle was all wrong.

"Please," she whispered. "Please James."

His left arm was still hooked around her hip, holding her steady, and she marvelled at his strength even as he ignored her, flicking his tongue again and she squirmed, letting out a small involuntary whine that she hoped no one was close enough to hear.

"Please what?" he asked, and she swore she could hear him smirking.

"Please," she said again. "I want you."

"Are you begging, Evans?" Oh he was definitely smirking now, the bastard.

"No," she snapped, though the effect was somewhat ruined when he hit a sweet spot and her muscles all turned to jelly.

"It certainly sounded like you were begging," he mused, conversational as you please, in between tracing circles on her clit with his tongue. Lily could feel a twitch building in her calf in time with his actions.

"I wasn't begging," she gritted with as much dignity as she could muster. "It was an order, Potter."

"Ahh." He straightened, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and leaning forward into her. "You should've said."

"Mmm," she managed, distracted by the heavy bulge now pressing against her, feeling every fibre of the rough fabric of his trousers as it rubbed against her core.

"Precisely eleven minutes after adding the powdered beetle carapaces, you will need to stir once clockwise and two times anti-clockwise before combining the rat intestine and the flobberworm mucus…"

"Interesting lesson old Sluggy's got today, isn't it?" James murmured. "Very... atmospheric."

Lily closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose. "James."

"Yes?"

"This whole hair-brained scheme was your fault to begin with, and my patience is running thin. So would you please, for the love of Merlin, shut the hell up and fuck me?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Yes, ma'am."

He dropped one hand to his belt-buckle, undoing it somewhat awkwardly as he sought to keep them both under cover, but distracted Lily from these efforts by turning his attention to her neck. She made a soft hmm of pleasure, eyes drifting closed again, content to wait a few moments moment more now that she had secured her prize. She was barely conscious of James muttering a contraceptive charm, basking in the dusky heat of anticipation.

"You will find all the necessary ingredients in the store cupboard, although be sure you remember to return everything to its rightful place when you have finished with it, don't make me say it twice…"

Students were clambering to their feet now, chatting as they checked their books and meandered over to the store. Mary was rummaging in her bag and looking confused – Lily guessed her friend had left her scales in the dormitory again – and Sirius and Peter seemed to be competing to see who could drop the most dungbeetle carapaces down Remus' collar without him noticing. Remus was bending over one of the lower shelves now and Sirius was just about to manage his eighth carapace when –

"Ohhhhhhh."

- Remus straightened up suddenly, turning to the back of the room with a frown as Sirius spilled beetles all over himself and swore so violently that Slughorn sputtered and clapped his hands over Winifred Bellamy's ears, and Lily -

Lily couldn't help herself.

As James drove into her, hard and fast and full, she moaned aloud and moaned again as he withdrew, pounding into her until she felt that she would break apart at the seams, fly apart into a thousand coloured pieces. She clung to him, rolling her hips to meet every thrust as best she could, no longer caring that someone might notice the cabinet shaking against the wall. She buried her mouth against his throat and let his skin absorb the moans she was no longer able to hold back.

James buried his face in her hair, his breath coming in hot grunts against her ear, hands still clamped on her hips. He was close now, she could feel it, but even as they rolled and climbed and built together she was overtaking him, the waves crashing over her so quickly and heavily now that she could no longer tell one from the other. Lily drowned, surrendered, was overcome and then -

She soared, breath escaping her in a rush as dreams burst behind her eyelids and sun flooded her veins, dipping and swooping through a world full of colours.

Somewhere far below James was holding her, was gasping aloud and clutching her like a sailor to a spar, and she banked against the warm currents and folded down into him, letting the waves deliver her into his arms.

For a long time they just breathed.

At last, at long last, Lily lifted her head. She was half-astonished to still find the classroom there, unchanged and uncaring, and equally surprised at herself that she could have forgotten it, even for a moment. The room was beginning to fill with smells and vapour, and somehow – blessedly – nobody seemed to have noticed anything strange.

James stirred, looking around with a half-formed smirk on his lips. "Unbelievable," he murmured. "We got away with it."

"Apparently." Lily looked at each person in turn, searching for some sign of discovery. Slughorn was grimacing over a cauldron in the front row. Mary was gingerly dissecting a flobberworm with as little contact as possible. Remus and Sirius had their heads bent together in whispered conference, Sirius' hand intent on the other's shoulder as if to aid concentration. Peter was sulking, no doubt because he was being ignored, but Lily saw nothing strange in any of that. Hardly daring to believe her luck she giggled, swooping on James and planting kisses all over his face. He laughed as well, hugging her close.

"That went so well, maybe we should try for a second round," he murmured. But even as he said it, Remus' head snapped up suddenly. He might almost have seemed to be scenting the air, were it not for the supremely long-suffering expression on his face. Sirius looked up too, glancing quizzically at his friend.

"Professor," said Remus loudly, voice pitched to carry across the room. "I think there's a boggart in your cupboard."

Slughorn looked somewhat startled at this blunt interruption. "A boggart, my dear boy?"

"Yes." Remus sounded like someone had just told him they'd run over his pet rabbit, Lily thought. Like he was being forced to thank someone he'd quite like to strangle. "In the cupboard by the back wall, with the old textbooks. Only I saw it shaking quite violently a minute ago, and I thought you ought to know."

"I saw it too," added Sirius, swallowing laughter with some difficulty. Lily felt a sudden sense of foreboding. "And I thought I heard a moan, so it could be a ghoul either, I suppose. But do ghouls wear shoes, Professor?"

"Shoes? Mr Black, what on earth are you talking about…?"

But Lily knew. Looking down, she saw that the cloak had slipped, revealing the tips of her shiny school shoes. There was nothing else for it. She grabbed her wand, pointing it at Remus' cauldron.

"Reducto!"

It exploded, spattering everyone in a five foot radius with foul green gunk. Remus spluttered, looking murderous, and Sirius was drawing his own wand.

And Lily Evans grabbed James Potter's hand and ran like hell.