Later Years

"Hey Potter! Good hustle out there!" Coach Newman called out to one of his exhausted chasers.

"Thanks Coach, have you found a replacement for Typer yet?" James asked. Jim Typer had been their backup seeker. He had recently quit the game and the team was trying to find a replacement.

"I've got another interview today. The player was playing for a minor team, the Horntails. Jack saw them play and he said the seeker was good so we're going to see if this seeker is ready to play the Major league," Newman explained. Jack was the scout for James' team, the Chuddly Cannons. "He apparated in from Dover today and he's going to be here for a week."

"So what's this player's name?" James asked.

"His name is Li Evans. He went to Hogwarts. I think it was the same time you were there. Was he any good?" Newman added as an after thought.

"Li Evans was one of the best players Hogwarts has ever seen," James assured the coach, "but Li isn't…"

"Hello, I'm Li Evans," a voice said from behind James.

"Hello Mr. Evans, I'm Bruce Newman and this is James Potter, he's one of our starting chasers," Newman introduced.

"Hello Mr. Newman. Hi James, it's been a long time," Li replied. James subconsciously put his hand to his cheek. Last time he had seen Li, at graduation five years ago, Li had given him a kiss on the cheek. Thankfully neither Li nor Coach Newman had seen this gesture.

"Are you ready to start the try out?" Newman asked.

"Anytime," Li replied.

"Start flying around. I'll release the snitch and see how long it takes for you to catch it," Newman instructed. Li nodded and mounted her broom. She rose into the air quickly. "Go up there are distract Evans, I'll release the snitch soon." James also mounted and rose in the air. He began to fly in front of Li to keep her from seeing anything. She avoided his maneuvers gracefully. A golden glint caught her eye and she dove. The snitch rose just after she had gotten to where it had used to be. She did a loop de loop to catch it.

"Good job!" James yelled.

"That's pretty good, one minute and five seconds.

"Let's try again, this time let's see how you fare while trying to dodger blugders. James go get the bat and the balls, wait," Newman paused. "Go get Adams. You'll hurt yourself if we let you play beater."

"Still useless?" Li joked. James glared at her before running off.

"Good job Evans, change up, Potter here will make sure you get a place to stay," Newman told Li. "Oh, off the record, welcome to the Chuddley Cannons." Li smiled and disappeared into the changing rooms.

"Coach!" James complained. "I have plans for tonight."

"Well break them," Newman commanded. "Your teammates come first. I think he might even be better than Stevens."

"Yes Coach," James replied. Stevens was the team's starting seeker and was famous all over the globe for being a brilliant player.

"Make sure he gets a place to stay and show him around London, ok?" Newman commanded.

"Yes Coach," James replied in a monotone. Li came back over to them.

"Potter will make sure you find a place to stay," Newman told her.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Come on," James instructed. The two left the field. When they were a good distance off, James turned toward her. "So you're trying out for the Chuddley Cannons?"

"No, I'm getting seeker on the Chuddly Cannons," she retorted.

"And you're still masquerading as a guy?" he asked.

"I never masqueraded. I simply chose to dress as a guy and not mention the fact that I'm female. It's within my rights. He won't ask me so I don't have to answer."

"They'll never accept a girl on a professional Quidditch team."

"It never said on the job application that you had to be a guy. Besides they would never let me play if I told them I'm a girl," Li argued. "Are you going to tell? If you do you go flying. You'll be gone before you can say Quidditch."

"They won't hear it from my mouth. By the way, I'm hanging with Sirius tonight so you can either tag along or go somewhere on your own."

"I'll come, I got nothing better to do anyway. Severus is locked up in his dungeon and Lucius is getting married. Which reminds me, I have to be a bridesmaid," Li complained.

"He's getting married?" James inquired. He had already known of course. Lucius Malfoy's wedding had been announced in the papers.

"Yea. To Narcissa Black no less. He told me he would never marry her, I told him he would. Which reminds me, Severus owes me…"Li started, "How much?"

"You bet on your friend's social life?" James asked. James and Remus had talked about making bets on who Sirius was going to date next, but never really got down to it. Li withdrew a long piece of parchment. "What's that?"

"It's the list of bets. I'm checking to see how much he owes me. Yes, we made this bet in 1974 before we graduated when I saw Lucius doodling Narcissa's name in his notebook," Li replied. "That's right, he owes he ten gallons." James glanced at the list before Li put it away. Neatly written in columns were the name of the bet, the date conducted, the date it expired, with whom and how much. There was even a column for the signature of the person. Li noticed James' raised eyebrow. "Not everyone wants to pay up." She smirked slightly and put it away.

"Should we be going?"

"Where, may I ask, are we going?"

"I'll drop you off at a hotel and pick you up at seven," James answered.

"Where are we going?"

"Clubbing."

"Fine," Li said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Shall we be off?" She apparated away. James shook his head and went after her.

Hello and welcome to 'Countering the Later Years.' Yes it was the best title I could come up with. It is the sequal to my story the Counter Story. I suggest you read it, I got mainly good reviews. I don't think it's necessary you read it, but if you don't, here's the pitch. Lily/Li Evans is a tomboy. She was a Slytherin. She is friends with Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. The Marauders know she is not a boy but no one else, other than her friends ad family, know that because Li believes that woman are inferior. Snape has a slight (MAJOR) crush on her and I'm still deciding whether there's going to be anything there.

Oh, and everyone listen to the Indigo Girls. Especially their song Romeo and Juliet. Kick arse song. Oh, I will do minor cursing, I will stop myself from saying the f-curse. If you really don't like this story, be constructive and please do not curse at me. I do not like being cursed at on sites such as this. Let's keep a level of civility. I won't be rude to you and you won't be rude to me. If you've got a great story, I'll be happy to read it though I warn you I am a bit crazy in my reviews.

If you review I'm not likely to respond specifically to you unless I feel it's important or you really made my day. Do not think that I don't appreciate it. You don't know how much I jump up and down when I see that little mailbox sign that tells me I got e-mail. I am also so happy and half the time it turns out to be my friend sending me a comic and I get so down cause it's not a review from you guys. That's how much I love you. You make me jump up and down and when I don't hear from you I get really sad. Sadness doesn't help me write. I mainly write when I'm hyper so every few chapters review for me and get me all hyper so I can write some more.

I am a high school freshman in honors and in marching band. I do not have a lot of time and I only get inspo when I'm hyper (see above.) Having time and having inspo at the same time does not happen in a schedule. Sometimes I'll update everyday and sometimes I won't update for a month. That's how it works. I'll try not to let it go for more than a month.

Oh, for the first time in my life I have 'A Plan' for this story. Meaning? I know where it's going. Cici, if you still want to help, thank you so much. Everyone remember to say 'Thank you Cici," or something because she is the awesome person who tells me when my chapters suck and helps give me ideas. She is 'The Presence' behind this story and she keeps it running simply by e-mailing me and putting up with my ranting about school. So please thank her.

I usually write a whole lot of author's notes but not this much.