Yes, this is a new story. Yes, I should be working on 'The Marauders Read A Book?', and countless other stories. I just had this idea, really liked it, wrote the first two chapters, meant to write more before I published it, was really proud of it, and wanted to share it with you guys. So this is a kind of trial run, so don't expect regular updates, since my reading the books fic is still my main priority.

"Expulso!"

James barely had time to watch the window shatter before he had to duck down behind a stone wall. A shot of green light narrowly missed his left ear, but he did not see where it hit.

"Protego!"

He silently thanked his girlfriend's logical streak, and watched as the three spells directed towards him stopped, then rebounded back out towards the casters.

James ignored their cries of wrath and took the opportunity to assess the situation.

It had been an early Spring visit to Hogsmeade, and Lily had finally agreed to go out with him. They had been ambushed when they had decided to retreat back to the castle.

They were nothing if not unprepared. Three Death Eaters were now out of commission, but still two remained.

They were at it again. James ducked, cast and cursed, ducking behind the wall again, wincing as it was blast to smithereens. He rolled away, standing as fast as he could.

Staring around, he could see no sign of movement, Death Eaters or Lily. He cautiously peered around, stepping forward carefully.

Then everything seemed to go into slow motion. He heard a cried "James!", felt himself being pulled down, missing the two spells being sent his way. They collided, the red and green colours turning to gold as they morphed.

He watched, fascinated, as a large gold bubble seemed to emerge from the ball of light, expanding slowly. James did nothing to stop it encasing him and Lily, until they were sitting inside the bubble.

The bubble suddenly burst and everything went black.

The blackness suddenly resided, and James found himself in what looked like a Muggle backstreet. It seemed the only good thing about the situation was the fact Lily was gripping his hand.

"This way."

He pulled her in a random direction, wanting to do something; understanding, she consented.

They turned onto a main road and Lily stopped, recognizing it. "We're on Tottenham Court Road."

This did not help James. "Where?" he asked, stumped.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Muggle street. I wonder why we ended up here?" She began to walk.

James fell into step beside her. "What shall we do now?"

"We'll stay here the night, and try to get back to Hogwarts tomorrow."

"Right." James felt strangely unprotected without his fellow marauders. Lily seemed to sense this, and gave him a sympathetic look.

"I'll take out some of my building society funds to pay for stuff."

This seemed to wake James up. "You don't have to do that."

She silenced him with a gentle glare. "You don't have any Muggle money, so I'll pay. You don't have to be so bloody noble all the time."

Hearing no other protests, she veered towards the nearest bank.

Once they were suitably supplied with money, they stood in the doorway of the bank, with decidedly lost expressions on their faces.

Lily took charge again. "Come on."

She steered James into a nearby café that was unoccupied, save the waitress standing behind the counter. Quickly ordering two coffees they sat, staring anxiously at each other.

"Glad you said 'yes'?" James tried to joke.

Lily snorted. "You see, this was why I always refused. I knew something like this was going to happen."

"Not because I was an arrogant toerag?" James raised his eyebrows.

"Well - that too." They laughed together.

Two people entered then, staring around with apprehensive looks on their faces. One was a girl with bushy brown hair, and the other was a boy with flaming red hair.

James thought they were standing weirdly, they almost seemed to be giving another person room to stand. If he didn't know better, he would have thought they possessed an Invisibility Cloak - but that was impossible. He turned back to Lily.

"Where are we sleeping?"

"I don't know. It's weird, but…well, it's just…this isn't how I remember Tottenham Court Road. And I've never seen this place before."

James shrugged. "It must be new."

"Doesn't look it."

This was true. The floor had a cracked, chipped quality of something that had been there a long time, the wallpaper was peeling and the tables were topped with grime.

Lily bit her lip. "Well, I suppose we'll find somewhere."

Two more people entered - workmen this time, wearing blue overalls…and wands!

Light flashed from nowhere, but neither person paid it a second thought, already in battle mode.

"Stupefy!" James registered dimly that they seemed to be doing a lot of fighting recently.

"Crucio!"

He dodged the badly-aimed Unforgivable, praying that it wouldn't hit someone else.

"Stupefy!" two voices cried - James recognized Lily's voice, and the other was a male voice - maybe the ginger boy? No, it couldn't have been - his mouth hadn't moved.

However, there was no time to be worrying about that. James was in combat again, against the bigger person who he guessed was a Death Eater.

"Stupefy!" was cried again, and the Death Eater finally fell, Stunned.

He watched the others slowly climb to their feet, observing them properly for the first time.

The ginger boy and bushy-haired girl looked much the same, albeit slightly more pale and shaken. What really drew his attention was another boy they had not seen before - this time he didn't dismiss the possibility of an Invisibility Cloak.

James furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. The boy looked like - well, he looked like him. His build and hair was the same, and (as he deduced from the glasses) so was the eyesight.

But his face - and his eyes - looked like Lily's, he reflected. What was going on?

Their appearance wasn't exactly expected for the others, either. James watched in fascination as all three turned pale, the boy who looked like him actually stepping backwards, having to grab hold of a table to steady himself. They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other in shock.

Soon, however, his look-a-like's shock melted into anger.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he demanded, stepping forward. "HOW DARE YOU IMPERSONATE THEM? HAVE YOU NO SHAME? HOW DARE YOU…"

"Harry…" the girl began tentatively, but the boy - Harry - ignored her.

"NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU THEN, WHAT VOLDEMORT DID? HAD TO PUT SALT IN THE WOUND, DIDN'T YOU? YOU COMPLETE, UTTER…"

"HARRY!" the other boy bellowed, catching the other's attention. "Harry, mate, they're on our side, they helped fight off the Death Eaters…"

"Bet they didn't know they were Death Eaters," Harry muttered bitterly, glaring at them.

"We're on your side if you're against the Death Eaters," Lily stated calmly, unruffled.

"Then why are you impersonating - "

"We're not impersonating anyone, as far as I know," James interrupted, slightly annoyed.

"Well, who are you then?" Harry shot back.

James replied, ignoring Lily's warning look. "James Potter and Lily Evans."

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