Lily knew this would happen. She shut her eyes as tightly as she could, and curled up in a little ball. She cursed silently in her head. Whose great idea was it anyways, to give the birthday girl a dare the day after her birthday?

The newly turned fifteen Lily had great common sense. Yes, she thought her dare would be something stupid, like asking out Professor Dumbledore (Marissa actually did that last year!) But she didn't think it would get her in this position.

Cramped.

Cold.

Actually it wasn't that cold.

It was really, really stuffed.

Lily groaned as she thought of the days events.

xxxx

"Lily Evans! Wake up!"

Lily groaned. "Shut Up."

"But Lily, it's time!"

"Lemme sleep…"

"Lilllllllllly!" That annoying voice sang.

She felt her back shoot up. She decided from that point she missed those muggle days, the ones where locks worked, and where she could put her head under the pillow without it floating in midair a few seconds later.

She had two options here. First, ignore it and receive a mild hex, or get up and stay grumpy the entire morning from lack of sleep. She chose the first choice.

She ended up coughing up yellow feathers.

"URGH! Alice!" Lily choked out.

Alice only giggled. "Marissa and Jenny are outside. We let you sleep in an extra half-hour this year. Mary thought of an awesome dare-"

"Don't you think we're a bit too old for this dare-every-birthday thing?"

"Oh, Lily, don't be a spoil-sport! You were laughing just as hard when Dumbledore told Riss to look for someone her own age, preferably a student."

Lily's lips twitched. She looked longingly and her covers, but felt a fluffy sensation in her throat. "Let's just get this over with." She said quickly.

"That's the spirit!"

Alice tossed her comb to her, and she began getting dressed. Every year, the dares got more intense. Not one of them though had wimped out, and Lily who usually had nothing to do with peer pressure, was not going to be the first. Through the years, Lily had dyed Mrs. Norris green (well…her tail), sung the Hogwarts School Song standing up on her chair at the Gryffindor table, sent a love note to Sirius freaking Black in the middle of potions, and last year she had worn muggle clothing to class!

Okay, so the last one may not have been extreme, but the girls knew it was her last year to make an impression for prefect, so it was just as bad, if not worse.

This year she WAS a prefect, which meant she couldn't get into any trouble ("We know! You remind us each day!")

"Like you listen!"

"Of course I do. I love hearing you rant about fun things like that."

"Next year, for my birthday gift, let me sleep past 9:00, okay?"

"No promises!"

Lily groaned again when she saw the group of girls outside. "Can't we have breakfast first?"

"After, Lily! C'mon, just hear what we got."

Lily wanted to run away or have a hippogriff chew of her leg maybe.

"I haven't seen you this excited since Mary's birthday, Riss."

She laughed. "Oh Lily, when will you ever learn. If memory serves right, then my dares have been the worst of all you chickens."

"Just tell me what you want me to do." She was tempted to scream in their faces, I'M A PREFECT, YOU IDIOTS!

"And it doesn't change anything, that you Lily are a prefect."

She kicked her.

"Hey, OW! You know Lupin goes on raids with Potter's gang all the time."

"Oh, sure! Compare us to Potter. Make me feel better, why don't you?"

"Stop being a sour-puss, because we've all agreed on the best dare ever."

"Why are we even doing this?"

"Because, it's fair that we all have a share on a dare."

"Ooh, here's a dare. Stop rhyming!"

"That's more of a request."

She glowered at her friends, who were all beaming. What in Merlin's name where they up to?

"Okay Lily, your mission, if you choose to accept it-"

Lily rolled her eyes. Some people watched too much muggle television.

"Go sneak into Potter's dorm after curfew!!" Mary shrieked.

"Aw, way to ruin it Mary."

Lily was red and horrified. "Potter? Why do you hate me? POTTER?"

"Bring back a souvenir. And a picture." Alice added.

Everyone started talking at once, all clearly excited.

"YOU ALL ARE JOKING RIGHT?"

They stared blankly at her.

"Do I have any other options?"

"Well...there's one." Jen smiled slyly.

"Well, c'mon let's hear it." Anything would be better than this.

"Go on a date with Potter."

Lily sighed. He asked her out almost on a daily basis. One lousy date? That was the big dare?

"Don't look so happy, Lily. There are conditions. You have to ask him, and you have to flirt. We all agreed you need to tousle his hair at least three times.

Lily made a retching noise.

"So we can go to breakfast now."

"Don't be sulky, Lily." Alice said in a cheery voice. "We all know you secretly like Potter."

"I do not like Potter. That miserable git…obnoxious…in love with himself…"

"He's kinda in love with you."

"Uh…no. He's just obnoxious."

"It could be worse. Lily, stop sulking! You don't have to do another dare for an entire year!"

"Goody."

"And today's Saturday, too. No classes."

"I like classes, Alice."

"That's what worries me."

xxxx

"Are you ready, Lily?"

"No."

"Okay! Have fun!"

It was 2 'o clock am and she'd just been locked out of her room.

It's not like this will be hard…

Just as long as she didn't get caught. Her first year of dying that stupid cat led her to two night's detention in shame.

She walked past the common room. She tripped, she swore, and then got back up.

She had this chilling feeling as she was the boy's dormitories. Everything was dark, but thankfully for background information she knew which one was the 'Marauders." She smirked at the name. Those boys thought they were so cool, they decided to give them a name for their group. And not only that, but stupid nicknames. Seriously, though. Prongs? That made no sense. But then again, it was Potter. It didn't have to make sense.

She put her ear next to the door. Silence.

"Alohomora"

Yes. The door opened. Well, she didn't doubt it wouldn't. No one would put unbreakable locks in student dorms. That would be dangerous. And stupid. Who knows what could be in this room.

The light was off. Lumos

There was no one there. She took the camera that was handed to her. Snapped a few pictures. She looked around for a trinket she could take back. There was a picture of the four friends making faces. Yeah, sure, that'll do. She started walking out. Easiest dare ever!

But she couldn't help but look at the bed stands. There were letters from home at everyone's but Black's.

James had the biggest pile. Lily grabbed a letter. Yes, she felt bad for snooping, but who could resist?

It was really cute. Reminders to eat vegetables, brushing teeth, and not to get into too much trouble. Maybe Potter was nicer at home?

Lily put the letter down. She started walking to the door, but she heard footsteps.

Yes, of course this was bound to happen. She really had to think fast. Looking around the room, she dived under a bed.

"NO!" She yelled. Realizing she may have to spend the night. "Aw, bloody hell."

"You guys hear something?" James Potter said, turning the light on the room, and closing the door.

"Nah. Maybe you should get your ears checked, Prongs." Black joked.

Lily gasped as James took his shirt off, getting undressed. She closed her eyes tightly.

This is a nightmare. I'm so stupid. I hate dares. I, Lily Evans vow never to take a dare again in my life.

"I can't wait until those Slytherins wake up!"

"Yeah, Snivelly will love the surprise we left for him!"

Lily's face reddened. If she was still friends with Snape, she may have jumped right out of that bed, and demand to know what happened. But Remus was a prefect too. What was he doing, laughing along the others? Though he did look a bit guilty.

"Not tired yet are you, Padfoot?" James asked as Sirius yawned.

"Marauding wears you out, Prongs."

"So does the homework none of you bothered to do." Remus added.

"We know all that stuff, Moony. I'll do it in ten minutes when I wake up, Moony."

James crawled into his bed. The one Lily was under. I hope Mary and Alice are awake, waiting for me to come back. I hope they don't get a single second of sleep.

xxxx

So that's how she got there. She was curled up for who knows how long? Were they actually asleep? Lily thought she should leave now. How would she do it in the morning? She may have been there for hours.

Okay, I'll do it now.

Slowly, she uncurled herself, rolled over on her stomach and crawled out from under the bed.

As she was leaving, she hit her head really hard, and cut her cheek. If the loud bump didn't wake everyone up, her loud cursing had. Her cheek was bleeding, and there would definitely be a bruise tomorrow.

So she gave up. She stood up in the middle of the room, glaring at four shocked boys.

"Evans? What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Embarrassing myself, obviously. I'm leaving now."

James jumped up from his bed. He blocked the door, clearly forgetting he was in his pants only.

"I know you keep refusing that you like me, Evans, but really sneaking into my room? That's a bit hypocritical isn't it?"

"Move."

"Not until you tell me why you're here.

"It was a dare. Move, please."

"Oh." He looked slightly abashed.

Figures. He'd think that a girl would sneak in his room to stalk him.

"Well, you're here anyways. Why don't you stay?" Sirius said, sitting up. She had to think to herself how many girls would love to be in this position, with the marauders, all bare-chested.

Only Pettigrew seemed to be sleeping still. Remus looked red, like he wanted her to leave right now. He was huddled in his bed, still. She gave him a look like 'if these two would let me.'

"You guys, leave Lily alone." Remus said to his best friends.

"Yes! Leave Lily alone!" She looked longingly at the door.

"Hey, Lily what do you think about blackmail?" Sirius chirped.

Her face paled. James was catching on too. "Yeah, maybe if you agree to go on a date with me, I won't tell anyone about this."

ARRRGH! "Well, if you don't let me leave, I'll tell McGonagall what you did to those Slytherins.

"Please, Evans, like they don't know it was us?"

"I don't wanna go on a date with you!"

"Well I do wanna go on a date with you."

"I…I…" She whipped out her camera. "I'll show everyone this photo of you half naked."

"I bet all those girls are already begging for that. Plus, I look good."

Remus groaned.

Lily had to think fast.

She pecked him on his cheek. He stood there dumbfound, and she realized she could have just confounded him.

But she took this moment to race out of the door.

She ran to the common room. What time was it? Four? Five? There was a little light from outside.

She didn't even have time to fix the cut on her cheek.

Lily stormed into her room. "I HATE YOU. AND I HATE THESE DARES!"

She plopped on her bed. Her dorm mates ignored her.

"Did you get pictures?" Mary asked excitedly.

"Yes. What time is it?"

"It's seven, Lily."

"Merlin's glasses! I was there for five hours! I HATE YOU. THEY WALKED IN THE ROOM, AND I UNDER THE BED FOR FIVE HOURS!"

"How did you get out?"

She felt a tingling pink rising.

"Maybe I'll tell you next year."

"Lily!"

Then Lily had a brilliant idea. "I'll tell you if I don't have to do a dare next year."

They were both shocked. "No way." Alice shook her head. "Don't break the tradition."

"Fine. I guess you'll never know the finishing of my journey."

Lily smiled. Mary and Alice looked at each other.

"Fine. Spill!"

"I…-"

She paused for dramatic effect.

"Kissedhischeek."

Mary and Alice were both dumbfounded.

"Now if you'll excuse me, ladies, I think I will sleep until noon."

As she lay on her pillow, she heard the soft lulling of 'Lily and James sitting in a tree…' But she didn't care. Everyone got their fair share.