Disclaimer: my legs are covered in blisters because I forgot to put sunscreen on them. I bet Jo wouldn't be that thick! Or live in a country where the sun burns this bad.

Chapter one: Real Friends.

Lily looked at the note on her table, it read:

"Friends aren't people who "Could help you on the way to greatness",

Rather, they are greatness personified.

A person can't be individually characterized as "Brave at heart",

Only a friend can be.

"Whether we be old and bald, Or young with scabby knees",

A true friend is always there.

When a teacher asks a question, a friend would tell you the answer,

A true friend would look as "Stumped as you" to make you feel better.

If someone seems to "Really hate" you, a friend will complain with you,

A true friend will change the subject and never speak of the git again.

When you have a teacher "With eyes like a hawk",

A real friend will be the distraction, while you sneak out.

Can I be your friend?

Friendingly friendly,

James."

She shook her head; he was always making up words. He could be a real git and this wasn't the first time he had asked this. Usually he asked if she'd go out with him, and she had to admit, this was an improvement. He hadn't actually asked her out since year six and it was nearly year seven. Not that she'd actually admit it, but she kind of missed the compliments and the requests to date her. Lily looked into her dressing-table mirror and sighed, running a hand through her crinkly hair. Lily had grown to like her hair last year, thanks to James' constant compliments. Lily's hair wasn't curly and it wasn't frizzy, just really wavy. And red, not orange, red. She glanced down to a photo, bright against the plain white surface; it was taken a matter of weeks ago, down by the lake at Hogwarts. There was Ebony Davids, the tomboyish Quidditch player, who had light brown skin and straight black hair with dark pink streaks through it, which reached to her shoulder blades. She was smart but didn't enjoy showing it. She always had a smile and a joke for everyone. Then there was Samantha or Sam, who's a quiet person, you know the type, quiet around everyone, but loud when with friends. She had brown, wavy hair which was usually in a plait which reached to her waist. She was more of a flower child, rainbows and skirts, but she wasn't actually as relaxed as she seemed. Where Eb was more into pink and black, she was pastels or greens, blues and pinks. Then there was Lily, her hair in two plaits, and with her arms around her two best-friends. Suddenly four boys came bounding into the picture and the real Lily laughed as they pushed their way through the girls, so instead of it being Eb, Lily and Sam, it was now Sirius, Eb, James, Lily, Remus, Sam and Peter. When Eb had first come to Hogwarts from Beauxbatons, she had marveled at the number of studs at Hogwarts, especially the Marauders, right up until she found out more about them! The boys in the picture all put their arms around the girls, and the weirdest part of it was was that the picture Lily didn't move. In real life, Lily had run with the girls, laughing, into the tree.

Lily looked at her reflection in the mirror, with her green eyes, the red funky hair… she could never see what James saw in her. He always seemed to see the good in her and she could never see it. James was a complete prat around her, but she saw his true colours when he spoke to Remus about the full moon, or Sirius and his family. Oh yes, she knew about that, perhaps not everything with regards to Sirius, but enough to know of his horrible family. Lily and her friends actually got on pretty well with the Marauders in general, and though it wasn't widely known (only one person besides the girls), but they actually came up with some of their pranks. The girls told Remus, who they were on best terms with the idea and helped him with the spells and in return he'd try and keep James and Lily civil, which didn't work out too well. It was silly really, because the two were actually pretty similar, they both did well regardless the amount of studying they did, they both loved pulling jokes on people, they were both pretty popular and both genuinely nice people, oh and they both had members of the opposite sex after them all the time. Well James had random girls dropping at his feet but Lily had them dropping from afar, any male that came within 100 feet of flirting with her got all their clothes dyed pink and the Marauder crest (which was the school crest, but with a stag, rat, dog and wolf [clockwise from top left) permanently stained on them with magic. This had caused some problems between James and Lily and he had finally stopped. Some guys were brave enough to try, but most respected the Marauders highly and didn't try to win Lily's heart.

Lily grinned, she'd come up with the perfect prank over the last couple of days and she couldn't wait to tell Remus. That's where she was going today actually, to Diagon Alley. She was going to get her school stuff and meet her friends, then go back to Eb's house for the rest of the holidays. Eb's family was nearly pureblooded but her mum was a muggleborn, so she still had a telephone and a letter box, but an absolute mansion for a house, complete with secret passages and Quidditch pitch! She had three older brothers though and she said that that cramped her style. Lily and Sam didn't mind, they were pretty cool, but Eb claimed they were the reason she had turned out so weird, but Lily and Sam claimed all the credit for that. The best part was that they could do magic in the house no matter their age because they had an adult witch and wizard there. But this year, it didn't matter, Lily, Eb and Sam were all above the age limit, plus they knew more magic and they all rocked at some form of magic, Lily at Charms, Eb at Transfiguration and Sam at Defence Against the Dark Arts so they could get Jacob, Isaac and Josh back.

Lily looked down at her clothes- slightly flared jeans, and a fitted v-necked light-green jumper, over a white t-shirt- and then at her make-up, choosing brown eyeliner, brown mascara and some clear gloss. She picked up her brown over-the-shoulder bag and went to say goodbye to her mum, going down stairs to the kitchen. She looked in and saw her mum at the sink.

"Hey mum? I'm going now; I'll write to you every week, just make sure Petunia doesn't kill Clabbert, ok?" she said, naming her pigmy-frogmouth owl. Her mum looked at her and walked over.

"Ok baby, take care and be careful! Don't forget to write to us and remember to give everyone a fair chance, ok? Ok, see you later sweetie," she said evenly, kissing her daughters forehead. Lily walked off, wondering if her mum knew Legilimency, as she had probably not been giving James a fair chance. Yes, she had decided (as of this morning) to be his friend. As long as he wasn't going to be an idiot. But she could never put her finger on what she didn't like about him. She hadn't wanted a boyfriend to start with and then it was that he was too different, then it was that her friends didn't get along with him (all in her head), then his friends were such idiots that she had thought that he might be too. Now it was that she didn't know what to think and his reputation was there. She had found herself relaxing slightly in his company in the last year and maybe even trusting him slightly but… there was still a wall there. She didn't know what it was, but it was there. She walked around the back of her house and Apparated into the Leaky Cauldron.

At first she couldn't see her friends, then she saw the Marauders at a table and she walked over there.

"Hey guys, how's your holidays been?" she asked. At once and as one, they all stood up and bowed. Lily grinned; they were so funny and stupid at the same time. They stood straight and walked so they were in front of her; Peter, Remus, James and Sirius and bowed again. One by one they bent down on one knee and kissed her hand. She started laughing and they grinned at her. Especially James. When the line got to Sirius, he thought the mood was too somber so he licked her hand instead, causing her to jump backwards and squeal indignantly, while three hands whacked Sirius on the back of the head. After glaring at Sirius who merely grinned, James waddled forward, still on one knee and bent his head forward.

"Good lady, I beg forgiveness from you for my friend, it isn't his fault his mother dropped him on his head when he was a child." James said sincerely while Sirius swelled with indignation and then shrugged, knowing it was probably true, knowing his family. Remus was going red in the face, trying hard not to laugh, while Peter was stuffing his fist in his mouth trying not to laugh. Lily who had a small smile on her face, quickly wiped it away and placed her hand on his head.

"Good sir, as it is you who asks, of course I'll forgive him" Lily said sincerely. She took her hand away then started laughing so hard she had to sit down. The spell was broken and the boys all stood up laughing and sat at the table again.

"Wait," Lily said suddenly, "I don't want to sit next to Sirius, the prat'll probably stick something in my drink!" she continued, half laughing, but everyone around the table knew it was probably true. So Remus shrugged and sat next to Lily, he didn't mind, they had been friends forever and good friends since she had found out about his furry little problem.

"I don't suppose you lot actually ordered your drinks?" upon seeing four incredulous expressions and nods, she rolled her eyes. Of course they'd ordered drinks, when weren't they?

"Don't s'pose you thought and ordered me one?" Again her statement was met with nods. Wait, what the hell did they order? Sirius was smirking so it was probably nothing good.

"Don't worry, I ordered it, and it was just cherry syrup and soda for you and hot chocolate for the other two." Remus comforted, grinning at the same time. There was something going on with this…

"What are you lot drinking then?" Lily asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, Firewhiskey for me," Sirius said like it was nothing to be ashamed of, drinking hard alcohol at nine in the morning, "Gillywater for Prongs here, tea and Butterbeer for Moony and Butterbeer for Wormy." Sirius finished, looking thoughtful. How he got to seventh year Lily could hardly guess. She rolled her eyes at him and looked around and saw a welcome sight: her friends coming through the door!

"EB! SAM!" She yelled jumping up and running over to them and nearly flattening them with her enthusiasm. They all laughed and the boys came running over and joined the group hug. They laughed and the girls looked at each other and nodded. In under a second they had their wands out and the four boys were blasted backwards. They laughed and walked over to the table, Lily leading and discussing holidays so far.

"There are so many hot guys in Ireland, all with those cute Irish accents!" Eb says and Lily and Sam roll their eyes.

"But the Quidditch! Man, the Kenmare Kestrels can really play! We went and they let us kids practice with them, said we were the best they'd seen so young." Eb said proudly. She and James had both been on the team since second year. They were both brilliant.

The drinks eventually came and they drank them and talked some more, and Remus asked Lily quietly if she'd thought up any more pranks and she told him the one she had been working on. They finished their drinks and they split up, the girls to get school stuff and the boys to Apparate to Hogsmeade for Zonkos.

"See you later!" They all called out to each other and they went in opposite directions. Lily looked over her shoulder and saw James looking at her over his shoulder. He flushed and grinned and she blushed and smiled back. Why on earth was James looking at her cause for a blush? Was she going mad or finally submitting to the Potter charm? She half hoped it was the first possibility.

Ok people, you know the dealio, you read, you review! Whoa, amazing concept! Sorry if it seems weird, but right now I'm kind of sick and I'm sunburnt to a crisp coz I went on a 17 kilometer canoe trip yesterday, so I'm stuffed! I know I should probably be working on Faints, Paints and Potter? but I have writers block!!! Oh and the quotes at the top (in James' note) came from Philosophers Stone.