I'm absolutely AMAZED at the feedback and notification this story has received so far! I'm glad it's been going over well. I am giving you all this chapter a little earlier than I had planned as things are about to get hectic at work. We are short two people (one quit and one's on sick leave for a few months) and the person my manager hired took another job offer, so we are a little worn thin. I may not have as much time to write but my boss is amazing and has still managed to make it where I am working more, shorter days so that I can still write a little (she didn't do it so I could write, she just did it so I don't get too much exposure of the people in this town and go on a killing spree lol but it's worked out)

(Collective thanks to some of you so I don't have to repeat myself: Thanks to those who read my stories and decided to give this one a shot!)

Penny L. Pingleton: Aww yay, more gold stars! Thanks for the review!

JamesPotterBelongsToMe: Ooh yay! A new reader of my stories (or at least a new reviewer) Yes, yes, straight down to the dirty. :D Yes, it was a little OOC of Lily (I kinda made her a little OOC than how I usually write her but I hope I didn't get too ridiculous with it) Thanks for understanding that this is my story though. Some people have trouble grasping that concept. I hope to keep you interested. (P.S. You can have James but I totally call Sirius!)

Eleos: I was notified of this in my email and literally scrolled down to see if there was any more haha I missed your long, drawn out review. (And I'm still waiting for a review on WFaM, missy! :P) Haha and again, yes, straight to the down and dirty, this story is a little more mature than my others have been but that had always been my intention even years ago when I first started coming up with the idea for for the review (even if it was a little on the short side, totally JKing by the way, I love and appreciate all feedback but I'm too big of a smart ass to resist giving someone rubbish :D)

Super Cara: Yes, it's a very sad day. I've come to love writing these characters as much as I love writing my own characters that I develop (maybe even more). I will sincerely miss Lily and the Marauders, but I still get to write them for another month or so, so I'm trying not to think about it too much lol. I'm glad you liked it.

LilyHeartsJames: Haha yeah, as I said, it's a little different from my other stories. I've always been in love with the idea of this story. Part of it is I came up with idea after I'd been writing FanFic for a while, so it was a little more well thought out and all the good stuff. I feel like this is some of my best writing (personally). Also, I'm liking the fact that it is consistently well written. I don't have to tell people "Ignore the first ten chapters, they were written when I was fourteen" (which I have done lol) Thanks for the review!

Chapter Two

Lily braced herself against the bitter cold as she made her way down the sidewalk. She was glad to see that the streets were more crowded than they had been the night before. Lily smiled at everyone she saw, the sun seemed brighter, even the biting cool air didn't seem so bad this afternoon. For the first time in a long time she even saw a woman with their baby and there wasn't that tug at her heart. James had left her over an hour ago but she could still taste his lips on hers, could still feel his touch on her skin.

Lily walked into the shop she had been instructed by Margaret to meet her at. She heard her friend's voice before she saw the girl, which was actually a pretty common occurrence. She heard a faint giggle and knew immediately that her friend was flirting. Margaret hated the idea of commitment and being tied down but she was the Flirting Queen, she could seduce just about any man given the right amount of time. She knew what men liked and sometimes used that skill for her own selfish needs. That being said though, she wasn't a whore, she had actually only slept with two guys in her life.

Lily continued further in the shop, browsing the clothes as she went by. She finally found Margaret leaning against the counter, her back turned to her. Lily could see that she was playing idly with a necklace on display. Based on the position of her head, Lily would bet that her friend was staring intently into the cashiers eyes, her near perfect lips positioned into a wide grin, showing off her pearly whites. Margaret let out another giggle, her long straight black hair swishing as she shook her head slightly.

Lily closed the gap between her and the other girl. Margaret turned her head as if sensing her friend's presence. Margaret was a Muggle but Lily swore she was more psychic than any Seer she had ever met.

"Lily!" the girl squealed, embracing her in a tight hug.

"Hey, Mar," Lily replied. Margaret suddenly halted the embrace, grabbing Lily's shoulders and pushing her back slightly. Lily fought to not squirm as bluish-grey eyes studied her as if trying to read her mind.

"Oh my God!" Margaret said. Before Lily even had a chance to respond, Margaret was turned to the cashier. "Lucas, love, please excuse us. I need to talk to my dear friend Lily here alone."

Lucas nodded but Margaret paid no mind as she was already dragging Lily to the corner. "Mar, what's this—"

"You little tramp!" Margaret commented, a grin a mile wide on her face. Lily teetered slightly, how in Merlin's name did she do that? "I know you shagged Potter, it's written all over your face. Don't even bother trying to deny it and just get to the good parts."

Lily's own grin took over her face as she began recanting the previous night's events. Margaret stood there and listened like an eager child. She even bounced slightly. Lily sometimes wondered how one person could have so much energy. "And the sex," Margaret asked, "How was it?"

Lily smiled, remembering every touch, every stroke. "Amazing."

Margaret squealed again, pulling her friend into another hug. "Oh, Lily, I'm so happy for you! So are you two officially back together?"

Lily shrugged, "We didn't really discuss it, but yeah, I think we might be headed in that direction. He told me he still loves me. Though, after everything we went through last time, I'm more than willing to just let this be a good time and try not to put too many labels on it."

"Lily Evans with a shag buddy," Margaret laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"It's not like that with James. We love each other. I'm just not in any rush to announce our engagement."

"Uh huh," Margaret said as if only to humor Lily. "You can justify it anyway you want to yourself, Lily, but you can't lie to me. I'm your best friend. Sometimes I know you better than you know yourself, and you, Miss Evans, have a fuck buddy."

Lily physically shuddered. "I've always hated that term. It's just so crude. I don't know what James and I have, I'm just happy we have it."

Margaret gave her friend a knowing grin before grabbing her arm. "C'mon, let's do some shopping. It's been a whole week since I've bought any new clothes and I swear I'm going through withdrawals."

Lily giggled at her friend, but allowed herself to be dragged to one of the isles. Margaret's family was one of the richest in town and Margaret had a never ending finical flow at the tip of her fingers, which only added to her shopping addiction.

"So, Lucas?" Lily asked when she noticed the boy staring at the two girls. Margaret glanced up from the rack of clothes she had been rifling through and shrugged.

"He's nice enough. I'm not sure he's my type, though."

Lily laughed. "He's cute and breathing, he's exactly your type, Mar."

The other girl gave another shrug, "He's a little daft," she said dismissively. "Not the brightest Wizard at Hogwarts."

Lily chortled, shaking her head. She had informed Margaret of her being witch when she received her acceptance letter. Margaret was intrigued and forced Lily to tell her every detail about the Wizarding World. Margaret had no qualms about making Wizarding references around Lily. To be honest, Margaret had little qualms about anything she did.

Three shops and a few hours later, Lily started complaining about her feet hurting. Normally, Lily wouldn't be so whiney, but her friend would drag her to every store there was and make it an all day event if Lily didn't speak up.

"Well, we can find some place to eat," Margaret suggested, handing the lady behind the counter a few bills and waited for her change while grabbing the bag. "I'm rather hungry myself."

A smile crept upon Lily's face as she remembered her previous meal. She felt eyes on her and glanced up to see her best friend smiling at her.

"I haven't seen you this happy in a while, Lily," she said. "I'm really glad for you."

Lily nodded as Margaret thanked the cashier and the two girls headed for the door. "I'm really happy for me too," Lily said. "I spent entirely too long in my little rut."

The two friends made their way down the sidewalk, talking and laughing. Margaret made a beeline for the most expensive restaurant on the strip. "Uh, Margaret," Lily said, mentally counting the money she had in her pocket.

"Don't worry, Lily," Margaret insisted. "It's on me."

Lily considered arguing with the girl but knew it would do no good. So with a small shake of her head, she followed her friend to their intended destination. As it was late afternoon, the small establishment was nearly empty. The hostess, a pretty girl with her brown hair pulled into a stylish ponytail, seated them. "Your waiter will be right with you," the hostess said, placing menus in front of them. Margaret nodded her thanks and stood from the table as the other woman walked away.

"I'm going to go powder my nose," Margaret said, though she looked perfect. Lily knew better than to argue this point. "If the waiter comes while I'm gone, I'll just take a water. I'm trying to lose three pounds."

Lily shook her head. Her friend was always watching her figure, though she didn't really need to. Margaret had a body that most girls would kill for. Margaret returned a few minutes later, taking a sip from the water the waiter had just placed before her.

"What can I get for you ladies today?" he asked.

Lily and Margaret ordered and the waiter assured them their food would be out as soon as possible. The two fell into a comfortable conversation.

"Daddy's been talking about buying a condo in Hawaii." Lily noticed a slight flicker in her friend's eyes but ignored it as the girl continued talking. "I personally hope he does. I love Hawaii. It's so beautiful."

Suddenly, the world went dark. Strong hands had covered Lily's eyes. "Guess who," a husky voice whispered in her ear.

A grin spread across Lily's face. "Hmmm…Let me think. Is it the ruggedly handsome Sirius Black?" she asked and she heard Sirius let out a bark-like laugh as James answered with "No." His lips were still on her ear. "Remus Lupin?" she tried again, grinning.

"Getting closer," James said, nibbling on her ear.

"Ah, I know exactly who it is," Lily said. "James Potter."

"Mhm," James said, removing his hands from her eyes and planting a kiss on her cheek. "How are you lovely ladies today?" he asked. He glanced down and saw the half dozen or so bags by Margaret's feet. "I see you got some shopping done."

Margaret grinned broadly. "I got some of the cutest tops for super cheap," she gushed. Margaret never passed up the chance to talk about shopping. "How have you been, James?" A knowing glint shone in her eyes.

"I've been good. And you?"

Margaret nodded. "Just fine."

Sirius Black sauntered closer to Margaret, picking up her hand, he kissed it. "It's good to see you again, Margaret."

Margaret blushed slightly, and Margaret never blushed when it came to men but Sirius Black had a certain charm. When the two had first met, Lily and James had been sure that they were going to jump each other right then and there. They had even made a bet on how long it would take for the two to hook up, but surprisingly it never happened. Though the two flirted like there was no tomorrow when they were around each other.

"We were just waiting for our food," Margaret said. "Why don't you two join us? I can just get us a bigger table."

James looked over at Sirius. "Want to, mate?"

"Of course," Sirius said, his grey eyes twinkling at Margaret. "I never pass up the opportunity for good food and good company."

"It's settled then," Margaret said, waving her hand at the passing waiter. "Waiter," she called out.

The man turned immediately, doubling back. "Yes, Ms. Campbell, how can I help you?"

"These fine," she flashed a grin at Sirius, "young men would like to join us for lunch. I was wondering if we could be moved to another table." Margaret knew she would not be denied nearly anything at this establishment but she still posed it as a question. That was one thing Lily liked about her best friend. The girl was spoiled, no doubt, but she never looked down at others or treated them as her servants.

"Of course," the waiter replied, grabbing the girls' drinks and leading the four to a bigger table. "How's this, Ms. Campbell?"

"Perfect, Simon," Margaret said, giving the man her signature smile. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure," he insisted as everyone got seated. Naturally, James and Lily sat on one side of the table while Sirius and Margaret occupied the other. "Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?"

"I'll take a Coke," James said, glancing at his menu.

"I'll have a beer," Sirius said.

"Honestly, Sirius," James opposed. "It's four in the afternoon."

Sirius shrugged ignoring his friend's protest.

"Do you two lads know what you want to eat? That way I get your food out at the same time as the girls'?"

James and Sirius nodded and ordered their food. The waiter took their menus and walked off. Sirius grabbed Margaret's drink. "This Vodka?" he asked, taking a sip before giving her a chance to answer. He blanched slightly. "Water?"

Margaret nodded. "I'm trying to lose a couple pounds."

"That's rubbish," Sirius told her. "You look fine."

Lily had taken the time to turn to James. "Is Sirius okay?" she asked. Sure, Sirius wasn't one to turn down a chance to get roaring drunk, but it wasn't like him to be actively seeking alcohol this early in the evening.

James shook his head. "He found out some bad news about his brother, Regulus." Lily didn't need to be told what the bad news was. The others had had their sneaking suspicion and Lily figured with all of them being in the Order they would all find out the news soon enough. Sirius' little brother had become a Death Eater, and Sirius was trying to deal with it in the best way he knew how. She just sincerely hoped he didn't do anything stupid. Self-destructive Sirius was never a good thing.

He seemed to be hiding his despair well enough as he flirted with Margaret. That was another thing about Sirius; he never showed that he was upset. He would pretend as if everything was just fine. Margaret, the psychic that she was, didn't notice that anything was wrong with Sirius. Though, Lily suspected that the girl was only clairvoyant when it came to her. The two had been best friends since birth. Margaret was three months older than Lily, though you never would've guessed it seeing the two girls interact. Their mums had been best friends, before Lily's mother had passed away, that is.

When Lily had went off to Hogwarts, it was the first time they had gone longer than four days without seeing each other, though they wrote to each other every day. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell had even bought Margaret her own owl, Johnny. Margaret had named him.

The group's conversation flowed from one topic to another easily. James and Lily played with each other's hands underneath the table, ignoring the knowing looks from Margaret and Sirius. Margaret and Sirius continued their flirting. When their food arrived, the two couples fed each other. Well, Lily and James fed each other and Sirius stole food off Margaret's plate. Lily laughed at the exchange and smiled when she noticed that Sirius' beer had gone almost untouched. He seemed genuinely happy once again, he was back to the old Sirius; the one that didn't need any kind of intoxicants to have a good time. He let out a bark-like laugh as Margaret pretended she was going to stab him with her fork.

Lily excused herself to use the restroom. She was standing at the sink, washing her hands when a reflection in the mirror made her jump. She turned around and collided with a strong chest. "You can't be in here, James," she hissed. He interrupted her protests by pressing his lips to hers. She let herself melt into the kiss but pulled away abruptly when she heard the toilet flush.

An elderly lady walked from the toilet cubicle. "I'm so sorry, ma'am," Lily apologized. "He was just leaving," she said, nodding towards James.

The elderly lady smiled at Lily. "It's quite all right, love," she insisted. It was evident that James wasn't interested in seeing anyone in the loo besides the redhead.

"See, its fine," James said, leaning in for another kiss.

She pushed him away slightly, grinning despite herself. "C'mon, love, let's get out of the girl's loo before we get in trouble." She grabbed his hand and led him out of the room. The two made their way back to the table.

"Wow, that was fast," Sirius commented, his hands on Margaret's legs, which were draped across his lap.

"That is why they call it a quickie, mate," James commented, earning a slap on the shoulder from Lily. "Just playing," he corrected himself. "Lily's much too prude for that."

She glared at him before smiling, an idea popping into her head. She dropped her hand to his lap, dangerously close to the place he wanted it most. She leaned close to his ear. "Come by my place tonight and I'll show you prude," she whispered seductively, giving his thigh a tight squeeze.

James looked over at him. "You're pure evil."

Lily only smiled in response. The waiter came over and cleared the table of everyone's plates, asking if anyone would like desserts or needed refills. He glanced at Margaret's empty glass. "Let me get you another water, Ms. Campbell."

"Can we get two? Mr. Black, here, drank my last one."

"Certainly." He eyed Sirius' full beer. "Was everything okay with the beer?"

Sirius nodded, his long black hair swishing with the movements. "It was fine, my kind sir, I just decided I wasn't in the mood for it." Lily and James both smiled at their friend while the waiter took the full beer and Margaret's glass. When he returned a few minutes later, they all ordered dessert.

An hour later, Margaret patted her stomach. "I'm going to have to run a mile to burn all of that off," she said, ignoring the pointed looks from the others though no one said anything. "Lily and I better get going. There's one more shop I want to stop at. I saw a top in the catalog the other day and I must have it."

Lily let out an audible groan. She loved shopping as much as the next girl but she was starting to remember why she hated shopping with her best friend. Not to mention that her spending was limited as she wasn't working at the moment and her family wasn't stupid rich like Margaret's. The other's all gathered around outside the door, hugging and saying their farewells.

James pulled Lily in for an embrace and pulled his mouth to her ear. "If it gets too unbearable, just remember all the lovely things I'm going to do to you tonight."

Lily grinned and nodded. "So I'll see you at eight?" she confirmed. James merely nodded and Lily and Margaret watched as the boys took off down the sidewalk. It was starting to get dark and the streets were nearly empty. Lily felt emptiness in the pit of her stomach. She hated Voldemort for doing this to her town. It was amazing what fear could do.

OooOooO

Lily looked around the small kitchen, trying to think of anything that she had forgotten. Her small table was set: Two plates with grilled cheese sandwiches and crisps; a candle in the middle of the table; a wine bottle on ice and two wine glasses. She was laying out napkins when she heard a knock on her door. She wondered briefly if she should change. She was clad in boy shorts and a tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. She quickly decided against it. James never minded what she looked like and it wasn't like she would be in her clothes for too much longer. Not to mention that shopping had worn her out and she didn't have much energy to try and get too prettied up. This lack of motivation was also the reason for the easy dinner.

"Coming," she called, crossing the room to door. She looked out the peephole. She wasn't as paranoid as some people about the rising of the Dark Lord but she wasn't daft either. She grinned when she saw James standing in the hallway. Unlocking the door, she threw it open. James stood there in the clothes he had been wearing earlier, holding flowers: Daises to be exact, her favorite. "Hello, James," she greeted, the butterflies in her stomach going wild.

James took in her apparel and grinned at her. Even when she wasn't trying one bit to be so, she was breathtaking. He held out the flowers. "For you, love."

Lily took the bouquet from him, leaning up on her tiptoes to reach him for a kiss. It was just a small peck. She would like to eat dinner before it got cold and knew that wouldn't happen if they started snogging in the door way. James moved further into the room and Lily locked the door behind him.

"I made dinner," she told him as he followed her into the kitchen. She motioned for him to have a seat while she rummaged for a vase.

James took in the "feast" before him. "You remembered that grilled cheese was my favorite," he commented, grinning.

Lily nodded as she continued her searching. "I know I have one-aha!" While she worked on putting the flowers in the vase, making them perfect, James decided he could be useful and started pouring the wine.

Lily set the flowers down on the table but didn't take her seat. She headed over to the fridge. "I got us dessert too," she announced, pulling out a plate of strawberries and a can of whipped cream. James grinned at her. "I figured we could take that to the bedroom though," she added with a twinkle in her eye. James merely nodded, trying to remain composed and not ravish her on the spot.

Lily finally made her way over to the table, taking a seat. She picked up the half full wine glass, raising it for a toast. "To us," she said.

"To us," James repeated, clinking his glass with hers. The two filled the air with conversations about their day. "Apparently, Sirius' goal is to get the motorcycle to fly, but there are some things he has to fix on it first. He's got a knack for…what do Muggles call it? When you work on cars and stuff?"

"Mechanical work," Lily answered.

"Yeah, that," James said. "He had to go buy a special book to help him figure out how to work on his bike and had to get a few Muggle tools but he was doing a good job at it."

Lily laughed. "Sirius would make a good mechanic," she agreed. "He's got the long hair and that smolder."

James chuckled, placing a napkin on his empty plate and pushing it forward. "I would keep that between us. Sirius already thinks very highly of himself and doesn't need anyone else stroking his ego."

Lily grinned at the man across from her. "Can do." She took another bit of her sandwich while James refilled their wine glasses. "Mr. Potter, are you trying to get me drunk?" the redhead asked. She was already feeling the alcohol work its magic.

"I wouldn't dream of such a thing, my dear," he said, handing her the glass. Lily sipped from it, relishing in the taste. She had always been fond of wine. The two continued their conversation as Lily finished her plate. When she pushed her empty plate away from her, James grinned. "What do you say we take this little rendezvous elsewhere?" James suggested wickedly. Lily nodded, feeling warm inside from the alcohol and the look James was giving her. "Good, I'll grab the wine, you can get the dessert."

Lily stood from her seat, swaying a bit and giggling. She blew out the candle and walked over to the fridge. She followed James to her bedroom. Once in the room, James set the wine and glasses down on the side table before grabbing the items in Lily's hand and arranging them next to their drinks. Lily situated herself on the bed, sitting against the headboard and pulling her knees to her chest. James sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing a strawberry and shaking the whipped cream can before spraying some on the fruit before holding in front of Lily's mouth. The redhead giggled before opening her mouth and allowing him to feed her the strawberry. She laughed as she felt the whipped cream on the side of her mouth which she licked off.

"My turn," Lily said, crawling behind James who was still perched on the edge of the bed. She reached past him and grabbed the whipped cream can. "Open wide," she instructed before tipping the can upside down and spraying it into James' mouth, giggling all the while. She tried to put the strawberry in his mouth but failed as she was laughing so hard. James finally managed to grab the strawberry from her and eat it while she continued her laughing fit. She was leaning against his shoulder and James found himself chuckling after he finished the strawberry.

"I think someone's a little drunk," he commented laughing.

"Who me?" Lily asked, feigning innocence. "I'm perfectly sober," she said before giggling.

"Uh huh," James said. "Lie down," he instructed.

Lily did as she was told. She watched, mesmerized as James pushed her shirt up and sprayed some whipped cream around her belly button before licking it off. Lily giggled as his tongue tickled her stomach.

"Mmm," James moaned. "You taste much better than any strawberry."

Lily grinned down at him. "Is that so?"

"Mhm," James insisted, nodding.

The two spent the rest of the night drinking and laughing. They licked whipped cream off each other as the rest of the strawberries went forgotten. They played and they made love. It was an amazing night, and after a few hours, Lily drifted off into a peaceful sleep, her body sore and exhausted from laughing and making love. James was wrapped around her and she snuggled her head into his chest.

Early in the morning, she felt James shifting beside her as she was placed on the bed. She opened her eyes and glanced over at him. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice laced with sleep.

"I've got to work," James whispered to her as he slipped into his jeans.

"But it's Saturday," Lily said, hugging the pillow to her chest.

"I know, but I volunteered to work today. We are a little understaffed." James finished buttoning up his shirt and walked over to Lily, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Lily nodded closing her eyes. James let himself out the front door.