A/N: First off, thanks to everyone that reviewed. And for any of you that read my other two stories (sorry for the plug, I couldn't help it) I've jsut started my PN (practical nurse) classes, so my updates will be less often. But, I'm writing on my breaks and lunch, so we'll see what happens. Anyway, enough rambling - on with chapter 2!

A Fast Embrace

When the Pensieve stopped swirling, Harry found himself at the top of the Marble Staircase at Hogwarts, with Ron and Hermione right next to him. He knew this was his mother's memory, but where was she?

And then they saw her; Lily was storming up the stairs in what appeared to be a raging temper. Her dazzling green eyes, identical to Harry's, were fill with a fire that plainly told everyone to back off, and her billowing dark red hair made it seem as though she was on fire. She looked about the same age as she did the last time Harry had seen her in a Pensieve.

As she reached the top of the stairs, Harry heard a another girl call out to her. "Lily! Lily, come back here!"

They turned to see who it was, and Harry was slightly surprised to see that it was Acelin, followed closely by a girl with blonde hair that looked oddly familiar to Harry, running up the stairs. It was then that Harry realized that Ron and Hermione had no idea who Acelin was.

"By the way," Harry said as he turned to Ron and Hermione. "The girl with the dark hair was the one we heard talking to Lupin. They were the ones who brought me to Grimmauld Place." A look of understanding dawned on Ron's face and Hermione nodded as though she already knew. How she could have possibly known was beyond Harry, but then again, there was a reason why she was the brightest witch their age.

Finally, the girls caught up with Lily. "What was that all about?" asked Acelin.

"What d'you mean?" said Lily, who looked as though she were headed to Gryffindor Tower.

"You know very well what she means?" said the blonde girl. "You, the Marauders, the yelling. Ring any bells?"

Lily didn't respond. That was when it hit Harry...the memory that they were witnessing now must have happened right after Snape's memory that Harry had seen over a year ago.

As they followed the three girls through the castle, Harry said, "Do you guys really want to know why Snape stopped giving me Occlumency lessons?"

Hermione looked at him sharply. "You said that Snape thought you had the basics and that you could carry on by yourself." she said accusingly.

"Not exactly." Harry told Ron and Hermione exactly what he had seen in Snape's memory. Ron looked a little taken aback while Hermione looked thoughtful.

"So that's why you wanted to talk to Sirius afterwards. To talk to him about what you had seen?"

Harry nodded.

By now, the three girls were had reached the Fat Lady. Lily hurriedly gave the password and they scrambled thought the portrait hole. Lily glance around the half filled common room before crossing to sit in one of the armchairs by the fireplace so that her back was to the portrait hole. She put her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples as her friends sat opposite her.

They were silent for a few minutes before Lily muttered, "Why is he always doing that?"

Hermione tried to suppress a laugh.

"Are you talking about the fact that he was picking on Snape or the fact that he was hitting on you?"

"Both," she replied as she looked at her friends. "And is it just me or did he look like a complete idiot when he was playing with that Snitch?"

Acelin and the blonde took one look at each other before they started to laugh – Hermione with them.

"What's so funny?" asked Lily, looking at her friends disbelievingly. His mother had taken the words right out of Harry's mouth – he was about to ask Hermione the same.

"Don't you see what he's trying to do?" asked Acelin

"No,"

"Oh, isn't obvious, Lil? He's just trying to impress you," said the blonde as Acelin nodded in agreement.

"Come off it, Dorcas, he was just showing off – as usual." said Lily darkly.

With a pang in his gut, Harry realized why this blonde girl – Dorcas, his mother said – looked so familiar. She had been in the photograph of the Order of the Phoenix that Moody had showed him two summers ago. He had said that she was murdered by Voldemort.

"Let's go to our dorm and finish this," said Acelin quietly, looking towards the portrait hole. Lily, along with the unseen trio, turned to see the fifteen year old versions of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew come into the common room. Ron looked from the fifteen year old James, to Harry, and back.

"You do look like your dad, mate."

Harry didn't know what to say, so he just smiled slightly as they continued to watch. He noticed that his parents make eye contact very briefly before Lily abruptly stood up and made her way to the spiral staircase that Harry knew led to the girls' dormitories.

They saw James take long strides to catch up with Lily, and when he finally did, Lily was on the second stair of the girls' staircase, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him.

"Evans–"

"I don't want to talk to you, Potter," she cut him off as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

"Oh, c'mon Evans, why are you being so difficult?" James asked.

"Me! You're the one who can't take the bloody hint!"

She turned to leave, but James stepped onto the spiral staircase. Just as Harry knew it would, the staircase turned into a stone slide. This didn't have much of an effect on James as he was only on the first stair. But Lily, who by now was on the fifth stair, lost her balance and nearly tumbled down the flight of stairs. But, at the last second, James caught her as she clung onto the front of his robes.

For a second, it looked as though Lily and James had both forgotten about their argument that occurred earlier that day. They were looking deep into each other's eyes, their faces mere inches apart.

But the moment was short lived. Lily shook her head slightly and pushed a slightly smirking James away from her.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Potter," said Lily coldly before she nearly ran up the spiral staircase.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Lily to her dorm. She threw herself onto her bed, pulled a pillow over her head and screamed, though it was muffled.

Harry and Ron looked very confused. Hermione rolled her eyes and explained, "Screaming into a pillow is great for stress relief."

After she had finished her venting, Acelin and Dorcas came into the dormitory and sat on the edge of Lily's bed. Suddenly, Lily sat up, letting the pillow fall into her lap.

"What is the matter with him?" Lily said in exasperation. "Can't he see that I don't like him?"

"I wouldn't be too hard on him, Lil. He really does like you." said Dorcas quietly.

"Oh c'mon, don't make me feel bad." said Lily.

"Let's talk about something else," said Acelin. "Have you heard from your parents lately?"

"Oh, yes!" said Lily, sounding falsely enthusiastic. "I got a letter from my mum this morning. She says that Petunia's complete moron of a boyfriend proposed to her last night, so they'll be getting married. Isn't that wonderful!"

Harry could help but laugh at his mother's attitude towards his uncle.

"You must be joking!" said Acelin.

"I wish I was," said Lily sadly. "And Mum didn't come out and say it, but she hinted that she wants me to be one of the bridesmaids."

"Oh, and I'm sure that'll go over real great with your sister." Dorcas said sarcastically.

Lily snorted. "Petunia and I haven't had a civil conversation in nearly six years. I'll be lucky to even be invited. I'm sorry, did I say lucky? I mean I'll be unlucky if I'm invited."

"So when is this big wedding going to happen?" asked Acelin.

"Mum said that Petunia wants to have a 'long engagement' so I have no idea." Lily was silent for a few before she continued. "You guys have to promise me something."

"What?" asked both Acelin and Dorcas.

"One or both of you guys have to come with me when Petunia get married to make sure I don't do something stupid."

"Like what?" Dorcas asked.

"Like start throwing hexes at my darling sister in front of her Muggle guests the first time she calls me a freak."

"We promise," Dorcas replied and Acelin nodded.

"But," said Acelin, a smile creeping on her face, "I'm sure that if you did want to hex your sister, you could always ask James for some good ones."

Lily hit Acelin upside the head with her pillow before the three girls started laughing uncontrollably just as the memory started to fade.