* * * * * * * * * * * * CHAPTER 3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

*

~ Several weeks later ~

The four marauders were socializing in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius was joking around with Remus and Peter, but James seemed distant. He, of course, was thinking of Lily.

Sirius elbowed him. " James, I'm sick of you moping about like this. Just stop it, already! "

James scowled. " Well, what do you want me to do about it? "

Sirius knocked on James' head. " James, I'm going to say this slowly so you can clearly understand every...word...I...say. Make...your...MOVE! "

" But-but I can't! " James stuttered.

" Why ever not? " Peter asked.

" Oh, yeah, Peter, I know how much experience you've had with that sort of thing," James said, rolling his eyes.

Peter grinned sheepishly. " Well, I was only trying to help. And I do happen to have some experience with that sort of thing..."

Sirius, James and Remus laughed.

" Peter, " said Sirius, " Is there something- or someone -that you're not telling us about? " he grinned.

Peter hastily changed the subject. " James, you never answered my question, " he whined.

" Yeah, Prongs, why can't you make your move? " Sirius asked.

James lowered his head. " 'Cause I think Lily likes Snape, that's why! "

" And what evidence do you have that gives you that impression? " asked Remus. " It's true that there is an undeniable friendship building between them, but nothing more. At least, for Lily, " he smiled. " Although I do believe that Snape likes her more than a friend..."

" Who wouldn't? " James said in despair.

" James, " said Sirius. " Stop being an idiot. "

" Listen, " Remus began, " The next Hogsmeade visit is in a few days. Why don't you ask her to go with you? "

" Why that's a marvelous idea! " Sirius shouted, jumping up and down with glee.

" Thanks, Moony, you've given me the perfect excuse to invite Pamela to go with me! "

Remus laughed. " Pamela...isn't she that fifth year Ravenclaw you're always talking to in the hall? The one with the long, blonde hair and deep blue eyes? "

" Yup! " Sirius said happily, his answer sounding more like a cheerful bark than a word. " And she's the most beautiful girl I've ever known..." he said, with a dreamy look. " And she's madly in love with me, " Sirius continued. " She just doesn't know it, yet! "

" Well, " James said. " If Sirius and I are taking someone, maybe Peter and Remus could take someone, too. Then we'd all have more fun! " he suggested.

" Oh, well...I, uh..." Remus stammered.

" Ooohhhh, no, " Sirius said. " You're not going to back out of this one. It's still three weeks until the next full moon, so you have no excuse this time! "

" But- "

" No! I don't want to hear it, Moony! " Sirius said before Remus had a chance to speak. " Now, let's see...I bet I know who you'd like to ask! Mirabelle DeLesois! "

Remus blushed and said, " Well, I should have known that I couldn't hide it from you, Padfoot. But what if she turns me down? She's so incredibly beautiful..."

James grinned. " Now who's having doubts? "

Sirius shook his head. " With that kind of mindset, you'll never get any girl. That's what I'm here for, " Sirius said slyly. " To help you..."

Remus turned pale. " No, no, that's quite alright! I'll do it myself. "

" Well, what about me? " Peter asked. " I can't ask anyone! "

" What happened to your ' experience ' , Peter? " They all chuckled.

" Hmmmm...Why don't you ask Julia? " Remus suggested helpfully.

" Julia? But we're just friends...No, no, it would be too strange. Why don't you guys just go...I have some-uh-things to catch up on... " Peter left the room and headed toward the library.

" What was that all about? " James questioned Remus and Sirius.

" I don't know, " Sirius said. " But I've noticed that he's been growing more distant lately. Very jumpy, distracted...I can't figure it out. He's changed a lot, this year. "

*********************************************************

James stumbled into potions class. He was late again! " If only the dungeon wasn't so far away, " he grumbled to himself. Not paying attention to where he was going, he ran head on into Lily, causing their books to scatter on the floor.

" Oh, Lily, " James said. " I am so sorry! I wasn't paying attention - here, let me help-"

" Don't worry about it, James, " Lily winked. " I crash into people all the time. On a daily basis, actually... "

After they had finished gathering their books, James said, " Lily, I have something to ask you. "

Lily raised her eyebrows questioningly.

" Well, you see, " James began. " The next Hogsmeade trip is coming up soon, and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. "

Lily's face lit up. " Sure, James, " she said. " I'd love to. "

James smiled and felt as if he'd just won the Quidditch World Cup.

Lily sat down in her seat next to Severus. She took out her ingredients and started to hum.

" What are you so happy about? " Severus scowled.

" Oh, nothing, " Lily smiled as if she was concealing a secret. " Today's just been a good day, that's all. "

Severus knew that she wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't pursue the subject further. He did notice, however, that Lily kept glancing over at James.

But as they began to start making their potion, everything seemed normal. Lily engaged Severus in an extremely funny story about her sister's hatred of magic, and how Lily " accidentally " bewitched Petunia's shoes to make them dance uncontrollably while on her feet. This made even Severus laugh, which was a very rare occasion.

Meanwhile, James' jealousy was building by the minute, and, of course, Sirius noticed; hardly anything escaped his eye. Sirius caught James' attention and whispered a plan to him that he had just devised to get back at Snape.

As Lily was crushing her beatles while talking to Severus, their potion made a loud popping noise. They both cautiously leaned over the potion. Without warning, the potion exploded. Severus managed to sheild himself and Lily behind his cloak, but some of the potion spilled on Lily's hands.

James saw what had happened and whispered harshly to Sirius, " You weren't supposed to hurt Lily! "

Sirius shrugged. " Sorry, " he said. " I didn't know that it would explode that violently! "

" Well, at least the potion was at its weak stage. I better get the Professor. "

The potions master was inconveniently out of the room, however, so James left to find him. The other students didn't pay to much attention to the accident, though, because an even larger distraction presented itself. Peter's cauldron had somehow begun to shrink, and most of his classmates were afraid that in trying to fix it, he would destroy their cauldrons as well. Everything was out of control.

Lily was crouched on the floor, clutching her burned hands in pain. Severus sat down next to her, looking very concerned. Through closed eyes and clenched teeth, she heard him speak.

" Lily, " he said in the softest and most soothing voice she had ever heard, " Let me see your hands. "

She slowly opened up her charred hands and held them out to Severus. He took them into his own hands as gently as he could and examined them. They looked so delicate, so small compared to his. When I get my hands on Potter and Black, he growled in his thoughts, they'll wish that they'd never been born...

Severus raised his wand over Lily's hands and whispered something. Instantly, her hands began to heal. Lily flexed her fingers slightly; they were no longer in pain. She looked up at Severus and saw something in his face that she had never seen before. Still clutching her small hand, he brought it to his lips and softly kissed the open palm. Lily looked into his eyes. Those deep, black spirals of nothing, and yet everything, consumed her world; everything seemed to swirl around into nothingness. She saw a distant longing in Severus' eyes. Their faces drew closer as if drawn together by some unknown force.

Suddenly, a voice broke the connection. James' voice was heard vaguely through Lily's clouded mind.

" Lily! Where are you? "

Lily slowly rose from the floor. " I'm right here, James, " she said. " Is everything alright? "

" That's what I was about to ask you, " James said, a worried expression on his face. " Professor Sinsortian gave me permission to help you to the hospital wing, and I- "

" There will be no need for that, Potter, " Snape said, getting up from the ground. " I've already performed a simple healing spell, and as you can see, it has worked perfectly. No thanks to you, " he added.

James looked down at Lily's smooth hands, not a single scratch in sight. " Well-" he stammered. " I think that she should still go to the hospital wing, just as a precaution."

"All right, then, if you feel that strongly about it," Snape sneered. "Come on, Lily, let's go to the hospital wing."

"No!" cried James, his anger building. " The professor gave me permission to take her, not a greasy git like you. Let's go, Lily."

But Lily looked angrier than both of them. " What, I'm so helpless that I can't even walk to the hospital wing on my own? Is that it?!" she fumed. "You two think I'm so defenseless that I have to have a big strong man around to constantly protect me? Not that either of you would qualify." She rolled her eyes disgustedly, growing more livid. "Well, when you two are done arguing, which will probably be sometime after Christmas, don't wait around to escort me to the Great Hall!" She stalked out of the room, a whirlwind of fiery red hair and flowing robes.

"Now look what you've done!" shouted Severus and James at the same time. They stared venemously at each other for a moment, then, too angry for words, left in opposite directions, hate written plainly upon their faces.