A/N: So, yeah, here's Chapter 4
"Two Muggles found dead." Lily read aloud from that day's Daily Prophet. She was sitting next to James, her cornflakes going soggy in her forgotten bowl of breakfast as she read the tragedy of the day to the rest of their friends."That's just great." she said, sighing and folding up the newspaper.
James rubbed her back, "I know."
"God, do they have nothing better to do?" Lily said, resting her elbows on the table and placing her chin in her hands.
"Please," said Sirius, "if they did, we wouldn't know about it; the Ministry spends half of their working hours ensuring nothing too harsh somehow leaks into the Prophet and tarnishes the safety and happiness of the ever wonderful environment." He was sitting across from them next to Amalthea, with Peter and Remus on either side of them.
"We're practically in the middle of a war and they still refuse to acknowledge it." Lily said crossly.
"They're scared; there's never been a threat as great as Voldemort before," Remus said, reaching for more bacon.
"Well, I mean, it's not as though nothing is being done. There's the Order-" James tried to comfort her but was promptly cut off.
"The Order," Lily said, the faintest hint of a sneer mingling with her anger, "Comprised of a bunch of seventeen-year-olds and Dumbledore, yeah that's really comforting." she got up, slung her bag-strap over her shoulder and gave them some excuse about getting to class early.
James and Sirius shared a sad look which James knew he was receiving from the rest of the Marauders as well, then looking in the direction Lily was walking away in, he got up and said "I should probably..."
"Yep." Peter said, looking into his bowl of porridge.
"Hey! Lily! Hey!" James hurried to catch up with her as she had already made her way into the Entrance Hall which was deserted.
"James..." she said, and he thought he detected the faintest shimmer of tears in her eyes. It killed him to see her so upset, he knew her for the strong, fierce girl that he had fallen in love with and when she cried all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and hold her until she was better, and at that moment he did just that, pressing his cheek to her hair, he breathed in the lavender scent of it. Her body was stiff but relaxed slightly as he hugged her.
"It's just," she said, her voice muffled against his shirt and he pulled away, holding her at arm's length and looking her in the eyes, "It's a war, you know? And I don't know how many people we're going to lose and what if...if we're part of those, and I'm worried about my parents and-" she gave a unsteady, humourless laugh "-this stupid essay for Flitwick, which doesn't even compare to all the other stuff but-"
"I know, okay? I get it, but, we're...I mean we're going to be okay, and we're going to fight and I'm not going to let anything happen to you, or your parents," he held her face in his hands, "And the essay...I can help you with it, really, don't let it worry you." he kissed her forehead, but as sweet and innocent as the act had been, his heart hammered.
"Okay," she breathed, and she wrapped her own arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest.
"And Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"It's Saturday, you don't have class." She laughed and then, slowly, she transferred her arms from around his waist to around his neck and kissed him.
Fireworks and stars and lights danced around in James' head as they kissed, it was different to their first two, longer and deeper. James put his hands on her waist as her own pulled his neck down urgently and then, suddenly, she just stopped, her head turning quickly to their left where the open door leading into the Great Hall still filled with students, stood. He followed her eyes and saw him standing there. Snape.
James' eyes narrowed as Lily's ex-best-friend gave them both a look of deepest loathing.
"Mudblood and Pure-blood," he sneered, "You both disgust me." James' body tensed as he made to grab his wand, but Lily acted quickly, placing her hand on his.
"Don't," she pleaded quietly, "He's not worth it."
"Is that what you think," Snape said, taking a step towards them, his own hand reaching into his pocket for his wand which he pointed at them, James mirrored his action and pointed his own wand at Snape.
"Snape, Potter, Evans!" came a sharp voice from the staircase, James turned his head slightly and almost sighed with relief when he saw it belonged to Professor McGonagall, "Would you care to explain what exactly it is that you are doing?" she started descending the stairs.
"I-nothing, nothing, really, Professor, it's nothing," Lily told her.
"Mr Snape? What is it you are doing with your wand out?" she ignored her.
"Nothing." he glared up at her.
"10 Points from Slytherin and Gryffindor," McGonagall said, and several rubies and emeralds flew upwards, respectively from Gryffindor and Slytherin in the hourglasses behind her.
"What? No but-" James exclaimed angrily.
"No buts, Mr Potter, fighting is not permitted in this school, and as clearly evident, the two of you were about to commence just that."
James angrily shoved his wand back into his pocket, "Fine, but when someone realises that there is a war going on, fighting won't seem such a big problem." He grabbed Lily's hand and together they marched up the stairs, passing McGonagall and leaving Snape glaring at them.
A few minutes later they were back in the Gryffindor Common Room, sitting on one of the couches in front of the fire.
"I hate Snape. And I hate McGonagall." Lily said, breaking the silence that had been growing louder.
"Forget them." James turned to face Lily, "We were having such a good time before them." he twirled a strand of hair in his fingers.
She smiled slightly but continued, "It's just...it's been two years and the sight of him still makes me want to hurl hexes at him."
"Well, I'd have to say he deserves it. I mean, he called you a...a-" James couldn't bring himself to say it.
"I never thought it mattered that much to him, I mean I knew he thought about it a lot but...it's quite hypocritical of him to be honest."
"What?"
"Well, he acts like he's all Pure-blooded-" James tried to protest but Lily continued, "he's a half-blood. It doesn't mean anything, it doesn't matter, but technically speaking he is."
"Are you serious?" James asked, shocked. He had never properly considered Severus Snape but he had always imagined him as a Pure-blood, the way he acted.
"It doesn't matter." Lily told him firmly.
"Yeah, you're right." James replied, but stored the information away for safekeeping.
"What were you saying about...before them." Lily turned so that she was face-to-face with James and put her hand on his shoulder.
James smirked, "Why, Miss Evans, I do believe you wish to kiss me."
"Oh shut up," she laughed and James thought he could almost feel himself falling more in love with her and he leaned forward and then they were kissing.
His hands tangled in her soft, lavender-smelling hair as both of hers gripped the base of his neck.
"All right, that's enough," came Sirius's voice. For the second time that day, James was forced to break away from Lily and his anger showed as he glared at his best friend.
"I hate you," he said, as Sirius plopped himself down between James and Lily.
"Lily, dorm, now." Amalthea said pulling Lily up off the couch by her wrist.
"Is what Prongs wants to say to Evans." Sirius said, roughly messing up James' hair.
"Tosser," James said, shoving Sirius off the couch. As Lily and Amalthea headed off to the girls' dormitories, Peter and Remus settled themselves onto the carpet in front of the fire.
"Full moon tonight-" Remus said.
James groaned inwardly, "Yeah, right, I'll be there."
"-Actually I was going to say that you could stay with Lily if you wanted to,"
"Wait, what?" James sat up.
"Yeah, I know you two need some time to be together, what with all the work and interruptions-" everyone looked at Sirius "and, honestly I would be okay with it if you skipped tonight."
"But-Moony are you sure?" James asked.
"Absolutely, in fact you're not allowed to come," Remus smiled.
"Oh I could kiss you!" James said laughing.
"Please don't." Remus and the rest of the Marauders laughed.
"Yeah save that for Lily!" Peter gasped.
"Oh you know it." James said and stretched out on the couch, his heart light at the prospect of spending the evening with Lily.
"Okay, now I'll just read through it and then we're free to do whatever we like," James said, taking Lily's completed Charms essay. They were sitting in the Library. It was 8:00PM and the other three Marauders had left about two hours ago for the Shrieking Shack.
Lily sat, playing with the feather of her quill as James read her essay. She kept glancing at him, revelling in how lucky she was to have such an amazing boyfriend. His jet black hair was messy as always and shining from the light of the small lantern on the desk they were working at. His hazel eyes scanned over Lily's small, neat handwriting. They were holding hands under the table and Lily loved the feeling of his rough skin against her own. She leaned over and kissed him playfully on the cheek.
"Stop," he said smiling and glancing at her.
"Are you sure that's what you meant?" she said as she brushed the soft tip of her quill down the side of his neck and she felt his hand tighten around hers.
He tossed the essay onto the desk and said "There's always Sunday." then turned and kissed Lily, his third attempt of the day was, predictably, interrupted.
"Out!" Madam Pince said unorthodoxly loudly as she appeared, almost out of thin air, behind them. They stuffed their books into their bags and then, grabbing Lily's hand, James almost ran out of the Library.
Together they ran, for no real reason, through corridor after corridor until they reached one they knew to be usually deserted and James tried, for the fourth time that day to kiss Lily, and at long last they had no interruptions; no Snape, no Sirius and no Madam Pince.
James pulled Lily closer to himself as her hands pulled softly but urgently through his hair and made the welcome change from himself messing it up. He felt her mouth against his; her small, warm mouth which was fighting to establish dominance over his as his tongue traced her bottom lip and his heart tried to beat itself out of his ribcage. They took 2 second breaks in which to breathe, those two seconds felt more like 2 hours which were then desperately ended with the clash of mouth against mouth.
James pushed Lily against a tapestry, pinning her arms to her sides, he kissed her neck as her breathing quickened and ended on a gasp when his teeth grazed her. She slipped her arms out from his and switched their positions so that he was the one pressed against the wall and she was kissing the place his jaw met his neck.
"You're amazing." he breathed.
"I know." she said softly, smiling mischievously, then she kissed him on the ear and slipped her hand into his. Recognising this as the end of their time, James leant to pick up his bag and then, together, they walked back to their dorm together, satisfied with the night's events, talking lightly about things that didn't matter but knowing, deep in their hearts, that things wouldn't always be this way.
