Disclaimer: The world of Hogwarts and any recognisable characters, descriptions, scenarios etc, belong to JKR and the concept and some dialogues of the character Wicked Witch belong to the makers of Gossip Girl

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and putting an alert out and / or making it your favourite- really does mean a lot :D.

'How are we getting out of here?' Marlene groaned. The girls had tried every spell they knew to release them- but to no avail.

'Wait till someone comes this way and opens the door for us' Lily answered patiently. James noticed how neither girl wanted to meet the other's eyes, seemed like a common problematic scenario wasn't going to stir their friendship, an intervention may be necessary.

'Fine, HELP I'M STUCK IN A BROOM CLOSET WITH SOMEONE WHO SUCKS THE JOY OUT OF THE ROOM!' Marlene yelled loudly.

'Oh shut up!' Lily scoffed, 'you suck the air out the room!' Marlene ignored her, huffed and sat down in the other corner.

'This is ridiculous, everyone thinks I'm an adulteress and I'm stuck here with you while you quietly judge me'

'You brought that on yourself, and people don't think that you're an adulteress, they know. Also, I'd rather be anywhere but here too'.

'Better than being a convict' she snapped. 'I actually hate you' Marlene added quietly and Lily looked up. For the first time James saw hurt on her face. Unmasked raw hurt.

'You hate me?' she asked in a quiet voice, the vulnerability of it was carefully concealed but it was clear from her expressive eyes that she was on the verge of breaking, one would have to be heartless to reply a 'yes' to her question.

'No' Marlene said, not having looked up from her lap after her last comment, 'not even if I tried. I could never hate you', she was quiet for a moment and Lily sat up straighter to look at the vulnerable brunette in front of her. 'I was just mad at how right you were when you said I didn't have a moral compass…'

'Marlene don't…' Lily interjected only to be interrupted herself

'Don't, Lily, don't give me a heartwarming speech about how good a person I am; I'm not. I was so mad at you for being right'. She was tearing up by now. 'My brother found out and he told my mother, and she…she (Marlene paused to compose herself, it was emotional for her to speak of it), she threw me out'

'What? Where did you go?'

'I got the Knight Bus and went to the Leaky Cauldron and rented a room'.

'You should have come to me, you know I would have helped'

'I thought about it. But then I remembered what we said to each other and I thought against it. I couldn't stand the judgement of anyone. I wrote you a letter, I even carry it around sometimes wondering if we'd have been friends if I'd sent it off' Marlene said taking a crumpled up piece of paper put of her robes and began reading. 'Dear Lily, My world is falling apart. My family knows about the affair. They unanimously threw me out giving me only an hour to pack. I'm homeless, I have nowhere to go and no one willing to take care of me, I need you, I need my best friend, Love Marlene'. She sniffed as she wiped a tear that slowly tricked down her cheeks and Lily crawled over to hug her, holding her close and tight.

'Why didn't you send it?'

'Because, like you said earlier, I brought it on myself'

'Marlene, the worst thing you've ever done, the darkest thought you've ever had...I will stand by you through anything'.

The sincerity in her yes was frightening. The truth of her words was moving. And none of the boys knew they would never look at her like she was just another girl again. She was fiercely loyal and fiercely defensive. Traits that each of them valued above all others.

'Why?'

'Because, you're my best friend. And I love you. Marlene you're like my sister, and with our families, we need each other'

'And at the mention of families you have me thinking, didn't your politician grandfather or high profile mother manage to pull some strings to get you out of whatever it is you did to get into jail before anyone found out?'

'My grandfather was in France, and my mother was the one who threw me in there in the first place-' Lily started

'Come again? You're the mother? The one who'll do anything to protect her image? Lily the woman won't let you take the family car to King's Cross so people won't suspect that you're not at some boarding school in Switzerland!' Marlene exclaimed

'Well, I brought it on myself', Lily replied. Marlene looked at her friend questioningly. 'I found something. Something my mother didn't want anyone to know. She'd written letters to Dumbledore, telling him to have me taken out of Hogwarts because it was getting hard to explain to the non-magic people in our lives.'

'That's ridiculous'

'She offered him a pension in return for my expulsion'.

'Dumbledore said 'no' right?'

'Yeah he did, I wouldn't be here otherwise. I was so mad at her. I told her I was going to go to dad, he was in York at the time because his mother was ill and dad had always supported my magic- he didn't worry about society and that crap'

'So how did you end up in jail?'

'I called a taxi, it was supposed to take me to the train station and I was going to go to York from there, but on the way my mum called the police. She didn't want dad getting involved so she told them that I'd stolen her private letters that had confidential information I don't give mum enough credit, she took down all the information she could about the cab before calling the police'.

'A) Your mother seems ruthless. B) That's crazy, just because she didn't want to get in a fight with her husband? Surely she'd have to face him afterwards?'

'Actually no, mum has a lot of friends, really powerful friends, they were the ones that stopped the taxi over and brought me in. It's not going to go on my permanent record, I don't think dad still knows.'

'What happened after they pulled you over?'

'They went through my bag, found the letters addressed to my mum and took me in, half and hour later my mum and sister came to bail me out and to spite them I decided not to go with them…' Lily finished. She was smiling at how silly and childish her decision sounded

'You decided to spite your mother and sister by staying in a prison cell while they spent the night at their penthouse?'

'It wasn't my finest hour' Lily replied laughing at the incredulous look on Marlene's face and it wasn't long before the blue eyed beauty joined her green eyed best friend in the comic aspect of spiting parents.

'Who got you out?' Marlene asked, the sorrow that had masked her face while she'd her story had gone, the concern in her eyes upon Lily's story had disappeared, it was all replaced by a sparkle that since the beginning of term had been missing. It was obvious- these girls had painfully missed each other.

'My grandfather…he heard about it from mum as she ranted about how bad I was and he took the ferry to England the next morning and bailed me out around noon. My mum had told him that I had been doing drugs, so they sent me to some rehabilitation center in Calais. I was in solitary confinement for the rest of the summer and had to undergo counciling that I didn't need'.

'Cheerful.' Marlene smiled

'Did your parents or brother contact you afterwards?'

'Yeah, dad came looking for me a few weeks later. He said mum was willing to have me come back but I was grounded. I didn't have any better prospects and so I took the offer and spent the rest of the summer in the presence of painful patronisation and unwanted comments, it wasn't very nice but I wasn't in a position to ask for anything on the matter'

'Well my family congratulated me on being sober once summer was over, so it wasn't very pleasant playing along to it'.

'This is going to sound so petty but…did Snape know? About any of it?' Marlene asked slowly. Marlene and Snape had a very competitive relationship when it came to Lily. They always wanted to be the first to be confided in, the first to know anything about her.

'No, he knows nothing, no one knows anything' Lily said and Marlene's smile and A look of pure glee was etched on her face. 'My sister took it upon herself to file a restraining order against him so if he comes within a hundred feet of my house the muggle police will get him'

Marlene was laughing so hard she had trouble breathing and so were the boys for that matter. Anyone who knew about Lily Evans' magic hating sister hated her as deeply as she hated them, but suddenly the boys felt an overwhelming sense of respect for the horse-faced girl.

'I've never liked your sister, but that was pure genius' Marlene continued laughing and even Lily let a small laugh escape her lips.

'I think it's time we let them out' Remus said, he didn't want this to become an invasion of privacy. Peter nodded and began to get up but the other two boys showed no sign of moving. They were utterly mesmerised.

'James, Sirius. We can't listen in like that, it's wrong, we've done what we were asked to do' Peter reprimanded and Sirius was snapped out of his reverie and following a punch in the arm from Remus so was James.

Dinner would soon be coming to a close so they had to wrap up quickly. They walked by the closet making plenty of noise through loud conversation making it clear to the girls that there were potential rescuers outside. As they had predicted there was loud banging on the door with the unmistakable plea of 'Get us out of here' and being the kind foursome they were, they obliged.

Sirius opened the door and not expecting the sudden result Marlene ended up banging his chest with her fists and Lily who had been unwisely stood in the general direction of where the second door opened was hit in the forehead by it as James had pushed it open. So as the doors opened to reveal the girls the boys were greeted by a 'Sorry, Black' from Marlene and a loud 'Ouch' from Lily as she collided with the hard stone wall of the broom closet upon contact with the heavy door.

'Evans, are you okay?' Peter called as he came forward to help her up

'I'm fine yes, thank you' she said quickly regaining her composure in nanoseconds with a smile.

'I'm surprised the two of you are alive after being in a closet together', Remus said- he was the architect of deception. He knew exactly how to get the scent of the Marauders' trails grow cold so it was no surprise that every time they got made it was due to a hairline flaw in the plan not the clean up afterwards.

'Yes well, that's in the past now' Marlene said and she took Lily's arm and the girls went off towards the Gryffindor merrily, not a care in their world.

…

It was breakfast and James Potter who was usually a morning person was drowsy. It was worrying his friends and it was worrying him. James usually fell asleep easily but the night before he spent tossing and turning. He had some form of underlying irritation- something he wanted to be rid of but he had no idea what it was. It was as if the part of his brain the induced rational thought had disappeared. It was as if he needed to ponder over something very important and sort that out in his life but he didn't know what…

A howler flew in and he looked up with curiosity- morning post was not Wicked Witch's style…

'Wicked Witch here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Hogwarts' elite. Morning Hogwarts, I bet your wondering what Wicked Witch is doing up so early. Truth is I never went to bed why waste precious time dreaming when waking life is so much better. Spotted in a dusty closet: two princesses waving the white flag (the signature logo changed to reveal a picture of Marlene and Lily hugging. It was captioned 'Can a nation really have two crown princesses? We'll wait and see'). While these two hotties worked, a turn out a storm was brewing and as per usual I was there to investigate. Spotted: dark clouds hovering over the owlery as SA and LE go their separate ways. Turns out Aldringham doesn't date convicts (a different picture replaced Marlene and Lily's reconciliation. It was one of Sebastian and Lily in a love heart that was split in the middle representing the and of their nearly three year long relationship. It was captioned: Through thick and thin? Sure. If they can't make it, is there any chance for us mere mortals?). You win some you lose some, eh L? But prison or no prison, there are plenty willing to overlook that inconvenience L, just don't make Lonely Boy your new beau, the fabulous seem more your type. And who am I? That's a secret I'll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO Wicked Witch'

So Evans was available, as was Aldringham. It was a good day for the closet lovers of the two elites.

…

It was lunchtime and James was in the library. He'd decided to skip lunch opting for four cups of black coffee instead, he needed to finish the research for becoming animagi, it was a crucial project and they could not afford mistakes but the pressure was too much. With his growing panic that they would never get the transfiguration right, the approaching OWLs, and his lack of sleep. It was too much and he sighed in frustration cradling his head between his elbows on the hard wooden library table. He looked up and noticed her…he had been since last night.

He didn't know her at all and it annoyed him with himself at that fact. She was more like him than he had known. What she had said to Marlene the night before about standing by her best friend- it had moved him. It had taken him back to second year when he and his friends had discovered Remus' secret and that night when Remus had confided in James every thought that he had when under the influence of the full moon. 'I feel a need to kill' Remus had said- his face had been blotched with tears and his eyes red. James remembered using almost the exact same words: 'you're the best person I know. Not even a curse such as this can make you a monster, and whatever thought, whatever urge you have, I will never judge you on it. And I will stand by you through it- whatever it takes Remus we'll do it'.

Her red hair was tied back into a ponytail, her eyes were moving as she read the charms book probably writing the essay that had been set earlier today. Why wasn't she at lunch? She was pretty he noticed- very pretty. And available. A voice called in the back of his mind and he shook himself. No girls, no. No distractions. He looked down at the collection of books he had open before him- staring at them praying something went in, but to no avail. He glanced back up. He'd had many flings. Many girls. But none were like her. Admittedly she had been exclusive to Aldringham and now James finally saw what was so special in her that kept a very well known pureblooded wizard coming back to her.

She was composed; her face never betrayed anything. Her eyes however were expressive. They told stories. He hair was vibrant- it begged attention. Her features individually could be classified as nothing out of the norm but together the overall look of her was so likeable and…appealing? He shook himself again. Blaming his distracted thought process on the coffee. But despite himself looked up again to study the unique person sat not too far away from him. Not only did she have looks, but brains as well. It was a lethal combination. And besides all of that she had background. He'd known that for a while though. The boys had dedicated the summer before fourth year to stalking Snape. They had found him entering the Ritz, London. Remus being halfblooded knew of the muggle lifestyle and told them about how the Ritz was a place for the rich and the glamorous- everything that Snape was obviously not. So they had gone in to investigate and it had been revealed that Evans' family had been staying there, something about their penthouse being refurbished. Her father was a doctor- the muggle equivalent of a healer and her mother was, in search for a better word, a trophy wife. Someone who was known for two things- the money of her father (a political figure who was now retired in Calais, France) and the money of her husband. She had a sister- someone who hated magic but had also passed a restraining order against Snivellus. Petunia Evans was conniving and a selfish, self-righteous genius. Had she been magic, she would have fit right in with the mean girls. Lily Evans however- seemed a breadth of fresh air in that respect.

Absentmindedly he doodled LE on his parchment, glancing up to look at her every now and then, unaware to the scowling gaze upon him from a black-haired boy from behind a bookshelf…

Yay! So now we're FINALLY getting on track to the fun part where the LJ love/hate relationship starts!

Caz: To be honest, I haven't actually thought that far ahead. But now that you've mentioned it I'll certainly try and work other pairings into this- fact is I'm literally developing th character profiles as I go along, when I began writing this all I'd thought about were the names

Thank you for reading. Review!

PS: I really need constructive feedback- the whole point of this fanfic is for me to try and develop my writing skills and try and entertain. Anything would be great!