Chapter 4: The Return.

James was sprawled out across the couch in the common room. As with any normal Sunday, he was just bored, and he didn't want to do anything. But then he heard the portrait door opening.

Before he could even see who it was, Alice and Mary had surrounded who ever it was and were screaming until everyone in the common room had their ears ringing.

Sirius quickly sat up from the left side of James. "Wuzgoinon?"

"I dunno. It looks like a friend showed up." Then James nearly choked on his butterbeer.

Sirius thumped him on the back. When James stopped coughing Sirius looked at him. "Why'd you choke?"

"I think Evans came back from her vacation."

Remus nearly choked on his own cup of butterbeer. "She's back?!"

Peter stood up from the couch. "Yeah, she's back Moony. Evans is talking to Johnstone and Prewett right now." Peter coughed for a moment then continued. "Prongs, it doesn't look like she had a very good vacation; she looks awful."

James got up from the couch, and looked at Lily. Peter was right. Her hair looked detached from her usually happy face, as Lily looked sad and worn. The dark red mass cascaded down her body, nearly past her knees. She seemed to be shaking like a cold puppy. Lily was also as white as a sheet and she looked smaller and more delicate. Even her eyes were different, as the orbs didn't sparkle with happiness. The green eyes only held sadness and pain.

James kept himself from running over to her to see what was wrong. She looked sick and tired and weak. It took all the strength he could muster to stop James Potter from crying at the sight of her.

James turned around to look at his friends. Remus was on the verge of tears, looking like he just dived into misery at the sight of Lily. Sirius just looked shocked, probably wondering what could have happened to make tough Lily look this distraught. Peter had already looked down at his school work, trying to busy himself so he wouldn't feel too bad for Lily.

James sat back down on the couch knowing fully well that something more had happened to Lily, more than what Dumbledore was telling, anyways.

Sirius and Remus bent over their school work, just as Peter had done. James did the same. They were all trying to forget the sickening picture of Lily clambering through the portrait door. But Lily had other ideas.

"Well, well. I never thought I'd see the day when all of the Marauders would be busy with school work. No Slytherins to torment today?" Lily bent down in front of James so that he had to look up at her.

"None that deserve it. But I'd really rather not give up my title of Head Boy. I'm quite attached to that excellent bathroom. Of course with me as Head Boy and you as Head Girl, no one should cause much trouble right?" James stared her strait in the eye.

"Very true but I'm still surprised. You've seem to have change over the course of this year. I must say I'm quite pleased to see that your enormous head has deflated quite a bit." Lily smiled. James noticed that her hair seemed to fit Lily quite well again, like she had never looked sad or weak.

"Well Evans I was wondering if you would tell me why Dumbledore sent you away. It doesn't seem like you needed the vacation." James looked at her. He might have been acting funny but it was a way to find out if she was okay.

"Oh believe me I did. And it helped a lot." Then Lily stiffened, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don't ask me any questions or I will hex you. I'm not afraid to get in trouble just for causing a small disturbance." Lily spun on her heal, and walked up to her dormitory.

Sirius blinked then returned to his Potions homework. "Good luck getting her Prongs. She is a difficult one." Sirius flipped through his Potions book, not really giving it much thought. "Hey do you lot know what would be a good antidote for most poisons?"

Without missing a beat, Remus answered his question. "Yes a bezoar. It protects people from most poisons. Wait, did I just give you the answer Padfoot?"

"Why yes you did my jolly good friend." Sirius said while writing down what Remus had just said. "Is that with an 'A-O-R' or an 'O-A-R'?"

"'O-A-R' and stop asking me questions and do the work yourself." Remus snapped.

"Oh testy are we?" Sirius sneered, wondering what was wrong.

Before Sirius could cause a lot of trouble, James butted in. "What's up Moony? The full moon isn't for another two weeks."

Remus looked up at his friend. Then he sighed stating, "I don't know. Something about Evans is bothering me. Like she's hiding something big. Something important."

James looked at his friend again. Then he realized something really was up with Lily. She seemed worried over something that she couldn't tell the Marauders. And more importantly, James himself.

James made a vow to find out what was going on.