Christmas came and went, and before Lily knew it, it was Valentine's Day. James had an annual tradition of annoying Lily was that she'd have though possible, and she was slightly disappointed to find that he had not given up on it yet.
"Lilykins please go out with me," he begged at breakfast – seventeen times. Then he charmed a small cloud to follow her around and shower her with pink confetti, and no-one could find a counter-spell, and worse, the confetti fell in her cauldron during potions, causing her love-potion to explode and shower the entire class in the potion.
However Lily did find it rather funny when Sirius and James began fighting over her, and she was surprised at how good a kisser Remus was, when he fought through the crowd and kissed her passionately against the wall before Professor Slughorn managed to hand out the remedy.
James was looking severely miffed that Remus had got to kiss Lily and he hadn't.
Lunchtime was another haze of "Lily, please go out with me", the more commanding "Go out with me Evans" and, Lily's personal favourite, the "Come on Lily, how can you resist this?" which was followed by the usual 'sexy' dance.
"Quite easily," smirked Lily, stalking off with Emma and Jenni to the library, confetti still falling lightly around her. She ignored the girls who were trying to put sickles in James's back pocket.
The three girls had been in the library for perhaps only ten minutes, when Alex ran in, looking flustered.
"So…" she said, trying to keep calm, "What's up?"
"What happened?" asked Jenni, expecting her to say that cute Ravenclaw had spoken to her again.
"I'm getting married."
"What?" yelled Jenni, aghast, "Are you kidding?"
"No," said Alex with a frown, "I'm not – are you not happy for me?"
"Well yes," said Emma slowly, "I mean your boyfriend Michael is totally wonderful."
Lily and Jenni joined in, saying they all though Michael was sophisticated and handsome and lovable and smart.
"It's just…" continued Emma, "Aren't you kind of young? I mean you're just seventeen, and Michael is only eighteen himself."
"Yeah, what about all your exams coming up and everything?" asked Lily.
"Yeah, that's the other thing…" paused Alex uncomfortably, "I'm dropping out of school."
"What!" yelled Jenni, earning a loud 'shush' from Madame Pince, "No way Alex, you can't leave!"
"Yeah Alex, how could you even think of leaving?" asked Emma, thoroughly shocked.
"Well… I mean I know I won't be getting married for nearly another year yet, but still it's stupid to be married and still in school! And anyway, I'm not as smart as the rest of you; I have no guarantee of passing my exams like the rest of you! And away Michael's dad has been looking about and found me a job that I think I'd be really good at – it's for a shop!"
"A shop?" asked Lily cynically, "You can't work in a shop Alex."
Alex gave a small cough, "As I was saying, it's for a shop – the head office of the chain stores 'Quality Quidditch supplies'!"
"Oh wow," broke in Jenni, "If you get a discount can I use it?" She quailed under the glare Emma and Lily gave her, "I mean are you sure you've thought this through?"
"Yes," insisted Alex, "I mean we've been going out for three years, plus he has a good job at the Ministry, and he could get a promotion any day now because he's doing so well. He's been planning this for months, and he knows what he's doing – I know what I'm doing too."
Lily sighed, knowing that Alex was really leaving, "Well you guys are absolutely wonderful together – and Michael is the sweetest guy in the world and he adores you and spoils you rotten."
"And we know how much you care about him too," agreed Jenni.
"Even if you are young, you're really mature for your age," conceded Emma, "Unlike some people," she stared at Jenni.
"What?" asked Jenni, pretending Emma had hurt her feelings.
"Potter and Black are rubbing off on you," said Lily, pulling a face.
"So it's back to surnames now is it?" asked James, coming up behind the girls, the other three Marauders behind him. "Is it Evans?"
"No James, force of habit," said Lily, "Now will you stop this damn confetti before I swallow it?"
"Say it more erotically," grinned James.
Lily whipped out her wand, "Confetti away James, or there will be hell to pay – and never ever say that again."
"Your wish is my command," smiled James, whipping out his wand and muttering the counter-spell. "Now what's all this racket about? We heard Jenni shouting from two floors up."
"Oh nothing – except Alex is getting married," sulked Jenni.
"What?" gasped Remus, "You're not serious are you?"
"Yes I am, me and Michael will be very happy," said Alex, rather annoyed with no-one believing her.
"Err… congratulations?" said Sirius.
"Oh hang on, I remember him," said Peter, "The tall guy, dark brown hair?"
"Yeah that's him," smiled Alex, glad to find someone interested, "He's so nice isn't he?"
"Yeah he was cool," shrugged Peter.
"Peter has an opinion about someone?" gasped Sirius in fake surprise, "You must be marrying some sort of god Alex."
"I can't believe someone my age is getting married," murmured Remus, off in a dream world.
"Oh hey! Now I remember him! The one I punched because I thought he was chatting up Lily at the Christmas Dance last year…" recalled James.
"And then he jinxed you and Sirius?" smirked Jenni.
"It would have been classier to not mention that," said James stiffly.
"But she's not just getting married, she's leaving Hogwarts," interjected Emma.
"No way!" the boys all cried.
"It'll be weird, I've got so used to the eight of us hanging out," said James.
"Well I wish you all the luck I can," smiled Remus. "When are you leaving anyway?"
"Oh not until the summer," smiled Alex, gives me time to say goodbye, get some last knowledge before setting off for work at Quality Quidditch Supplies."
"Wow, can we use your discount?" asked Sirius and James in unison.
"See Jenni, I told you they were affecting you!" laughed Lily, "Now come on, we're all late for Charms, Bride-to-be or not."
The more Lily wanted time to slow down so she could enjoy her last few weeks with all her friends together, the faster the summer term slid past. Between revising for exams and hearing more dreadful news about Voldemort's rising power, Lily had barely enough time to enjoy with Alex before Alex left Hogwarts forever.
However, after the exams, Lily and the girls all joined the Marauders at the lake for one last day of summer fun.
"Water fight!" yelled James when he spotted the girls walking down after lunch. The girls had been prepared for this though, and the water from James's wand stopped a foot in front of them, deflected off their shield charm and bounced back at him, soaking him and Remus completely.
"No fair!" shouted James, while the girls soaked him even more until he started to look like a human waterfall, "No shield charms!"
"Fine," laughed Jenni, breaking the shield charm and immediately getting soaked by Sirius.
"Look who's wearing a white t-shirt!" giggled James, pointing at Lily.
"Stay back James Potter!" she yelled, running in the opposite direction.
"Oh come on Lily, I just want a hug!" he yelled, chasing after her, before finally catching up with her and squirting water all over her, "Ooh bad day to wear a pink bra Evans," he grinned.
"James! Bugger off!" she yelled, jumping up and running away from him again. As she ran round a tree she slipped and fell into the mud. She sat up while James howled with laughter at her, and turned to shout at whatever had caused her ungainly fall, but gasped when she realised she'd tripped over Remus and Emma's legs - the couple was kissing fiercely under the tree.
"Wow someone found Remus attractive," smirked Sirius, getting off Jenni who he'd been holding down in the mud.
Remus didn't stop kissing Emma to complain, but very slowly lifted his hand off Emma's head and made a gesture that clearly showed he didn't care much for Sirius's opinion.
"And so," said Dumbledore, rising to speak after everyone was totally full at the End-Of-Term Feast that night, "We finish another year! I would like to say well done to our graduating class; it has been a long time since we've had so many Outstanding passes as N.E.W.T level! I will not keep you long, for I am sure that you are all very sleepy after such a fine meal, but I would like to give you all words of caution as you venture back out into the world outside Hogwarts. Voldemort is still out there, and while I do not wish to frighten you unnecessarily, I wish for you all to be on your guard. I want to see the students that will be returning back after the holidays all healthy! Now, have a good holiday, and come back in a mood for learning!"
He raised an eyebrow slightly when he noticed that Emma and Remus were a little busy during his speech.
"I do hope I'm not boring you Mr Lupin and Ms Smith?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Emma and Remus immediately sprung apart, both red faced and grinning.
Lily and the girls spent most of the evening after the feast drinking a couple of bottles of firewiskey in the Common Room and hugging, saying how sad they were that this was the last time they'd all be together for so long.
"Don't worry," smiled Alex, as they staggered up to bed at four in the morning, "It's not like I'm gone forever. We'll all be together again in a while."
She had no idea quite how wrong she was.