A/N (07/03/08): I've revamped the entire story, correcting the grammar and storyline. I've also added 5 new chapters. Feedback would be brilliant as always.

Chapter 7 – Lies and Charms

Lily woke late the following day. The clock told her it was past 10am, which was extremely rare a time for Lily to be waking up at. Although the last couple of weeks had been exhausting for her, filling in Head Duty whilst James wasn't available. She'd be late to bed again tonight, even more so because she had to patrol on her own, in no small part thanks to Potter.

Lily made her way to the Gryffindor common room, Emma and Michelle were sat chatting aimlessly on the couches.

"Hey, Lily" said Michelle.

"Hey" sighed Lily.

"What's up, Lils?"

"Nothing, I just woke up a bit late, I've got some homework to do and I have to do patrol on my own tonight" Lily replied.

"Why? Where's James going?" asked Emma.

"Oh, he's managed to get himself another detention. I swear him and Black have a personal mission to get more detentions each year" said Lily. Emma and Michelle laughed, but Lily was not amused.

"It's not funny. All they ever do is cause trouble and bully people" she said sternly.

"They win at Quidditch" countered Emma

"And get top marks in every class" continued Michelle.

"And make people laugh"

"And look good"

"Oh, give it a rest guys" said Lily, "I'm going up to the library to do my Potion's and D.A.D.A essays. See you later."

Hours later Lily left the library looking and feeling rather tired. She'd skipped lunch completely and only took a fifteen minute break to wolf down some dinner before carrying on with her work.

Now, she reckoned that she had half an hour before she needed to start her patrol. She could nip back to the Head's Dorm and put her feet up for 20 minutes or so. She hurried back, eager to have a rest before she started.

In her eagerness, she forgot to pay attention to where she was going, and as she almost ran round a corner, she nearly knocked Professor McGonagall.

"Goodness gracious, Ms. Evans. You'd think our Head Girl would know better than to be running round corners like that."

"Sorry, Professor" said Lily.

"Speaking of Head Girl, where's that Head Boy, Mr. Potter? I need to ask him why he's decided to change last year's team so much. Last year was our best year yet!" said McGonagall.

"Erm, I thought he was in detention with you" replied Lily.

"I'm afraid not, Ms. Evans. Mr. Potter hasn't had a detention with me since last year, which is quite an achievement; although I am fully expecting him anytime soon."

"Oh" said Lily, "I must have been mistaken; silly me."

"Yes, well, when you do see him, tell him I require a word" said McGonagall, and she turned and continued walking through the castle.

Lily patrolled aimlessly around the castle, walking in anger at James. She came to a stop, and perched on the long window sill looking out over the Hogwarts grounds.

'I can't believe James lied to me' Lily said to herself, 'Lied to me so he can go off sneaking about with his friends.'

Lily sat for over an hour, cursing and insulting James in her mind, until she could think of no more harsh words to say about him. She decided she'd go and confront him, if she could find him that was.

She took one last look across the moonlit grounds … the moon … it was full tonight … which meant Remus would be transforming … and James had lied to get away from everyone on the night of Remus' transformation … perhaps James was a werewolf too?

She instantly dismissed that thought as soon she had thought it. James had never shown any signs like Remus, no tiredness, no days off. There was no way he could be a werewolf. So why did he need the night off? He couldn't help Remus on his transformation; no one could. Did he stay near Remus and cast protective Charms over him to keep him safe? Surely no one would risk that?

The more Lily thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Remus had always said he could never ask for a better friend; that James was loyal and brave. It would certainly be loyal and brave of him to do so, but also incredibly stupid and dangerous. She needed to find him and find the truth.

He wasn't in the Common Room when she got there, but people had said they hadn't seen him all day and suggested he might still be in bed. She rapped smartly on the 7th year Gryffindor Boys Dorm, but there was no reply. She knocked again, but still no reply. Again she knocked but hard enough so that anyone in the room would hear, as well as a few people in the Common Room, but there was still no answer. Growing impatient she decided she'd just go in anyway, in case she was being ignored.

She found, much to her surprise, that she in fact couldn't get in. The door wouldn't budge.

'What the-' though Lily, 'Why can't I get in?'

After trying numerous times to get in, trying different charms and spells; she gave up. She'd never had any trouble accessing the other boys Dorms, so she tried the ones down the stairs with success. Lily was now beside herself, how could they have sealed the door shut? She stormed down the stairs and back into the Common Room.

"Can anyone tell me why the 7th year boys Dorm is locked?" asked Lily to the bemused Gryffindors.

"It's been like that since I got here" replied a 5th year. "We can't get in, and quite frankly we don't want to. Some of the smells from that room at times are awful. I don't know what they brew in there, but it can't be good."

"They're not allowed to seal off their Dorm like that. What is there's an emergency, how will the Professor's get in?" said Lily to no one in particular.

"They can" said the 5th year, "its quite genius really. I'm not sure how but they've charmed the door to only let themselves and Professor's in. I can't find anything like that in our books, so I don't know where they've learned that from."

Lily was speechless. Undecided in whether to explode in frustration or applaud in admiration, she did neither and stormed out back to the Head's Dorm.

As she got in bed, she couldn't get hear head round the bare faced cheek of a charm like that. She knew it was really complex magic to perform, and must have taken ages.

"Bloody Potter" she said aloud before turning over to sleep.