A/N: Why, oh why, have my reviews been slacking? I'm thankful for them as always, but do I still need to remind you guys to review? Really?

Very well then. I hope you enjoy Remus's date with Lily. Four whole pages of Marauder goodness, unlike the usual three!

IMPORTANT: This story is going on a one week hiatus. I'm sorry, but I will be back!! And then I will complete this story with some lovely James/Lily! So stay tuned and keep reviewing, please!

Chapter 6

"Good morning, Lily," Remus waved politely to the red-haired girl waiting for him in the Common Room. Lily wore a plain sweater to keep out the chilly air, and her hair was tied back. "You look lovely today!"

"You sound like James," Lily shifted uncomfortably. "It's creeping me out."

Remus chuckled. "Sorry, maybe a little bit of him has rubbed off on me after all."

"I hope not, Remus. You're much too nice for that group of… of…"

"Miscreants? That's my favorite word to use for them. I also like 'idiots', but sometimes that's very ineffective. I mean, they usually block out what I say anyways, so…"

Remus was surprised to see Lily laughing. He made a mental note 'Lily likes sarcasm'. Oh, but that would never work. James was awful at sarcasm, he just didn't get it.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but just then McGonagall's voice rang through the Common Room. "Anyone who wishes to go on the Hogsmeade trip will meet at the Front Entrance in approximately a quarter of an hour."

She had just finished speaking when Sirius flung himself down the steps and into a crowd of people.

"Alright, ladies. Which one of you will be my date this fine day?"

"What happened to that Hufflepuff girl, Padfoot?" Remus asked quietly, not wanting Lily to hear.

"Huh? Oh, I forgot about her." Remus rolled his eyes and turned back to Lily.

"Shall we?" He asked, offering her his arm. She giggled (a weird sound to hear from the girl who was always shouting at James) and looped her arm through his elbow.

James, thankfully, had headed out early to Hogsmeade. He was supposed to be in detention, but instead had taken the invisibility cloak and skipped it.

Even knowing that James was probably in Honeydukes or Zonko's, Remus was still on the lookout for any sign of his friend. He didn't dare hold Lily's hand, instead keeping their arms locked for the whole trip down to Hogsmeade. It felt weird; like he was cheating on James or something by going on this date with Lily. Though, to James's twisted mind, this would be cheating.

Sirius was in a much better mood. He spent the walk chatting with Lily and his Hufflepuff date, who he had somehow managed to find right before leaving Hogwarts. Remus hadn't really bothered to ask how.

Lily, for the most part, seemed to be enjoying herself. Sirius's date had ditched him for someone else the second they were in town, so it was only the three of them who went to the Three Broomsticks. Remus kept his fingers crossed the entire time. He knew James would eventually find them, but hopefully he could live long enough to make it to Honeydukes for one last chocolate bar.

He did. After eating about three bars of the delicious sweet, he made Sirius buy another boxful since he had run out of money buying Lily's butterbeer and his chocolate. After all, Sirius had more than enough money, and still owed Remus for that incident with the Chocolate Frogs. Remus still shuddered to think about all his poor, precious chocolate supply of those jumping things making their way down Severus's pants.

"REMUS?" A voice broke through the sour memory. Remus jumped and covered his head. He didn't even need to turn around to know it was James.

"I'm so sorry, James! It was just a joke! And… and…" Remus trailed off when he heard laughter.

"Hey, Moony, it works! I got this voice disguiser thing at Zonko's, and it really works! See?" Sirius held up something to his lips and spoke into it. "Mooooooneeeey…" James's voice called out.

"Sirius, you… you…"

"Miscreant?" Lily suggested, laughing. Remus's face turned red, and he jabbed a finger at Sirius accusingly.

"That was not funny! Oh… you owe me cartloads of chocolate now. Do you here me? Cartloads!"

"Yes, Moony," Sirius said, laughing. He didn't look apologetic at all.

"What's all this?"

Both boys froze where they stood. Remus looked at the Zonko's product in Sirius's hand. It hadn't been used that time.

"James!" Sirius said, turning to face his friend. "You… made it. Great."

James stood with his arms crossed, staring at the three. "Of course I made it! I wouldn't miss Moony's first date for anything. Except maybe a date of my own with Lily, which just might be possible seeing as she's standing right here!" He grinned. "How about it, Evans?"

Lily sniffed and grabbed Remus's arm. "Not on your life, Potter. I'm here with Remus today."

James's face visibly fell. He stared at Remus. "Is that true? Is Evans really your date?"

Remus winced. "I… uh… I can explain, James. Please, just hear me out."

James's eyes flickered between Lily and Sirius, before resting on Remus. "Fine."

"You see… uh, Sirius dared me to ask Lily on a date," Remus started, sticking with the story he had told Lily. "Naturally, I would never dare, but he promised me… chocolate. Lots of chocolate. So I decided that one date couldn't hurt, you know?"

James narrowed his eyes. "So it's all Sirius's fault?"

"Yep," Remus's eyes brightened as they locked with Sirius's own frightened eyes. Oh, payback really was sweet sometimes.

"What?" The dark-haired boy yelled. "Do you really believe Moony, James?"

"Yeah, I do." James smirked. "You're forgiven, Moony. Wait…" he leveled a finger at Remus. "You didn't kiss her, did you?"

"No! I mean… no, I didn't. No offence to you, Lily, but no way. I wouldn't do that to you, James." Remus shrugged apologetically at Lily, who just smiled back at him.

"Well, this has been very entertaining, Remus, but I probably should be going. And I hope you don't take offence either, Remus, when I say that…" She bent over and whispered something into his ear. Remus's face broke out into a huge grin.

"Bye, Remus, Black, Potter!" She called, waving to the three boys.

Once she was gone, Sirius started to squint. It pinched up his face and crinkled his nose, making him look very weird. "What did she say to you, Moony?"

"Not telling. And don't do that, Pads. It makes you look like Professor Flitwick."

Sirius un-scrunched his face and turned to James. "Are you mad at us?"

James shook his head. "No. I mean, I doubt this is Lily's first time out with a guy or anything. I never really expected to be her first date, either."

"Yeah, you just always expected to be the first one to marry her and bear her firstborn," Sirius added.

"Exactly!" James said, brightening. Remus rolled his eyes.

"We should get back now," he said. "It's getting dark."

Sirius and James turned to him, their eyes glinting. "But dark time is fun time, Moony."

"Remind me again why I'm friends with you?"

"Because you love us?"

"Because without us you'd die?"

Remus shook his head. "I remember now. You blackmailed me into staying with you by learning my secret. Relentless gits."

"You know, I always liked it when you called us miscreants. It had a nice ring to it."

"I completely agree, Prongs!"

Remus rolled his eyes once more. "Gits."