*Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

"I quit." Lily declared, throwing her quill on the table and leaning back in her chair with an exasperated sigh.

Remus chuckled, shooting the redhead a quick glance out the corner of his eyes. "We're almost done."

"No, we're not!" she whined. "Because as soon as we finish this rubbish, we've got Charms, and then Ancient Runes. And it's Tuesday which means—"

"Prefect rounds," Remus groaned. "Yeah, I know. I was just trying to be optimistic." He set his own quill on the table, rubbing at his temples.

"We've been at this for four hours. I want to die."

"Don't you dare off yourself and leave me to finish this work alone, Lily Evans." Remus chastised her, wagging a dramatic finger. "And how am I supposed to get through rounds by myself? All of those broom closets!" he shuddered, comically.

"From what I hear," Lily smirked, straightening up in her chair, "you're not so unfamiliar with broom closets these days."

The werewolf's head whipped around. "Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing," she sang, innocently. "I just thought I spied some longing looks between you and a certain Calliope Ostrom."

A deep blush tinged his cheeks. "Callie and I are…are…"

She cackled. "Relax, relax. I think it's cute. Callie's sweet…not to mention bloody brilliant."

"Yeah…" he said with a bit of a smile. "I know."

"Remus Lupin with a girlfriend," Lily chimed, trying out the words.

He shook his head, fervently. "She's not my—"

"Hush," she rolled her eyes. "So, tell me, Lupin, how do the boyfriends feel about this development?"

"The boyfriends?" he echoed, uncertainly. Suddenly, his blue eyes jumped with unfortunate recognition. "Oh, Merlin, you mean James and Sir—and Peter," He broke off, clearing his throat to cover the automatic mistake. Lily chose not to comment on it, being unwilling to discuss the fourth marauder tonight. "Well, to be honest…I'm not quite sure what they think about all of it."

Lily laughed. "You're telling me that Potter hasn't given you his overwhelmingly loud opinion on…wait." She narrowed her eyes. "Remus," she drawled, slowly.

The Gryffindor boy had returned to his parchment, avoiding eye contact like dragonpox.

"Remus!" she repeated, louder, earning a sour look from some seventh years studying at the table nearby. She smiled an apology before dropping her voice and leaning close to her fellow prefect. "Merlin's beard, Remus, they don't know."

"That's not true," Remus hissed, defensively. "Peter knows…"

"So you're just keeping this from Potter? How the mighty have fallen!"

"I just think he doesn't need extra baggage with everything going on."

"Remus," she eyed him, doubtfully. "I hardly think an update on your love life is going to do him in."

Lupin didn't look of sure. "He's…sensitive. With the Sirius stuff, I think he's wary of our group further breaking up."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"He's had a tough year, Lily—"

"Oh, give me a break. Because he lost a Quidditch match? Because his mum didn't up his allowance? Because his houseelf didn't bow low enough upon greeting him?"

"Lily, surely you don't think so little of him." He fixed her with an admonishing glare. "This Sirius stuff has been hard, for one. Not to mention everything with his parents."

Lily's eyebrows furrowed. James's parents were established as a well-off, older couple. They had James later in life and, shortly after, James's father had stumbled upon a discovery in magical chemistry which ultimately led to the successful creation of Sleak-Eazy Hair Gel. This had always struck Lily as ironic considering their son's inclination to go au naturel. "What about the Potters?"

"They got called back in to the ministry," Remus supplied.

"The ministry?"

"To jump back in as aurors."

"They were…aurors?" Lily was incredulous. She had always considered following that track herself, when the time for graduation arrived. At several Slug Club gatherings, she had made favorable impressions on various aurors.

Remus scrunched his nose in surprise. "Euphemia and Fleamont Potter are some of the best wizards the Ministry ever saw. In fact, they were too good so they retired early to focus on James. It's why their family is so close. They set their careers completely aside to raise him." he explained before studying Lily. "You didn't know that?" Lily shook her head. "He talks about them non-stop. They're his heroes. Wants to be just like them one day."

The last line pricked a strange place in her chest. "Potter wants to be an auror?"

"Lily," the werewolf questioned, with a hint of accusation. "Have you ever even given James the time of day?" He watched her troubled face for a moment before picking his quill back up and returning to his essay. "He talks about more than Quidditch and girls, y'know."

For some reason, this offended Lily. "I know that!" With a start, however, she realized she didn't know that. In fact, as she recalled various interactions over their six years at Hogwarts, she could not recall a single conversation that held substance. He had always been too concerned with chuffing himself up and tormenting Lily.

As she continued to sit in her thoughts, however, the prefect began to question whether this was even true. Had he always been as horrid as she thought? Or did she simply see what she wanted to see? James Potter had parents and career dreams. It all made him quite human and Lily found herself being quite fascinated with this new knowledge.

"Does Potter have any siblings?"

"No," Lupin responded, not looking up from his work. "By the time they got pregnant with James, the Potters were a bit old. Plus…between you and me…I think James gave them more than they were cut out for."

Lily couldn't help but smile a bit. "But they're close?"

"Incredibly. He owls his mum at least three times a week." Immediately, Remus's mouth twitched as if he had just said something he was not supposed to share. On the contrary, Lily found this information incredibly endearing.

"Were they both Gryffindors?"

"Lily," Remus sighed, setting his quill back down. "Not that I don't want to continue relaying the Potter Family biography to you, but why don't you ask James all this?"

"I can't do that," she said quickly.

"And why not?"

"Because," Lily began, fumbling for a reason that wasn't ridiculously immature or lame. "Well, because, quite frankly, we haven't spoken to each other since fifth year."

Remus rolled his eyes, choosing not to respond.

"What was that for?" she pressed in irritation.

Remus lazily lifted his eyebrow. "That was me being so over your dramatics."

Lily scoffed. "Dramatics! I can't help that he's always been an absolute git around me and then just decided to start ignoring my existence!"

"Perhaps not," the wizard mused. "But it's a two way street, Lily. You could always try…talking to him?" he whispered the last part as if it were a major scandal to suggest. Lily shoved him.

"I hope you're not insinuating that I'm afraid to have a conversation with him, Remus Lupin," Lily quipped, eyes narrowed, dangerously.

"Oh, that's exactly what I'm insinuating, Lily Evans," Remus smiled, sweetly.

Lily's cool demeanor broke as she threw her hands in the air. "What?!"

"I think," Remus began with a small smile, "that you're afraid to find how quickly he would wreck your master plan to hate him forever." Lily looked ready to retort, but the wizard only held his hand up in a silencing motion. "When you stop looking for the bad, James has a way of surprising people."

Lily wasn't even close to reaching the maturity needed to understand the accuracy of her fellow prefect's words. But she did manage to feel the overwhelming weight. James Potter was human and Lily had chosen blindness for six years. Remus's words struck a strange chord in her gut as she mulled them over for the next several days. Insulting a Gryffindor witch's bravery was a bold move and Remus Lupin had practically plowed into the opportunity.

In the spirit of growth, she resolved to prove her werewolf friend wrong. She could indeed have a real conversation with Potter and walk away unchanged. He wasn't a god, for Merlin's sake.

...

The March Hogsmeade weekend arrived soon enough, much to the excitement of the Hogwarts student body. Students paired off and climbed in carriages, anticipating a day of escape from schoolwork and stress.

Lily opted to go with a large group of her friends, a mix of witches and wizards from various houses. However, after a couple hours of her words not being listened to as she sat, smooshed between a burly Ravenclaw boy and Marlene, at the Three Broomsticks, she chose to slip over to Scrivenshaft's to look through their stationary. She shuddered as she remembered that her mom would expect Lily to owl a "congratulations" card for Petunia's engagement.

The Gryffindor had always felt the most at-home among books and paper. The ability to escape the real world in lieu of the gardens at Pemberley or the bustling streets of New York City was truly magical—and given her status as a witch, that adjective was not used lightly.

The widowed Mrs. Scrivenshaft smiled as she entered the store, a broken bell dinging back and forth above the door as she stepped inside.

"Good morning, dearie," the elderly witch greeted.

"Morning," Lily smiled, politely, making her way to the back of the store where she knew various cards and letterheads could be found.

"I'm really sorry," Juniper muttered again, her hand plastered to her mouth.

James laughed, good-naturedly, looking down at his shirt. "It's all right, June, really! This shirt needed some character. I looked like a tosser when it was just a normal blue without the brown spot."

"I'm more worried about the searing coffee I doused onto your chest, James. Is your flesh still there?"

He wriggled his head down the entrance to his shirt for dramatic effect. "Still there!" he assured her with another laugh. Noticing her doubtful stare, he threw his arm around her shoulder. "I'm fine, June. Really stop stressing. We've got a full day ahead of us. Just because your spill means they won't allow us to step foot in The Three Broomsticks ever again—" She jabbed her elbow into his side. "—doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves elsewhere." he managed through his persisting laughter. "To Honeyduke's?"

She sighed, although her mouth was split in a smile. "To Honeyduke's."

Congratulations on your dragon!

Lily had to stifle a laugh as she picked up a card that quite literally emitted a small flame from it when opened. Petunia would absolutely die.

My condolences on your lost snapple.

Lost what? The wizarding world was so strange and, it was in humorous moments like this that Lily wondered if she would ever truly understand everything. As she continued to scan the shelves with her finger, she got a few more laughs from variously specific cards, until finally landing on the engagement/marriage stationary.

Congrats on your engagement! May you have a life of happiness and fertility.

Lily actually released a snort on this one. Petunia would surely burn it. She continued to peruse the marriage section, finally settling her eyes on a pretty pink card. Pulling it from the shelf, her eyes glistened with mischief.

The happiest of wishes to your engagement! I hope your union is magical!

It was so close to being normal, Lily knew she couldn't get in trouble with her mum for choosing it. But Lily also knew her sister enough to know how equally horrifying and nauseating the card would be received by Petunia. The subtle, but present, use of the word 'magical' sealed the deal for Lily.

"Oh, hullo, McGuire," James nodded his head to the petite witch that had just intercepted their path on the way to Honeyduke's. Aloe McGuire was the fifth-year Seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team.

"Potter, Junie," she nodded, cheerily. "Are you coming to The Three Broomsticks?"

"Actually," James began, shooting a teasing glance to the humiliated girl next to him, "we came from there just a bit ago. June here got us kicked out."

"Kicked out?" Aloe's brown eyes widened in awe.

"I did not," Juniper wined. "I spilt a bit of coffee on James so we left to avoid further embarrassment."

"Oh," Aloe nodded, still looking slightly unsure. "Well, if you care to come back in a bit, I'm headed there to meet up with Jill and Astrid and Will and the gang."

June paused for a moment, considering the offer before saying, "James and I were on our way to Honeyduke's, actually, but thanks for the offer!"

James watched the interaction and the light disappointment with which his date spoke. "Actually, June, why don't you go with McGuire and I'll meet you in there in half an hour and then we can walk over to Honeyduke's. If I recall…you never actually got to drink any of that coffee…" He winked, flipping her a couple sickles out of his pocket.

"Oh no, James, it's okay, you don't have to—"

"Nonsense. Go have a drink with your mates and I'll catch up in a bit. I actually need to run a quick errand, and this way, you don't have to be dragged along later."

"Well," Juniper chewed on her cheek before grinning. "All right, sounds great. See you in half an hour?"

"Half an hour," James assured her. Her smile grew and she boldly leaned up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, smiling shyly and running off with her fifth-year friend. James paused for a moment in surprise, before a lop-sided smile of his own appeared, then turned around and headed up the alley.

As Lily grabbed the pink card from the shelf and began to meander to the front, she heard the familiar broken bell of the entrance. The outside chatter could be briefly heard before the door shut again.

"Mrs. Scrivenshaft!" a deep voice rang out cheerfully, forcing Lily to freeze.

"James, m'boy! Come in, come in!" A smile could be easily heard in the older woman's voice. "How've you been? The other boys have each stopped in this morning, and I started to think you'd forgotten about me."

Lily peeked around from her hiding place among the stationary shelves to see none other than James Potter, bustling toward the counter, pushing up the sleeves of his jumper.

"I couldn't forget you if I wanted to, Mrs. Scrivenshaft!" He hopped over the counter, easily, and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "And besides, who's shop would I hide from McGonagall in if I cut ties with you!"

The older witch swatted his arm, affectionately. "Oh, hush, you." She closed the cash register and turned more fully toward the wizard, who was now sitting on the countertop, legs crossed. "I remember the days of old when I actually thought you lot would grow out of this marauding business."

Marauding business. Did Scrivenshaft name them?

"Wishful thinking, old lady," he joked, winking at the woman. "We keep you young and you love it."

Mrs. Scrivenshaft rolled her heavily hooded eyes. "Yeah, yeah," Suddenly her eyes widened as she full took him in. "You get down off that counter, James Potter, you've been raised better than this," she swatted at him, once again. He threw his hands up to defend himself, though he was laughing through the altercation.

"Nope," he popped as he slid off the counter, "I was raised by wolves, don't you know?" Lily could see a twinkle in his eyes, even from her distant vantage point.

"He already came in this morning, y'know? First customer all day in fact. Had a pretty little lass with 'im, too! She bought some bright purple ink which I think shows some spunk."

How had she just jumped from wolf to boy?

"Yeah, well, Remus always likes to be early for everything."

When had Remus even been brought up?

"Y'know who I haven't seen in a while?" she mused as she wiped the counter where James's muddy trainers had just been planted.

"The Minister," James guessed, dramatically.

She swished her towel toward him. "No, not the Minister, you deviant. I would never do business with that scum," Lily had to bite her tongue to keep from giggling and revealing herself at this point. James didn't even try to conceal his own bark of laughter. "I was talking about your partner-in-crime, Mr. Sirius Black."

Lily strained her eyes to catch a glimpse of Potter's expression, but he kept it stoic enough. "Really? Hmm, I'm sure he's just been busy."

"Too busy to come in here and give me a hug? They're working you boys too hard up at that school."

"That's what I've been saying for years."

"Well, what about you?" she asked, using her wand to do a quick scourgify of the towel before neatly folding it and placing it under the counter. "I haven't seen a lady on your arm in a while?"

"Er—just been enjoying the year with my mates, I suppose."

The elderly witch eyeballed James. "So you're still hung up on that—"

"Oh ho!" James's hand flew to his hair. "You know, Mrs. Scrivenshaft, speaking of my mates, I really should be getting back to them…"

She rolled her eyes, waving him off nonetheless. "Fine, fine. I have a customer anyway. Bye, James dear. Give your parents my love!" The broken bell rang as James sauntered out of the store. She looked towards the book shelves with scrunched eyes, before mumbling to herself. "Actually, she's been in here for a while…maybe I should check…"

As the witch walked from behind the counter and began to head toward the stationary section, Lily realized with a start that she was the customer in question. Her eyes widened as she grasped her dilemma. Not wanting to be caught in her currently obvious place of eavesdropping, she made her way up the aisle, toward the counter.

Lily arrived at the old, wooden counter and set Petunia's card down, waiting for the older witch to return to the front. The redhead felt a twinge of guilt at making the elderly woman walk all the way around the store looking for her.

"Oh, there you are, dear! Find everything you need?"

Lily smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I did, thank you."

The witch returned to her station behind the counter and took the card from Lily. "Someone got engaged?" she asked, slowly leaning down to fetch a small bag.

"My sister," Lily nodded.

"Oh, how exciting!" The woman beamed at Lily before noticing the hesitation in the younger witch's eyes. "Oh my, she's one of those sisters, is she?" Lily's face relented a small smile of confirmation. "I have nine sisters and only three of them are any good."

Lily's eyes widened. "N-nine sisters?"

The woman's eyes crinkled as she slid the small card into a bag. "I'll say this, dear, you don't get to pick your family…but you also only have the one…no matter how many sisters you have," she added, with a small wink, handing Lily her bag. "I find that time is the panacea for all hurt. You'll make amends one day." She sounded so cheerfully confident, Lily couldn't help but believe her.

The Gryffindor reached into her pockets for a couple sickles but Mrs. Scrivenshaft stopped her, "No, no, no, you keep that. It was only a bit of parchment. You just promise to come back in and see me again, all right, Miss…?"

"Lily."

"Miss Lily," the witch smiled. Lily took the bag, graciously, and began to turn toward the door, calling over her shoulder, "Thank you so much! Have a good—" but as she leaned onto the door to push it outwards, she found that it wasn't there, and in its place was open air and the sound of a broken bell. As she continued to fall with gravity, she was suddenly met with resistance in the form of a quickly approaching blur of a body.

"Oh Merlin, I am so sor—Evans?"

Lily sputtered, looking up at the boy standing above her in the doorway, hazel eyes and raven hair matching in their wild appearance. "Hi," she said, weakly, pushing off the ground. He quickly shoved his hand toward her and she detested how easily he was able to lift her to an upright position.

"Are you…okay? I just came in here to ask Mrs.—and I just…are you okay?"

Lily blinked a couple times, surveying herself. Noticing no visible scrapes or wardrobe malfunctions, she forced a small smile. "Ship shape."

James looked skeptical. "You sure, Evans, because I—"

"Evans?" Mrs. Scrivenshaft's voice rang out from behind them, pulling the teenagers from their reverie.

"Er—yes, ma'am?" Lily responded, nervously.

"Oh…no, dear, I was just becoming acquainted with your last name," she reassured Lily with a smile, before shooting a look to James that Lily didn't understand.

"I'm so sorry," James repeated, in a daze, not noticing the shopkeeper's glare.

Lily couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. "I'm totally all right. Really, Potter, I can handle a little tumble."

"Right," he nodded, still not completely present. "Well, er…have a good day, Evans, Mrs. Scrivenshaft." With a small nod toward each woman, he swiveled around and bustled back out the door.

Lily turned to the white-haired witch with a quizzical glance. "Didn't he say he came in here to ask you something?"

A small smile played at the corners of Mrs. Scriveshaft's chapped lips. "I think he found whatever he was looking for, dearie. Have a nice day, Lily Evans. I'm quite positive I'll be seeing you again soon."

...

A/N: This chapter had a lot of back and forth, so I hope it wasn't too confusing. Mainly trying to establish a few characters who will become more important as this story progresses *winky face*