Lily had fallen asleep far later than she was accustomed to and so she slept in and woke to the sound of her friends yelling and hands shaking her shoulder.

"Lily? Lily?"

"LILY GET UP!"

She turned over in a daze and found herself six inches from Molly's freckled nose.

"Oh my…what?" she jumped awake. "Why are you attacking me?

"This is what being woken up is Lily…you've never experienced it because you're always up at the crack of dawn but it's like half past nine and you're still asleep so we assumed you were dead." Alice laughed loudly, the sound piercing through Lily's sleepy state. She was sat cross legged on her bed, her trunk lay open before her and clothes were individually pulled out of the neat stack, decided against and thrown into a pile by the door.

"Alice are you planning a jumble sale?" Lily queried.

"No…" She responded in confusion. "Well Molly, Mary and I are going down to the quidditch pitch with the boys so I'm deciding what to wear. Why?"

Lily laughed internally.

"No reason."

"Right Lily we're going to go and hang out outside for a while then we're coming back about two to get ready for Diggory's party, are you joining?" Molly was a mother to everyone long before she ever had children.

Why do you need to get ready at two? Was Lily's thought but there was no point in voicing it.

"Of course she's not coming, it's a Saturday!" Alice frowned as if the question were pointless. "She'll be in some library corner somewhere with Remus and a mountain of boredom." Lily smiled and nodded, she honestly couldn't care less about the predictability of her life.

So as the first weekend of September unfolded, most of the Hogwarts sixth years took to the grounds to relax and attempted to ignore the imminence of a homework filled Sunday, obviously three did not. Lily walked into the library and felt the rush of familiarity and contentment as always. She smiled to the librarian and the path to the back right corner of the room was ingrained in her subconscious, as she rounded the corner Lily smiled again. Remus Lupin was sat at the small table surrounded by books and just in front of him sat two bottles of orange juice and a napkin filled with two croissants; it was Saturday, Lily would skip breakfast then annoy herself by getting hungry as she was studying, Remus, thoughtful and calm, smiled knowingly. She smiled a third time and sat down across from him, ahh Saturdays. Sometimes no words were needed. For a good hour they worked, Remus helped Lily better understand Defence against the dark arts while she returned the favour with a list of potions additional notes, somewhat of a dream team.

For the third sixth year student not following the crowd, the morning started drearily. Severus Snape woke to the dismal sound of his dormitory laughing at inexcusably offensive jokes as they dressed and the coldness of the Slytherin dorms. He managed to avoid going on the usual round of antagonising Gryffindors by feigning sleep, his "friends" didn't wait for him, they didn't really care, that's how the friendship worked. Severus dressed and ran for the library as soon as he felt they must have got far enough away but as he reached the entrance to the common room a voice on the other side startled him. A voice that was sweet, calm and so dramatically out-of-place he was sure a first year was lost. But no, through the entrance came Narcissa Black…Slytherin…but uncertainly so.

"Morning Severus." She flashed a tight, obligatory greeting. Quieter than both her older sisters, Snape was almost amused by 'Cissy', her typically Slytherin family mannerisms were so obviously trained into her, whatever evil she became involved in, her heart was blatantly never in it. He watched her walk back to her dorm and waited so long he was almost shut in the doorway but he dashed through and up into the main body of the school. Hogwarts never changed. For him it was just a maze of corridors to walk down, a sea of people to ignore, a place to sit inside while in his confined, solitary world. In his typically Severus manner his thoughts drifted through topics each as intense as the last so, as he reached the last book shelf and absent mindedly turned to sit at the table where he'd spent every evening and weekend for the past five years, he was startled into reality with an uncomfortable jolt.

"Oh." He gulped involuntarily. Crap. Lily. Lily and his table, his corner, his…Lily. Embarrassment, anger, guilt, sadness, confusion, anger, longing, regret, anger, overwhelming emotion, anger. He couldn't react. He just turned and tried to shuffle round into the next aisle.

"POTTER!" everyone turned just in time to see the librarian waving a book in the air and turning purple with rage. The page had a dreamily doodled "Mrs Potter" scribbled on it. It wasn't clear whether she was annoyed more about the graffiti or the small crowd of sixth year boys Potter had inadvertently brought with him.

James laughed with careless volume as did the small gang behind him,a large chunk of the quidditch crowd appeared to have simply followed as the marauders went to search for Remus. They did not make for a quiet library.

"Well that wasn't me was it? My ego isn't quite that big…yet. But sorry anyway, can't help being fabulous."

As he turned round again to join Lily and Remus's table his face dropped the arrogant, grin.

"Oh...Snape." The atmosphere of the room figuratively groaned under the weight of tension and as Lily thought haphazardly to herself that this situation couldn't possibly be any more uncomfortable, she was proved wrong. Apparently by some twisted coincidence this was the one time the Slytherin crowd decided they could use Snape's skills and so from behind James's crowd came Rodolphus, Muliciber, Evan Rosier, Avery and Crabb along with their younger recruits Rabastan Lestrange and Regulus Black.

"Oi Sev we were thinking…" Avery trailed off and everything appeared to slow down, for no apparent reason, everyone was waiting on everyone else to speak first. Severus's emotions battled each other again, the guilt, fear, the need to cry against the anger, the jealousy and as is often the case, the rage wanted out and so it happened. Severus lifted his arm ready to throw all the jealousy, the bullying and the regret into one punch directed at Potter's face, but in reality James was quicker. Lily readied herself to scream out at Potter but he surprised her, along with the rest of the world, as the fist was raised against him, James thought carefully.

Here was the moment where it wouldn't be him to blame but quite honestly what was the point? He had nothing to prove to anyone, he could beat Snape, that was obvious but what was the point. Quite honestly James Potter knew that Snape was not the worst enemy…actual evil was rearing its powerful head in the wizarding world and there was nothing to be gained by fighting pointless school scuffles. Snape's poorly tightened fist hit only James's hand as he placed it just in front of him, blocking the punch with precision and an expression on his face that showed no anger, no regret, no condescension…just pity.

Pity. James Potter pitied him. So as the world returned to regular pace Potter said simply:

"Severus, we're not doing this anymore."

No. He couldn't stand any more humiliation. No more let down. No more rejection. James had turned his back and Lestrange spoke before Snape could:

"Oi you scared Potter?"

Well that was it, now James needed to go for the final word, not for his pride and not for revenge but for sanity.

"You know what Lestrange, yes! I am scared, I am absolutely terrified. But not of you and not of him. If Snape wanted to do real damage he'd use his wand but honestly who cares? In the real world it's still us against you but there's a lot more to it and it's a far bigger picture where there's more than damaged pride to play for so I'm not going to waste my time and energy fighting you dickheads at school anymore because one day I might need to really fight. Not for the stupid, age old Gryffindor vs Slytherin thing but for what actually matters…for the people I love and for the good of the wizarding world. Please don't be mistaken, I still hate you all. I still think Snape is a pathetic coward for not having the courage to hold against you long enough even though it cost him the only thing he and I would agree is truly worth the world. So nothing has changed on the front of you all being worthless, disgustingly evil idiots but frankly I'm done wasting my time on you. It's over…sorry to disappoint."

And without another word James Potter walked out of the library and nobody followed him.

In the one moment before the librarian truly lost it and screamed blue murder until everyone left only one thing happened to finish the drama. Evan Rosier made the mistake of breaking the silence prematurely:

"Oohhh…somebody's got their wand in a knot." Was the only taunting thing he could produce but solely to release everyone's tension Sirius punched him directly in the face knocking him out cold and sending the librarian into a frenzy. As both crowds dispersed back through the corridors Lily and Remus mournfully left the library with the rest, no more studying was taking place today. They, along with Sirius and Peter stopped just outside the library door. Sirius let out one long, over dramatic exhale:

"Well…that'll get the crowds talking for the next month." he leaned with forced ease against the wall and rubbed the patch where his knuckles were beginning to bruise.

Lily, still in a state of shock, glanced down the empty corridors.

"Where do you think he went?"

"Oh who knows." Remus replied. "It's James, he could be anywhere."

"Did he mean it?" Lily asked, slightly dazed. "About forgetting all the old stuff and preparing for an actual fight?"

"Yes." Sirius stated, no jokes, no sarcasm.

"Oh." Was all she could manage and then Remus stepped in with a welcome clarification but his voice had an uncertainty Lily wasn't used to.

"Umm, James is very certain that we're on the edge of something. I think the Potters know quite a lot and these death eaters Lily, they're" he paused "...they're not just messing around, it's not just a bit of dark humour anymore it's, something else entirely."

Even Peter seemed to understand this better than Lily.

"Lily, Padfoot and Prongs have already been looking at what the auror team are planning and also…"

He paused with nerves.

"What?" she pushed anxiously. Sirius took over again, rubbing his palm on his temple in stress.

"And…also Dumbledore. He appears to be more willing to act in this whole thing than the entire ministry if we're being frank."

"But…" Lily stammered. "How could…how could the ministry not be telling us? How come nobody talks about it?"

"Because Evans it's not fact! Everyone's just feeling something, it's just little things. A few disappearances here and there…a…I don't know a CHANGE. We're just maybe on the eve of something really really bad and James doesn't want to be left on the sidelines if it comes to an actual confrontation."

"Oh my god…I had no idea." Lily couldn't think straight, she'd have to save the thinking for later because it just wouldn't sink in…a wizard war? Surely not. "Well maybe one of you should go and see if he's alright."

"Lily we've talked to him about it a thousand times. Told him it's not all his responsibility and told him that we're all there beside him if there is work to be done…you talk to him because I've nothing left to say."

With that they left her standing there. Lily walked down various corridors with absolutely no idea which direction she was going in and finally caught up to Potter as he turned up a flight of stairs toward a floor very few people ever ventured to.

"Potter?" she walked a step behind him. She was ignored. "James." She placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned to her.

"Lily, I'm sorry." He smiled sadly and turned to walk again.

"What for?" she enquired falling in step beside him and trying to keep up with his long strides.

"For yelling at Snivel…Severus." He rubbed his head. "Sometimes I just can't understand them, the people who follow Voldemort…it's just EVIL." James stopped to kick a wall. Lily felt a little helpless.

"Well I know but, you getting in a fight with them isn't going to help, so you did the right thing!"

"Evans you don't understand! I have to fight so hard not to tear them to pieces and I just get SO angry! I don't mean to, they ask for it. Don't you see how evil they are?"

Lily turned and James backed himself against the wall.

"Potter, I see perfectly well how evil they are. But I don't understand you! Do you want to fight and get hurt?" James looked straight into Lily's eyes.

"Getting beaten up or hexed hurts, Lily. But not as much as it hurts to watch them, harming innocent people and insulting you, Peter, Sirius and Remus, over and over and not doing anything. Letting them hurt people hurts me. I know it's weird that I want to fight them, I know it doesn't make any sense."

But it did. Finally, Lily understood something about James. The arrogance was hiding frustration. He was angry at himself that he couldn't save everyone from pain.

"James, it makes sense." She stared up and placed her hands on his shoulders. "You want to save people from being hurt. But pain is a part of life and one day you'll be an Auror and you'll fight and defeat you-know-who and that's how you help the world." She smiled with the genuine warmth everyone except James had shared previously, her faith in you. "And James you proved today that you are the guy who knows that fighting for no good cause is a terrible thing and that's why you're better than them. You did the right thing today and now you know that if the time comes to fight for a real cause you'll be there doing the right thing every day until you've saved the world." They both laughed. "Pain is all part of it Potter, we all have it and the fact that you feel it for other people makes you a good person, and you'll use that knowledge of pain to build a world with less of it."

"How did you get so smart Lily Evans?" she blushed but he didn't look away.

"I'm not smart. I'm just not as brave as you so I talk when I can't think of anything better." James smiled.

"I don't think that's true. Do you hate me anymore than normal?"

"I don't hate you Potter. I…" Lily stammered a little.

"Cool." James grinned.

"You know what Potter? You're an amazing person when you put your mind to it. And when you're building that world and fighting for what you said about what's right and the people you love. I'll be there…" she frowned to herself slightly for acting so vulnerably but, he seemed to need a little faith, "fighting with you."

Lily reached her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. James delayed in shock then wound his arms around Lily's waist, her hair fell onto his face and hands as she pulled herself up on tiptoes. Neither entirely sure what was happening they broke out of the embrace and Lily looked away in embarrassment.

"Seriously Evans I don't get more than a hug after a speech like that? And I said you were worth the world to me…not even a tiny kiss?"

"Don't push it Potter."

"Just on the cheek I won't tell." He pulled an expression somewhat like a hurt puppy and Lily shoved him playfully.

"Give it up Potter." Yet Lily knew she couldn't maintain this denial.

"One day Lily." He winked.

"Not likely James." She attempted a wink and failed. He laughed.

"You can't wink!"

"No I can't."

"How do you live?" he laughed, winking over and over.

"Oh because it's such a useful skill! I'm not constantly trying to flirt with everything that breathes."

He raised an eyebrow, they both knew he wasn't either these days.

"Come on Evans. The guys will think you killed me." They laughed and strolled back to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Oh and Lily…I'm also sorry for the stupid prank I played in Potions…it was…"

"Stupid?" Lily suggested sarcastically.

"Yeah it was out of line and…I'm sorry I just like you so much!" He blushed and Lily blushed in return, what an embarrassing situation.

"Potter I get the feeling that you being an idiot is kind of a small problem in the grand scheme of things…its forgotten."

"Thank god! Thanks Lily…sorry again."

"I still think you're an idiot." She smiled.

"Don't sweat it…I do too." He replied.