Disclaimer: Any characters who seem familiar, do not belong to me. They belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. Further, I own neither the play nor the movie musical, Grease, so any familiar lines or plot scenes are not mine.

A/N: the {j} just means time has passed, but POV is still the same.

IX. There Are Worse Things I Could Do

"I don't steal and I don't lie

But I can feel and I can cry

A fact I'll bet you never knew

But to cry in front of you

That's the worst thing I could do"

Lily was a nervous wreck. As the week came to a close and Sunday approached, she felt as if she was going to pass out every time someone mentioned the race. She could barely sleep at night for dreams of James getting into some terrible accident, falling into a coma and her never seeing those beautiful hazel eyes, or hearing his warm laugh again. She didn't want to be so concerned for him, yet she couldn't seem to help herself.

She was sitting in the library late Saturday night staring out the floor to ceiling windows at the grounds. She had a good view of the playing fields, and, specifically, the bleachers. She could just make out the darker outlines of a group of five boys against the dark sky. They appeared to being having a team meeting, probably discussing a plan for tomorrow, the faint red glow of cigarettes making their presence known.

Lily sighed. She had a deep yearning to go and tell James to drop out of the race… hell to tell all five of them to stop being idiots and to forget about this. Their lives were more important than their pride.

She gave up on any pretense of being able to do her homework and got up from her table. She walked slowly down the halls, not in a rush to get back to the dormitory. Walking down the corridor was like walking down memory lane: she passed alcoves James had pulled her into, passed the window seat she had run to and sobbed in after the dance. She had not expected to have such a tumultuous time at Hogwarts; she had simply expected to attend one of the best boarding schools in the country, leaving with good grades and recommendation letters to get her into the best universities. But she was coming to realize that her life never really went the way she expected it to.

She walked past the dining hall and a group of fifth years exited in front of her. She recognized a head of curly hair as the girl who James had shagged in a broom closet so long ago, Georgia. She could hear the girl telling her friends one of the many versions of the outlandish rumors going around about Marlene. Lily felt her jaw tighten as her frustration rose up at the indecency of some people. As chance would have it, Marlene stepped from a classroom just to the left of where the girls were passing. "That's the one I've been telling you about," Georgia said to her friends in a conspiratorial tone, though the volume of her voice made it clear she intended for Marlene to hear her. "She doesn't even know whose it is!" Georgia's friends all giggled and Lily felt her blood boil.

Before she could think about her actions, she shouted, "Hey Georgia! Why don't you shut your trap and not talk about shit you know nothing about?"

The blonde stopped abruptly and spun around to look at Lily. She cocked an eyebrow and glanced theatrically at her friends. "Well, well, well, look at Lily Evans, sticking up for the school tramp. I thought you were a 'good girl'. Isn't that why James dumped you?" She batted her heavily mascaraed eyelashes in an innocent style.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to let the fifth year's petty words hurt her. "Maybe I am a 'good girl' and maybe that is one of the reasons why James and I ended things, but I think it's more important to be kind and to make sure you're informed about a situation before you go and spread false rumors."

Georgia's mouth turned up in a cruel smile. "I'd rather just spread false rumors."

Lily smirked back. "I must say, Georgia, I thought better of you. I mean, you mocking Marlene is kind of the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you mean?" Georgia kept the cruel smirk on her face but Lily saw panic in the younger girl's eyes.

"Oh, just that I overheard you telling your friends about a certain… shall we call it rendezvous, in a broom closet earlier this year. And yet, I haven't heard anything about you dating anyone… so I guess this means, you're a tramp too."

Georgia's eyes went big and her cheeks turned a violent red. All her friends turned to stare at the blonde who was sputtering for a response. Lily could see Marlene standing in the doorway, looking mildly impressed. "I-I…. You…" Georgia gasped and turned to her friends. "Did you hear what she just said to me?" Her friends all nodded sympathetically, muttering about who Lily could possibly think she was and what a bitch she was. "I mean, at least I wasn't dumped on live television." Lily could still hear the girl ranting as she disappeared down the hall. Lily smirked to herself; she'd been dying to say something to that girl for months.

"I don't need anybody to fight my battles for me," Marlene suddenly spoke up. Lily winced, ready to get reamed out, but Marlene was smiling. "But I gotta admit, that was a good one."

"She had it coming," Lily replied, glaring after the fifth year.

"Yeah, and you were the one who gave it to her." Marlene crossed her arms over her chest, still smiling and looking at Lily with a kind of respect.

Lily smiled back, but it faded as she thought about what the girls had been talking about. Marlene registered the change in her expression and a cautious look formed on her face. "Look, Mar, I know we're not the closest of friends, but if you need any help…"

"I can take care of myself and… anything else that comes along," Marlene replied caustically. Lily nodded and turned to go. "Wait!" Lily turned back. "I want to talk to you about something."

Lily nodded, continuing down the hall. She didn't fancy having Marlene yelling at her in the middle of the hallway. She waited patiently for Marlene to start speaking. They were just around the corner from their dorm when Marlene finally did speak up. "I told the cameraman to film you."

Lily paused, uncertain she'd heard Marlene correctly. "What?"

"At the dance. I paid a cameraman to make sure you and James got on camera," Marlene said. Lily couldn't tell if Marlene felt guilty or not, her tone and expression were both so carefully neutral.

Lily knew she should probably be pissed, screaming at Marlene and storming away, but Lily was tired. They were in their last month at Hogwarts, their last month before they would be leaving for university. She didn't want to be angry at another person. "Okay. Thanks for telling me," she replied simply.

Marlene could not have looked more shocked than if Lily had declared they were really half-sisters. "You.. you're not angry?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm not happy about what you did, but I don't have enough energy to be truly angry. I guess I really just want to know why you've always disliked me so much."

Marlene sighed and shifted to lean against the wall next to their dorm. Lily was hit with a sudden memory of James leaning against the same wall, grinning down at Lily was he announced she was too nice. She tried to shake off the memory, focusing solely on Marlene. "It's so stupid and petty sounding when I say it out loud, but I've never really disliked you, Lily. I was just jealous."

Lily nodded, unsurprised. "You felt like I had stolen James from you."

Marlene flushed slightly, causing Lily to pause. She'd never seen Marlene look even the littlest bit embarrassed before; in a way it made her seem more human. "Like I said, I'm not proud of the way I've acted. I acted like that blonde bitch." Marlene snorted. "I don't tend to get jealous of people often."

Lily nodded, unsurprised. "I had no idea you and James dated. He was just someone I happened to meet at the beach, and that was that."

Marlene nodded. "I know, but… James is one of oldest friends and I've never seen him look at or speak about another person the way he does with you. In all the time we were together, he never loved me the way he loves you."

Lily looked away, snorting derisively. "He's got a funny way of expressing his love, if that's truly what he feels."

Marlene smiled patronizingly. "He does love you Lily. James just… he's so scared of ruining things with you, so afraid of things falling apart the way they did with us, that he went and ruined everything trying to protect himself." She considered the redhead. "James isn't the only one to blame for the way things ended though."

Lily glared at Marlene. "Oh really? Was it because I didn't spread my legs fast enough?" she bit, getting defensive quickly.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Everyone likes to play up the idea that James is this big whore who sleeps with any and every female he meets, but honestly, he's not like that. Don't get me wrong, he likes sex of course, but when it comes to you, he makes exceptions he doesn't usually for others, and if you aren't ready for sex, he'd never push you for it. So, no, it's not because you didn't want to sleep with him, it's because you idealize him."

Lily recoiled. "Idolize him? I don't idolize him!"

"You misunderstand me," Marlene crossed her arms over her chest. "You idealize him. You have this James you met from the summer in your head that you keep comparing him to and by doing that, you miss the James in front of you."

Lily winced. Marlene's words sounded like her father's. Lily thought about her date with James, how she had discovered so much about him that she hadn't known previously. She thought over the whole year, how she had seen James in his everyday life, with all his flaws out for her to see. Am I really putting him into some kind of mold? Am I really comparing him to his summer self?

A sudden memory hit her. She thought about when James had dragged her into the storeroom at The Three Broomsticks, her words coming back to her.

"But, if you can find a way to get rid of the mask… I-I would consider giving you a second chance. I'm not promising to wait for you, but if you can find a way to be Summer James all the time, I'd consider it. But until that happens," she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. "Goodbye James."

"Oh god," she muttered to herself. She was only vaguely aware of Marlene standing there next to her. She brought a hand up to her mouth, unable to believe it. "Fuck."

Marlene lightly tapped Lily's shoulder, like she wanted to comfort Lily somehow but didn't know how. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It happens sometimes. The only thing that really matters is that with everything you've learned about James since then, do you still love him?"

Lily's immediate response was yes, but she didn't let herself say the words just yet. She needed to think this over before she spoke up, and luckily, Marlene seemed to be in a patient mood. Lily thought about the James she had met this year, a boy who never had to try too hard on his work to get a good mark; a boy who was fiercely loyal to his friends, even when they did stupid things like get into fights; a boy who had proved to be impulsive at times, yet knew when it was best to keep a cool head. She thought about how she felt when she was with him, how her heart raced, and the soles of her feet tingled. How she could never seem to stop smiling, and how safe she always felt in his arms. Yes, even with everything she'd learned about him, Lily still loved him, somehow, someway. "Yes…" Lily started hesitantly. "But I still can't be with him. He's hurt me twice already, and broke his promise not to do it again."

Marlene shrugged. "I'm not saying you have to forgive him, lord knows I wouldn't if I was you, but I just thought you needed to recognize that you can't just love the James you met over the summer; that it's all or nothing."

"What about you and Sirius?" Lily asked.

She thought she heard Marlene mutter something along the lines of "Why does everyone keep bloody asking that?", but in full volume, she replied, "Sirius and I have a different relationship from you and James. We're not in love."

"No," Lily took a step closer to Marlene. "But you still have feelings for each other. Plus, there's the possibility of a baby."

Marlene winced at the word. "Don't say that."

A thought occurred to Lily. "Have you taken a test or gone to a clinic? Like, do you know for certain?"

"Well…" Marlene hesitated a moment. "I skipped a period. I think that's enough proof."

"Not really. A missed period could be caused by a lot of different things. Don't you want to be certain?"

Marlene looked uncomfortable. "To be honest… I've been a bit afraid to find out. What if I really am?"

Lily smiled softly. "But what if you're not?"

Marlene looked into Lily's brilliant eyes. She'd never wanted to admit it, but they truly were beautiful and hypnotic, especially with the caring gleam in them at the moment. Somehow, despite everything Marlene had done to her, Lily was willing to help her. "C'mon," Lily gestured with a head tilt. "Let's go be certain."

Marlene hesitated before following Lily away from their dorm. She was trembling slightly, terrified to find out whether her life was truly about to become even messier than it already was. Lily reached over and grabbed Marlene's hand, squeezing it tightly, silently reassuring that she would be there if Marlene needed her.

They were sitting out around the bleachers. The air was cool and crisp, but much warmer than it had been in the past months. James and Sirius were passing a cigarette back and forth between them while Remus, Frank, and Peter discussed the coming end of semester. They had all just returned from the garage where they had checked to make certain everything with the bike was in order. Hagrid had given it a look over, and after getting him to promise to come support them, the five of them all went to the Three Broomsticks. Between the two of them, Sirius and James managed to charm Madame Rosemerta into giving them some booze, which they had brought back to their usual spot on the grounds.

James grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took a swig. He was trying to monitor how much he and Sirius were drinking, since he didn't want to deal with a hangover in the morning, and Sirius needed to keep a straight head.

James turned to look at Sirius, who was staring distantly up at the castle. His expression was hard to read, and James felt mildly concerned. "Whatcha thinking about?" He nudged Sirius, getting his attention.

Sirius rolled a shoulder, leaning back into the bleachers ever so casually, though the sharp look in his eyes was anything but casual. "Oh, ah, not much. Just thinking."

"Didn't know you did that," James smirked, relaxing a bit when Sirius swatted at him. He paused before asking, "Nervous?"

Sirius scoffed. He took a long drag of the cigarette and James saw his hand shake slightly. "C'mon Padfoot. What's up?"

Sirius glanced at James, as though considering his words. James cocked an eyebrow, daring Sirius to lie to him. "Marlene. I was thinking about Marlene."

James nodded. "Have you talked to her?"

"I've tried, but she refuses to even look at me," Sirius sighed. "I just… even if it's not mine, I still want to be around. Even if it's not my blood, I want to be a… a kind of father figure for this kid. I don't want the kid to grow up like I did, and if Lestrange is its father, you know that's how it'll end up." His eyes were eerie at that moment, the same silver as the moon, and James could see a haunted look in the shadows passing over Sirius's face. James knew Sirius was thinking about his own dead-beat father, and his mother who had blamed Sirius for Orion's absence. Sirius was absentmindedly rubbing his wrist, and James remembered the time Sirius had returned from holiday when they were twelve with a broken wrist. Sirius hadn't said anything, but James had known. That was the last time Sirius stayed at his parents' house.

James hesitated, knowing Sirius could potentially take the suggestion the wrong way, but… "Are you sure you don't want to back out of this? These guys at Thunder Road, they don't play around."

Sirius sat up, glaring at James. He took it just as James had expected. "You mean like punk out? No way!"

James held up his hands in surrender, stealing the cigarette back from Sirius. "Just saying." He took a drag. On his exhale, "Just… be careful out there. I wouldn't want to have to replace you with Peter."

Sirius snorted. "Peter? At least make my replacement Remus, or Frank. Wormtail doesn't have the looks to replace me."

James just grinned, passing Sirius the whiskey bottle. They sat in silence, staring up at the castle. James tried to guess which window was Lily's and wondered if she was asleep or still awake, and if she was awake, if she was looking out the window at him.

"James, we've been friends a long time right?"

James looked up surprised. It was rare that Sirius called him by his real name; James knew this was something serious, but he still couldn't stop from rolling his eyes. "Nah, I'd say it's only been a few months."

Sirius elbowed him. "Well remember that time, when we were twelve, and we snuck out of the castle to go to the drive-in? And that movie we saw about the guy and the duel, and his friend that went along to be his second in case anything happened?"

James stared at Sirius for a moment, but he did remember what his mate was talking about. "Yeah…?"

"Well… I thought you could be my second," Sirius looked away in an almost bashful manner. He was working his hands nervously over the whiskey bottle, unable to sit still. "Ya know… tomorrow… at Thunder Road."

James blinked, his mind slowly registering the words. "You mean you want me to ride with you?"

"No." Sirius shifted uncomfortably.

James contemplated his friend, but he thought he got what Sirius was trying to say. "Pads…. I thought it went without saying that I'm always your second."

Sirius looked up, a smirk on his lips. James grinned back, the two sharing a moment. Someone cleared their throat. "Well, if you two are finished staring lovingly into each other's eyes," Peter drawled. "The rest of us are going to go back. It's getting pretty cold."

An idea sprang to James's mind. He glanced at Sirius out of the corner of his eye. Though he was joking with Peter for giving them a hard time, James could still see that Sirius's mind was on Marlene and the baby. James wondered if there was a way he could help his friend without making Sirius back out of the race. "Before you pussies all go back to your beds, I propose a toast!" He grabbed the bottle of whiskey he and Sirius had been sharing, and gestured for Remus to pick up the other one Rosie had given them. "Cheers to a good race?"

"To mischief?" Peter suggested.

"To hot rides and even hotter birds?" Frank smirked.

"To not dying whilst doing stupid things?" Remus said, though he was smirking in a way that did Sirius proud.

"To making the Death Eaters piss in their pants!" Sirius crowed. The boys all hollered and hooted, taking long drinks from the bottle. Sirius went to pass James the bottle, but James waved him off.

"You keep that one to yourself. I'll take the unopened one," James held up the third bottle. Sirius nodded, taking another long drink of whiskey.

JJJ

"Oh my god, my fucking head," Sirius moaned at breakfast the next day. The Marauders and Frank had opted out of eating in the dining hall when Sirius had stepped one foot into the loud room and declared his head felt like it was going to explode.

"That's what you get for drinking an entire bottle of whiskey by yourself," Remus chided, taking an angry bite of hi"That's what you get for drinking an entire bottle of whiskey by yourself," Remus chided, taking an angry bite of his breakfast sandwich. He was bitter that they had to eat outside on the wet bleachers instead of in the dry hall. "I'm surprised your liver is still functioning! Why didn't you monitor his intake last night, Prongs?"

James held up his hands in surrender, but Sirius came to his defense anyways. "Shut up, Moony! If you're going to bitch more than my mother does about my hair length, then I'm exiling you to that tree over there!"

Remus sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, but he shut up, going back to his sandwich.

"Here." James passed Sirius a cup of coffee, which was gratefully accepted. James had to admit, his plan had not been well thought out, and had been totally last minute and highly likely to fail. But James knew his mate. He knew that when Sirius was in a deep thinking type of mood, he tended to need booze to distract himself. James also knew that Sirius drank when he felt like he needed some extra gumption - not that that was often - and the race had had him nervous enough to drive him to drink the rest of what was in the bottle they had been sharing, as well as some of the third bottle.

"At least he's not puking," Peter said helpfully. Remus shot him a look, and he quickly re-immersed himself in his pancakes.

"Just leave him alone," James spoke up. He passed Sirius a breakfast sandwich. "Let him just drink his coffee and eat his sandwich. He'll be less of a whiny bitch if we all just leave him be."

Remus grumbled to himself, but he, Frank, and Peter all listened to James. James turned back to Sirius, who was taking small bites out of his sandwich, and chugging his coffee like it was water in a hot desert. "How're you really feeling?" he asked in an undertone.

Sirius peered up at James, squinting in the dim light from the sun that peeked through the grey clouds. "Honestly, Prongs, like a fucking giant hammered my head in."

James nodded. Just as he had planned. "Just keep drinking the coffee mate." He turned back to his own breakfast, and began eating, despite the knots in his stomach.

They were due to meet the Death Eaters at 10:30 at Thunder Road. After they all finished eating, they piled into James's car and drove to the garage. They met Hagrid there, who was waiting for them, Sirius's bike in the bed of his pick-up truck. They all unloaded from James's car to greet the man-giant. "'Ello fellas! Yer ready to kick some arse, Sirius?"

Sirius winced at Hagrid's booming voice. "Ugh! So loud!" he moaned, cradling his head.

Hagrid turned to Frank. "Wha's wrong with 'im?"

Frank chuckled. "Sirius is a little hungover."

Hagrid stared at Sirius and shook his head. "Ther's no way 'e can race today. 'e can barely open 'is eyes."

Sirius looked up at this statement, and glared. "Hey! I'm in perfect condition to race!"

"Hey Padfoot!" Remus called. He had jumped into the bed of the truck, holding the keys to the bike in his hand. He turned the engine on and revved it. Sirius moaned at the loud noise. "Yeah. No way in hell you can race."

Sirius stared pleadingly at James, silently begging him to take his side. James walked over to Sirius and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry Padfoot. I'll do it. I am your second."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but James pressed down on his shoulder. "Seriously Padfoot, lemme do this. You're just going to hurt yourself if you race today, and then what will Marlene and the baby do?"

Sirius quelled. He stared at James before nodding. "Yeah… okay."

James glanced over at the rest of the gang. Peter, Frank, and Hagrid looked confused, but determined. Only Remus looked at James in understanding, as if he knew that James had planned for this all along.

Sirius, James, and Remus all drove in James's car to the abandoned road, with Hagrid, Frank, and Peter following behind them in the truck. They arrived just as the Death Eaters did. James glanced around at Thunder Road, memories of previous races running through his brain. It had been a while since he'd been here.

There were more people than just the Death Eaters amassed. James spotted Malfoy's girlfriend, Narcissa, standing with her sister, Bellatrix, just off to the side of the road. Two other females stood with them, girls James assumed to be dating Mulciber and Avery, though how those two ogres got any female attention blew James's mind. Also standing with them was Snape, glaring hatefully as the Marauders pulled up.

On their side of the track was quite the crowd as well. James was surprised to see not only Emmeline, Alice, and Dorcas, but Marlene as well. The four girls all stood around, glaring across the way at Bellatrix. Frank and Peter got out of the truck, directing Hagrid as to where he should place the bike. James parked his car, and tried not to show how nervous as he was. His hands were shaking, and he felt slightly nauseated, but he kept up a calm and focused façade, only revealing his nerves by pulling out a cigarette. The first inhale calmed him immeasurably.

James watched as Marlene walked over to Sirius, the two speaking in low tones. Marlene looked calm and cool, but James could see some concern in the way she bit her lip, a look that disappeared as Sirius explained to her that he wasn't racing. She touched his arm lightly, and gave Sirius a small smile. She glanced over and made eye contact with James, nodding to him for luck. James nodded back. He saw Frank wrap an arm around Alice, Dorcas grab Remus's hand, even Emmeline sticking close to Peter's side. James longed for Lily to be here, offering him some form of reassurance or luck, but he didn't see any red hair anywhere.

He made eye contact with Sirius and Remus, and the trio walked over to meet Rodolphus, Snape, and Malfoy in the center of the road. Malfoy took a look at Sirius's bike and smirked haughtily. "So you guys think you've got a winner there, huh?"

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "That's right. She's like greased lightning."

Malfoy snorted, "Yeah, well it takes more than just a coat of paint to make it at Thunder Road."

James cocked an eyebrow. James knew for a fact Malfoy had never once raced at Thunder Road. "Oh yeah?" he challenged. Malfoy sneered but backed down.

Snape glared murderously, a cruel smile on his face. "You guys aren't thinking about changing your mind, are you?"

Remus cocked an eyebrow. "We're here, aren't we?" he said at the same time Sirius proclaimed, "No way!"

James and Rodolphus glared at each other. "Who's your racer?" James asked, sneaking a peak at Snape. As the challenger, it was typical that he should be the one to race, unless in situations like Sirius's, where the challenged or challenger was unable to drive and a replacement could be picked.

"Me," Rodolphus spoke up.

James turned haughtily to Snape, smirking. "Too chicken?"

Snape's nostrils flared and he stepped forward as though to punch James, but Rodolphus held up a hand to stop him. "Severus isn't ready to race at Thunder Road yet," he said. Jame snuck a peak at Snape, who looked sour at being talked about like he was a child. "And your racer?"

"Me." When Snape once again looked like he was about to speak, James continued. "The challenge was meant for me anyways." They both knew it was true.

Rodolphus nodded. He pulled a toothpick from behind his ear, placed it in the corner of his mouth to gnaw on. "Rules are, there ain't no rules. It's to the second bridge and back, and whoever makes it here first wins."

James nodded. Both trios eyed each other up, sizing their competition. "What are the stakes?" Sirius asked.

"I want a confession," James spoke up.

Everyone turned to look at him like he was crazy, Remus silently asking what he was talking about, though Sirius seemed to realize what was going on after a minute or two. Rodolphus chuckled. "What, practicing to become a priest?"

James pushed on, speaking in a voice loud enough that everyone not in the group of six could hear him. "Last May, a woman was killed in a hit-and-run in a small town near Cokeworth. A witness recognized the Dark Mark on the driver's arm. If I win, I want whoever was the driver to got to the cops and confess."

There was silence, but James had seen Mulciber shift his weight a bit, trying to act casual and innocuous, which he seemed to everyone but James. Rodolphus snorted. "Cokeworth? I've never even heard of that." James knew he was lying.

James raised an eyebrow. "Then you should have no problem agreeing to those stakes. I mean, especially if you have nothing to hide."

Silence. James had just issued a challenge that now Rodolphus could not turn down. If he did, it was as good as admitting that he knew one of his men had actually committed a murder, but if he accepted the stake, then he would be risking one of his men's freedom. James's smirk increased as the seconds ticked on. "I don't see what the big deal is," he baited. "You claim you're all innocent, so what do you have to lose?"

Rodolphus's hands clenched into fists at his sides, but James could see him cracking. "Deal," he said finally, and with finality. James could just make out Mulciber's frightened shock, but he focused only on Rodolphus. "But if we win, we want-"

"We want Lily!" Snape interrupted. Rodolphus turned to glare irritatedly at the greasy-haired boy, while James felt his stomach drop out. He knew he couldn't just outright say no. If he did, Rodolphus would push for this stake all the more, knowing that James would be losing something that was worth more than anything else to him. He needed to be subtle, make it seem like losing Lily wouldn't be a big deal.

"What? No fucking way!" Sirius spoke up before James could say anything. James mentally slapped his hungover best friend. He turned and shot a furious look at Sirius quickly before morphing back into casual nonchalance.

Rodolphus turned back, his interest piqued. "What's this? Who is this girl?"

"Just a girl," James shrugged, trying to shake off the urge to pull out another cigarette. It would be a dead giveaway.

Snape smiled victoriously. "Potter dated her. He took her to the dance."

Rodolphus's expression mirrored Snape's. "Oh, I remember her. She was a fine looking bird. Probably pretty fun to play with too. She's clearly worth something to you."

"She's worth everything to him," Snape said.

"We're not betting a girl," Remus interrupted. "Ask for anything else, but not that. We're not human traffickers."

Malfoy spoke up. "Why not bet her? You're betting one of ours' freedom."

James smirked. "Thank you for that, Lucius. You just confirmed that one of you is guilty."

Rodolphus glared at Malfoy, and James could see Mulciber cracking his knuckles. "Nevertheless, that's our stake. Lily," Snape drew the attention back to that matter at hand.

Remus grabbed James's arm, pulling him and Sirius into a private powwow. "James, we can't bet Lily. It's not our place."

"I wasn't planning on it, and if someone hadn't spoken up so quickly, I might have managed that," James glared at Sirius who at least had the courtesy to look sheepish.

"So what do we do?" Sirius asked.

James placed his hands on his hips. "C'mon boys! We don't have all day," Rodolphus taunted.

"What's something the Death Eaters want more than anything? Something that would make Riddle happy?" James asked.

"Power," Sirius replied.

"Exactly. Riddle's already got power, but he wants more public acknowledgment. If he can get enough people to back him, then that makes it harder for the authorities to catch him. The more influence he has, the more immunity. Now, how does one get influence if one is a sketchy mother fucker?"

Remus snapped his fingers. "Money."

James nodded, looking at Sirius. "Which we have loads of. What if we bet them some ridiculously absurd amount. That immediately outshines the offer of Lily. Giving them a large enough amount of money, knowing it will make their master proud, would most likely be enough to take her off their minds."

Remus rubbed the back of his neck. "That's a huge risk, Prongs. What if you lose? You're basically supporting a racist, sexist, bigoted drug lord's rise to power."

James glanced at Sirius. Only if they were in this together would he go through with it. Sirius stared at James, reading him better than any other person could. After a moment or two, he nodded. "I'm with Prongs. We can't bet Lily and this is the only thing that will work."

Remus still looked torn. He glanced over James's shoulder, his eyes landing on something. Whatever it was seemed to make up his mind. "Okay."

"And Moony," James said as they straightened out. "I won't lose."

…

Lily stood at the outskirts of the group amassed around the bikes. Marlene stood beside her, the pair watching as Sirius, Remus, and James discussed the stakes of the race with the Death Eaters. Lily had seen Rodolphus before, and while she had thought he looked intimidating then, seeing him with all of his gang members made him seem even more intimidating now. She could see Snape standing by his side, sneering at the Marauders, and Lily felt her heart drop. Though she had seen his Dark Mark, a part of her had refused to believe it. Now she could no longer deny the fact that Severus had chosen his side.

The boys were still negotiating, the Marauders having just come out of their conference. Lily had arrived just as Remus pulled James aside, Marlene explaining that the two gangs were betting something to race for. They spoke with the Death Eaters, and after a few minutes, Rodolphus, with a greedy look on his face, shook James's hand. For his part, James looked stoic and determined. Lily felt her heart rate spike as James walked over to where Frank and Peter were standing besides the human giant she assumed at the infamous Hagrid.

Emmeline made a disgusted sound. Lily glanced over to see her, Alice, and Dorcas staring across the way. Lily followed their gaze and saw Bellatrix in the middle of a disgustingly graphic snogging session with Rodolphus. "What did she give him?" Dorcas asked, looking traumatized by the kissing.

Emmeline stood proud and tall, looking like a regal queen sneering at her lowly subjects. "A lock of hair, from her chest."

Alice snorted her laughter and Marlene smirked. Lily glanced over at James. He was straddling the bike, his jacket tossed aside so he was only in a white t-shirt and jeans. Sirius was gesturing around the bike as James tested the brakes and revved the engine. Hagrid stood nearby holding a helmet. Lily felt her nerves explode, and she started moving before she could think things through.

…

"James!"

James looked up at the sound of his name, the voice sounding too familiar. Sirius glanced away from where he had been informing James about the slight drift in the back wheel, so James knew he wasn't imagining things. Lily pushed her way through the group, running towards him with a scared look on her face.

"James!"

"Lily?"

She stopped in front of him, grabbing his hand on the handlebar. "Don't do this!"

"Lily? What are you doing here?" James stood up, swinging his legs over the bike so he was stand in front of her. She was clinging to his hand so tightly, like she was afraid he'd rip it away.

"Don't do this! You're being so stupid! You don't always need to do things because they expect you to, because it makes you look cool."

James's amazement at her appearance faded as he registered what she was asking of him. "Ah.. Lil…."

"No! Don't do this!" she begged.

He reached a hand up and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It seemed to shock her a bit, calming down her minimally. He rested his hand on her cheek, looking down into her eyes. They were still as beautiful and shocking as when he had first laid eyes upon her. He had this urge to listen to Lily's words, to take her hand and pull her away from everything and everyone, and go somewhere where it was just the two of them. He hesitated for a short second before leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm not doing this out of pride or because I think they want me to. I'm doing this for a friend." For you.

"James, please."

"I'm sorry, Lil. I have to."

She pulled away, looking frustrated and hurt. James wanted to scream. Can I never do anything right by her? But he was standing firm in his decision. He couldn't pull out now. He sighed, swinging his leg back over the bike and sitting down. "Hagrid, helmet please."

He felt the plastic of the visor in his hand. "Thank-"

He was interrupted by soft lips on his own. Lily kissed him firmly and fiercely, pulling away quickly. "If you die, I'll never forgive you," she hissed, shoving his helmet into his hand. She turned away from him, pushing back through the crowd of people. James stared after her, his lips still warm from Lily's. He took a moment to compose himself, clearing his head of the feel of Lily's soft cheek beneath his hand, and focused everything on the race. He could not afford to lose… literally.

He slipped the helmet over her messy hair and glanced at Sirius. Sirius nodded to him so James turned on the engine. He rode the short distance to the starting point. Rodolphus sat next to him on a huge bike with a skull, a snake crawling from its mouth, painted on it. "I see the lovely Lily showed up to wish you luck." Rodolphus taunted as James slid the visor in place. "She's a hot little number. Too bad you talked us out of that deal. She looks like a good time."

James ignored him, focusing everything on the race. He had helped Sirius build this bike, he knew it from piston to wheel to paint job. He knew this track, and he knew how to win this. He would not lose.

Bellatrix walked out into the middle of the track, standing between the pair. She unwound a scarf wrapped around her neck, and lifted it into the air. She glanced at James and smiled. "Nervous, Jamesy baby?" He ignored her, focusing only on the beams of the second bridge in the distance. "Too bad I only stick to winners. We used to have a good time together."

"Shut up and let's start this already," Rodolphus barked. Bella pouted, her eyes landing dangerously on her new boyfriend, but she shut up.

She backed up slightly, still holding the scarf in the air. Her lips curled into a smirk as she threw her arms down and then back up, signaling the start. James took off, focusing only on the bridge. It loomed closer and closer, and he leaned forward to try and go faster. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rodolphus edge closer to him. It was a fear tactic, Rodolphus trying to trick James into thinking the Death Eater would crash into his bike. James ignored him, knowing giving into such immature tricks would just throw him off his course and slow him down.

They came to the second bridge and James stuck out his leg to help himself turn. Rodolphus overshot the bridge some, and had to make a wider loop to turn around, giving James a few extra seconds' head start. James revved the engine, pushing the bike faster. He could feel the strain on the engine, but he had confidence he could make it before anything happened. Just a few meters more, come on baby, come on.

…

Lily felt like she was going to puke, she was so nervous. Everyone around her had a similar look on their face. Emmeline and Marlene were clinging to each other, looking as if they were supporting one another. Frank had his arms wrapped tightly around Alice, who was tapping her foot anxiously. Peter stood by Hagrid's side, making noises as he reacted to each maneuver both riders took. Hagrid stood silent and imposing, and Lily thought he might be praying. Remus looked calm, like he always did, but Lily also noticed he was chewing the inside of his cheek. Sirius was a mess, pacing and running around and making sounds of outrage when Rodolphus tried to psyche James out.

Lily, for her part, could only twist the hem of her sun dress anxiously. She watched as the two boys reached the second bridge and turned around. James had the lead, but Rodolphus was gaining. Lily couldn't see James's face, but she could imagine his expression of total concentration. She sent up a prayer to every and all gods to keep him safe. Come on James. Come onnnnnn…

…

James was starting to feel the drag on the back wheel. It was trying to tug him to the left, but he fought it, staying on course. He saw Rodolphus gaining on him in the side mirror. The Death Eater pulled up next to him and kicked out a leg. James was not expecting it, and jerked the wheel slightly, the bike wobbling beneath him. He quickly straightened out, and pushed it faster. Rodolphus struck out again, trying to grab James's handlebar. James moved just out of his reach noting smugly that the Death Eater's cheating tactics were slowing him down.

They were coming up to the starting point, and James could see his friends screaming at the top of their lungs, Sirius running around like an idiot. He pushed himself faster.

He felt the drag again, but this time he used it to his advantage. As Rodolphus swung out again, he let the bike pull him to the left, successfully bringing himself close enough to Rodolphus that he psyched the other boy into thinking he would hit his tire. Rodolphus pulled back, giving James enough open space to accelerate. James pushed the bike as fast as it could go, leaned forward, and sailed past Bellatrix, who marked the finish line.

He gradually slowed down, the roaring in his ear drowning out the roars of celebration from his friends. He spotted the Death Eaters first. They all looked ready to murder someone, Mulciber looking like he'd just pissed himself. James glanced over his shoulder and saw Rodolphus a ways back. He'd drive himself into a ditch when he had swerved to avoid James, and his bike was steaming as he threw his helmet and screamed in rage.

His friends were making quite the racket. They sprinted at him, surrounding him and screaming at the top of their lungs. Sirius jumped on top of James, laughing and leading a chant. James grinned, feeling smug. He looked around at the group surrounding him and he felt his heart drop a bit as he noticed one person in particular missing.

"Where's Lily?"

Author's Notes:

Hey guys! One more chapter and the epilogue left! I can't believe I'm about to finish my first multi-chap! I'm so stoked.

Anyway, I wanted to just discuss a few things, as usual I know:

1. Lily and Marlene's makeup: So, I know it probably seems like such bullshit and maybe a bit unbelievable that Lily could forgive Marlene so easily. Now, normally, I feel like Lily would have been pissed and maybe yelled at Marlene, but I also feel like Lily forgives easily. Like she holds a grudge for a while, but she is unable to stay truly angry with people for an extended amount of time. Now, James is different because he has hurt her twice, so she's more on guard with him, and more hurt than just angry. With Marlene, she's just been really petty, but she hasn't done anything that's hurt Lily the way James hurt her. Sure, she's part of the reason why James and Lily broke up the second time, but that was still mostly on James because it was his decision and his actions that forced the break-up, even if Marlene helped push him to that point.

2. The stakes: They probably seemed ridiculous and I totally agree, but A. this is a work of fiction, and B. James needed to bet something that was just as precious as Mulciber's freedom. It needed to be as large, and as big of a risk as jail time, and it couldn't be Lily, so a lot of money was the best way to do things.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter because the race was so much fun to write. If you have a hard time visualizing the race in your head, check out the 1978 movie to get an idea of what happens. It's on Netflix, and they use actual cars and drivers, instead of the greenscreen in the Grease Live! version. Just pretend they're on bikes, and that it's James and Rodolphus instead of Danny and Craterface.

xoxo Evie