Hey I'm back:] hasn't been too terribly long, anyway one person commented and said there isn't an ocean by Hogwarts, well there is some sort of water! And I didn't go and search where Hogwarts is and wat lake or maybe OCEAN so I just guessed:] also one person was wondering why James and Lily were so close, well idk how old you are, but when you go dramatic things with someone you sort of liked before and you're a teenager you get attached and bond quicker. It's just flirting right now anyway so its chill people:]

I love the reviews though! I love answering questions and hearing your likes, dislikes, loves.

I love this chapter because it seems so real I guess. I based this opening off of my friends who have had experiences with trying so hard to please girls they end up in crap:] hope you like it!

"Prongsie!" Sirius shouted at breakfast.

"What is it Padfoot?" James asked.

"Where's Moony and Wormtail?" Sirius asked.

"Right behind you" James said.

"Hello" Remus said.

"Alright guys, so I have something to tell you." Sirius said nervously.

"Oh god Sirius, don't tell me you had sex with Shay while she was drunk" James cringed.

"Oh Merlin, mate did she drunkenly seduce you?" Remus asked.

"No!" Sirius said disgusted, "I would never take advantage of her. No this is actually about something that I took on as a favor to the girls."

"What did you sign us up for Sirius?" Remus said sitting down at the table.

"We are in charge of the Halloween Ball" Sirius said attempting a smile. Remus spit out his pumpkin juice and James choked on his pancake.

"Excuse me?" James asked.

"I know I know I messed up, but I was talking to Shay see-"

"Oh Merlin" Remus said shaking his head, "You were talking again. Gosh you gotta stop doing that."

"Shut it Moony. Anyway they were going to cancel it see, because Lily and Shay were in charge and Lily hasn't been well and Shay has been so sad and not herself since the attack and so. I said. Wewouldplaneverythingandtheydidnthaveanythjngtoworryabout." Sirius said quickly and drowning his words with a gulp of pumpkin juice.

"Well, we better start planning then, we can't let them down they deserve to be happy again." Remus said.

"That's what I said!" Sirius exclaimed happily.

"Yeah let's go plan" James said disgustedly.

"It might not be that bad" Peter piped in.

Remus and James glared at him.

"Thank you Peter! It might be fun guys!" Sirius said hopefully.

"Let's go." James said ushering the group out of the Great Hall and out to the Lake where they would stay all day trying to think of the dream ball for Hogwarts.

0.o.0

When Lily walked down to the Great Hall she bumped into James walking out to the Lake.

"Hi, are we going to grab breakfast?" Lily asked.

"Lily I would love to, but Sirius told Shay that we are taking over plans for the ball, so we have to plan the whole thing in what's today?" James asked.

"October 25" Lily said amused, "And don't worry about it, can I hel- ahhh" Lily gasped in and grabbed her side biting her lip in pain.

"Lily!" James exclaimed worriedly touching her side.

"It's-it's nothing it happens all the time." Lily said biting down on her lip again hard.

"You need to go rest don't worry about it we'll plan everything and it will be amazing." James promised clutching Lily's other hand. Lily smiled weakly and walked back towards the common room.

"Now look who promised!" Sirius said triumphantly smirking.

"Shut it Black she's injured and just because you're some kind of super human when recovering from an attack, Lily's fragile and she isn't doing well! So yes we are going to plan this ball and it's going to be perfect!" James declared.

0.o.0

"We're screwed" James said falling backwards defeated.

"How do girls do this?" Sirius asked no one in particular as the Marauders huddled around the papers they had spread out on the grass by the lake.

"There are so many different themes" Remus whined. "Can't I manage money or something not creative?"

"No Lily and Shay already did all that" James said.

"We could just do a normal Halloween party" Peter suggested.

"That's what they had planned, but it's different now. It's almost like it needs to be more meaningful than just another party." Sirius said. "It should be like a snapshot of everything we've been through."

The boys sat in silence, contemplating how to achieve perfection.

"I know what to do" James said smiling.

0.o.0

"Can't you please tell us a little bit about what the theme is or the decorations?" Lily begged.

"No, but we need lots and lots of pictures so I hope you like modeling and go tell the seventh year girls to come to the lake to get their picture taken." Sirius said excitedly.

"A photo shoot?" Shay asked. "I am so worried."

"Have a little faith love" Sirius said. "Come on this year the ball is only for seventh years so our theme fits perfectly, I think you might just kiss me you'll be so impressed."

"Keep dreaming" Shay muttered going into the girls dormitories to tell everyone the news.

0.o.0

"Alright now these pictures need to capture all of the friendship and love at Hogwarts! So if you're in a relationship boyfriends and girlfriends or boyfriends and boyfriends or vice versa we won't judge, get a picture together." Sirius said. "Also get one with your best mates; just be happy!"

"Alright Lily and Shay you're up first." James said ushering them to a spot near the big oak tree.

Remus, the photographer, took tons of pictures of Lily and Shay. They were jumping and hugging and laughing. Then Shay went and grabbed Sirius and pulled him into the shots. Lily migrated to behind the scenes and watched as Sirius held Shay from behind and carried her bridal style. None of them had ever seen either of them so happy. It was almost as if the camera took away all of the troubles that weighed down on their shoulders.

"Alright Prongs and Lily's turn!" Shay said after Sirius and Shay had posed for a good amount of photos.

Lily took James' hand and pulled him out to the designated photo taking spot. They danced, posed, laughed and they ended up with James behind Lily and he had his hands around her waist.

"Okay last shot" Remus said.

James leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek just as the flash went off. Lily just smiled and showed no signs of surprise, neither did their fellow seventh years, save Shay and Sirius, didn't seem to notice they were all discussing who to take pictures with.

"Wow" James breathed as Lily leaned her head back against his chest.

"Sorry I was in the moment." James said blushing.

"Don't apologize" Lily said happily.

"Well let's let everyone else take pictures." James suggested leading Lily back to their friends.

Shay and Sirius were smiling like idiots when James and Lily approached.

"Please don't be a girl about this Padfoot." James pleaded.

"I have said nothing" Sirius replied still smiling.

"Lily Lily Lily! In the name of Merlin's pants why didn't you tell us you guys are together?" Shay asked.

"We weren't- aren't" James said.

"That was just sort of spur of the moment" Lily said.

"That's so romantic!" Shay and Sirius gushed at the same time.

"Come on let's get one of all of us!" James said changing the subject, "Alice? Can you take the picture please?"

"Sure you guys" Alice said.

"Come on Remus, Peter you too!" Lily said.

"Smile!" Alice said.

0.o.0

"Alright, after eight hours of taking every seventh year's picture. We have the shuddering total of 23,456 photos." Remus said.

"Holy hell, Remus why'd you take so many photos?" Sirius asked.

"Lets limit it to one photo per group and one per couple." James suggested.

"Okay James, Sirius pick yours and Peter and I will start on everyone else's." Remus said handing James and Sirius their stacks of photos.

"Don't forget the one of just us Marauders and the one with Lily and Shay." James reminded them.

"We know just pick your photos!" Remus said.

"Well, I wonder which one James will pick" Sirius teased.

"Maybe I don't want to display that to the whole school" James said trying to keep a straight face, but when he locked eyes with Sirius they burst out laughing.

"Which one are you going to pick of you and Shay?" James asked after regaining self control.

"She would kill me if I picked without her, oh right on cue darling" Sirius said smiling as Shay, "We have to pick a photo of us. I'm between these two. This one we look sexy, bur this one we look happier"

"Let's pick both" Shay suggested.

"Can't only one picture per couple." Sirius said, "We ended up with 23,000 photos. I'm blaming Remus"

"Ok the happy one then." Shay said pointing to the one where she jumped on his back and they both laughed.

"But love we look so sexy and seductive here" Sirius said pointing to the other one where Sirius had one hand Lifting the shirt off her skin on her hip and the other on her neck and Shay had her hands on his chest.

"You tampered with this one didn't you" Shay said.

"No" He replied smiling.

"Rhetorical question"

"Straight answer"

"You can keep this one, but I don't want other people to see it maybe If you told me what you guys are doing I could choose whether I wanted to choose it or not." Shay said batting her eyelashes hopefully.

"Nice try" Sirius said.

"Fine, but we're using the piggy back one." Shay declared handing the picture to Remus.

"Well, I'm keeping this one." Sirius stated.

"Alright fine, but it never even happened! You most definitely didn't have you shirt unbuttoned and you didn't have your hand up my shirt either!" Shay said and stormed out dragging Lily away from James.

"Shay! I was enjoying talking to James!" Lily complained as she was dragged into the nearly empty Gryffindor common room.

"You know what I think?" Shay asked, Lily shook her head in reply so she continued, "We have let being friends with the Marauders take over our super fantastic gal time"

"You're so right!" Lily said in the same New York accent Shay had used. "I miss letting loose and not having a care in the wor-" Lily doubled over clutching her torso.

"Oh Lils, the pain still hasn't gone away? Maybe we should post pone this" Shay suggested rubbing her hand gently in circles on her ailing friends back.

"No" Lily stammered slowly straightening herself up and letting her body relax, "Come to the Head's dorm tonight we can watch crappy movies and sing karaoke like old times."

Shay smiled and hugged her, "I'll be there, I actually have to go to the library and study. Want to come darling?"

"I'll pass I think I'll go help them pick our more photos." Lily replied.

"Don't let Sirius tamper with any of our pictures please." Shay begged, Lily nodded and the girls parted ways.

"Evans is back!" Sirius shouted as Lily entered the Marauders dorm for the second time.

"I have been sent to make sure Sirius doesn't charm anymore photos." Lily said smiling and settling next to James.

"Damn that girl" Sirius cursed.

"Be nice Black!" Lily said laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Sirius asked with a straight face, "Is there something funny?"

Lily continued to laugh uncontrollably, she tried to regain composure, but she succumbed to the laughter again when she saw Sirius staring at her with the most blank face she'd ever seen.

"I'm- I'm sorry!" Lily said gasping for air.

"You ok Lily-flower?" Remus asked.

"Yes" She said taking a deep breath.

"Are you done?" Sirius asked

Lily nodded biting back another fit of laughter.

"You're a strange one you are" Sirius said shaking his head and letting a small smile creep onto his lips.

Lily smiled widely and leaned against James placing her head on his shoulder.

"So want to tell me what this ball is even about?" Lily asked.

"No" the Marauders said together.

"James," Lily said smiling seductively and running her fingers slowly up his muscular arm. "I was wondering..." Lily could see the longing in his eyes as she neared his face and let her warm breath tickle his ear. "What the theme-"

"Don't do it mate!" Sirius yelled breaking James of his trance, "Shay does it all the time it only leads to disappointment and cold showers!"

"Shut it Black" Lily hissed.

"No way Lils, not about this. We really want it to be a surprise." James said looking deep in to her eyes and sending a shiver down her back.

"I understand" Lily said earnestly, "I think I'll go meet up with Shay at the library."

"Oh!" Lily said spinning around at the door to face the Marauders once again. "I need you out of the dorm tonight please, Shay and I are having a girls night, since you boys just take so much time up we never get to have fun just the two of us anymore."

"Of course Lily" James said smiling, "I'll sleep here no worries."

Lily smiled and left for the library.

"We are sneaking into that dorm tonight!" Sirius exclaimed as soon as the door closed

"That's stalkerish and perverted." James said disgustedly.

"So we're going" Remus said.

"Moony do you even need to ask?" James said.

0.o.0

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Lots of Love!

Anna