1Chapter 10—finally in the double digits!—Requests

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"Good Morning." said Lily cheerfully, seating herself between James and Jenny. She gave James a quick kiss then picked up a piece of toast, ignoring his pout. "So...you boys excited about the I.E.M.C.?"

"Oh yes!" said Sirius exuberantly. "Lots of pretty foreign girls!"

"I beg your pardon?" hissed Jenny venomously. Sirius cowered.

"Nothing, Jen' dear, nothing at all." then flashed her a trademark smile.

"That wont soften me up Black." She retorted. He just gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes.

"I can't wait to speak to all the delegates!" said Aphrodite excitedly. "I especially want to have a nice long chat with the Japanese ambassadors about how their ecosystem has been holding up since—"

"Aphy! Please, spare us this once." Jenny said, stabbing a sausage with her knife and, subconsciously seductively, pulled it off with her teeth making a sort of grating sound on the metal.

"Jen, you do not know how sexy that looked." said Sirius. Jenny blushed.

"I didn't do anything!"

"You're the envy of everyone...but that's only because you're dating me!" he added as an after-thought. She narrowed her eyes, raising a dubious eyebrow.

"I'm sure." Just then Professor McGonagall came up behind the carefree teens and prodded Lily and James' back.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you both in his office. He will provide you with breakfast and excuses for your tardiness of class. Please follow me." she said tartly and turned on heel. Lily and James simultaneously shrugged but nonetheless stood up and followed her.

"See you later!" Sirius called over many heads. He and James did an odd sort of hand-twist-gesture that Lily had never seen before, but shrugged off as well.

In no time at all they were in front of the stone gargoyle.

"Acid Pops." The gargoyle leapt aside and the three entered a spiraling staircase. Lily and James gave each other one curious look before they reached a solid oak wood door. "Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you in there. You can go in." They did.

The first time Lily had ever seen Albus Dumbledore's office was when she had been nominated Gryffindor Prefect two years previous. It had hardly changed, the only difference was a small baby phoenix instead of the fully grown one she had last seen. Of course, she knew all about Phoenix's, having studied further into the species because it interested her so much. She had wanted one ever since and couldn't wait to go "find" one. She, however, wasn't able to ponder much on the subject of phoenix's as she and James were herded into the room by McGonagall and shoved into chairs. Dumbledore's smile broadened at the pair and his eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Miss Evans! Mr. Potter! How wonderful to see you two." He said, as if they were long-lost friends. "I am sure you have wondered why I have summoned you here at this fine hour in the morning."

"Its seven forty-five sir."

"Yes Mr. Potter, I am fully aware of the time, seeing as I own several clocks in this very room. Now, what I really wanted to discuss..." he leaned in, "instead of clocks, if I may..." Lily and James also leaned in anxiously, "is a proposition." Lily and James looked politely confused.

"For what?" James asked. "sir." he added. Dumbledore smiled mischievously.

"You, of course, know about the International Endeavor for Magical Cooperation. You ,also know that delegates will be sent from their home countries to come here for a week stay to experience and learn about our culture and way of living...the proposition, if you haven't already realized, is that we, in turn, and I'm referring to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, must send two of our own delegates to each school that is a participant in the International Endeavor for Magical Cooperation organization. The staff and I, needless to say, have nominated the two of you." Lily and James were speechless.

"Are you serious Professor?" Lily stated aghast after several seconds of stunned silence.

"No, I believe that would be Mr. Black who we have not nominated pertaining to certain...er...reasons." He said with a chuckle. Lily laughed back feebly, still in a state of shock, but James roared along with Dumbledore. "So...will you two be accepting?" He had a questioning and curious expression on his face. Lily's thoughts went something like this:

Oh my gosh..this is the chance of a life-time! This is most likely to never happen for a very long time and this is my last year at Hogwarts! To go to a whole new country and learn their life style...wow...but then what about back here? I'll be missing Aphy and Jenny, not to mention the rest of the marauders, thought it would be nice to have some alone time with James...a whole week away from teachers...of course I'm sure there'll be teachers there, wherever we're being sent to...but hey, they don't have to know me and James are together, so they'll never suspect a thing! We could finally have some time together! Oh...but I bet we'll be really busy...doing delegate things and such...oh! And we'll be missing conversing with all the delegates who come here, to Hogwarts, and we'll miss getting to meet all the backgrounds...If we go visit someplace the only people we'll be seeing will be the people who live there...oh, wait! I forgot! They're sending delegates to every country participating in I.E.M.C. so I'll still get to see the different cultures and meet and speak with everyone. Lily sat straighter in her seat, feeling more assured about her mental debate with her conscience. James thoughts went a bit more like this:

I hope me and Lily can share a room!

Oh, if only, if only...if only Dumbledore knew the thoughts of his two head students. Lily had a sneaking suspicion he did. Suddenly, without any warning, Fawkes leapt off his golden perch and flew over to Lily, landing gracefully on her shoulder.

"Hello boy." she said softly, patting his head. Dumbledore beamed.

"I see you have an interest in my friend, Miss Evans?"

"Oh yes, sir!" said Lily, her eyes sparkling, "I absolutely love them! I'm going to find one for myself one day." she said matter-of-factly. Dumbledore chuckled.

"If there is any way I can help, please feel free to ask."

"Actually, Professor...I was wondering...how did you come about with Fawkes?"

"What do you mean Miss Evans?"

"How did...well, how do I put this...how did you get Fawkes?" she said lamely. A clouded look came over Dumbledore's eyes.

"That, Miss Evans, I'm afraid I cannot answer." Lily's cheeks inflamed profusely.

"I'm sorry sir—! I didn't mean...I—um—sorry." James nudged her with his eyebrows raised humorously.

"Lils...I think this is where you shut up." Lily mock glared at him.

"So," Dumbledore pulled the attention back to himself, "do you two agree? Would you like to be one of our groups of exchange students?" their brows furrowed in thought.

"I think I'll have to think about it Professor," Lily threw a look at James out of the corner of her eye, her head barely tilted in his direction. "James?"

"I'll have to ask my parents. It'll be a bit tricky though...they're very hesitant about me doing anything remotely dangerous."

"And how would this be dangerous, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, your sending me to a foreign country, of course! Don't you think that's a bit risky for its inhabitants?" he said with a smirk.

"I think you'll be alright. Now—toast?" he pulled a plate out of no where and set it on the edge of his desk, motioning for Lily and James to take one.

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"Your joking, right?"

"No Jenny, I'm not joking."

"You've been chosen to go to a whole different country?"

"Yes Jenny."

"And you're even thinking about accepting, even a tiny bit?"

"Ye–why not?" Lily asked, putting her hand son her hips. Jenny grabbed Lily's shoulder's in a frenzy.

"You can't leave me!"

"And why can I not leave you pray tell?"

"Because I'll do naughty things with Sirius that you don't approve of." She ignored Lily's shudder and continued. "How am I supposed to control myself without your little voice in my head?"

"Substitute my voice for Aphy's then. I really want to go!"

"Nope, Aphy will forget...she's not as consistent as you are."

"Then use magic. I know there's a way to put my voice in your head (without your having a guilty conscious for no reason)."

"Li-ly!" Jenny insisted, stamping her foot on the ground like a child. "Stop making up excuses!"

"I could say the same about you!" Lily shifted her book bag irritably to her other shoulder. Jenny huffed and ran in the direction of the great hall (the two girls had been on their way to the common room). Lily threw her hands up in exasperation.

"WHY ME!" she exclaimed. A hand draped over her shoulder.

"Because you're drop dead gorgeous and all mine." said James, kissing her unexpectedly. When he pulled away he ruffled her hair. "So...not a bit unlike Dumbledore to pop a good one on us like that, eh?"

"Huh?"

"About being exchange students and whatnot." he said airily, then turned serious. "You are going to go, aren't you? I've already got the approval from my parents."

"Was it easy?" she asked sarcastically. James didn't notice.

"Yeah, it was actually. I thought for sure my mum would flip out about me being so far away from home but...ah well, I've already got in, so what's it matter anyways? Now all I have to do is wiggle out of you that 'Yes, James, Lord of all hotness and coolness, I would love to grace your presence and come along with you on this rendezvous...oh James! Kiss me! Kiss me!'" he answered cheekily.

"I think people are wondering why you are demanding you kiss yourself."

"Ah Lily, the Queen of Obvious, Princess—"

"If you don't stop giving me and yourself titles we're both going to wind up being statue's that hide Dumbledore's liquor stash or something."

"What?" he asked laughing.

"'Lily the Obvious'" she mimicked, "I'll be a painting on the third floor in no time." and she couldn't help a small giggle along with his hearty, head-back, full-out roar. "You know...I'm not really hungry."

"Well I am—"

"Oh look! It's raining!" Lily flew away from him and towards a nearby window that showed rain drifting down in sheets over the great lake and the forbidden forest. The window was only a few feet off the ground, and fairly wide, so Lily dropped her book bag on the stone floor with a soft thump and hitched herself up onto the broad windowsill. James joined her.

"I love the rain." she stated.

"I love you." he had never taken his eyes off her as they sat in silence. She averted her gaze from the rain to his deep hazel eyes.

"I love you too." she replied softly. She turned herself around, and scooted herself into his lap. He folded his arms around her small body and took a deep breath, burring his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled the scent of her soft hair.

"Please say you'll come." he pleaded, after a few moments of just their breathing. The gray sky comforted their restless spirits.

"You sound as if your asking me to run away with you."

"And if I was...?" he left off as he felt her body temporarily tense, then relax.

"I'd follow you in a heartbeat."

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AW! Absolutely could not resist a fluffy moment. Don't you just love the rain? It always calms me. Anywho, please review! They are very much appreciated. And go ahead and ask some question about the I.E.M.C., I'll be happy to answer them in the next chapter (whether individually or as a whole I haven't decided yet) I also am going to add a one shot, possibly short five chapter-like fic about a few felines and our heroic duo (I am talking, of course, about Lils and Jamsie) ...just thought I'd mention. And I have a ton of idea's I'm dying to get down on paper and/or computer so you have been warned!

Denierure