James was pacing back and forth at the bottom of the staircase in the heads' common room when Lily came down drowsy and ready for breakfast. He looked worried, anxious even as though he was going over final plays for a quidditch match like she'd seen him do before over the summer with Sirius. What on earth had got him so wound up before the first day back even properly started? She wondered. Then it hit her. Oh she thought. "Morning James" She greeted clearing her throat. The poor lad nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Ah morning Lily. I was waiting for you. Ugh not creepily or anything I just… ugh wanted to ugh talk to you. About last night. Before we go down to breakfast that is. I didn't want to put my foot in it." He stammered. It was bizarre to watch James Potter to be so out of his cool, calm function zone.

Ah yes last night…

"Lily Evans will you… would you…" James had stumbled over his words

"Yes" She had smiled as she leaned in. "The answer is yes Potter"

She just had to go ahead and kiss him again. Then with all the awkwardness she could possibly have ever mustered in one space at one time she had pulled away from him, wished him good night and left him looking baffled as she escorted herself rapidly to bed slamming her bedroom door shut behind her.

She'd slumped against the door going over the scenario over and over again in her head. She'd just agreed to go out with James Potter. The thought made her feel giddy. She barely took in her new bedroom surroundings. It was similar to the set up she'd had in the Gryffindor girl's dorms except for the fact there was a single queen bed instead of five singles making it much more spacious. After a few minutes of deep breathing she'd managed to calm herself down enough to get up off the floor and practically fall into bed before being lulled straight to sleep by the rain she could hear hammering down outside.

"Oh… yes last night" Lily replied, pushing her hair behind her ear nervously. "What about it?"

"I just wanted to double check that I wasn't in fact hallucinating after eating too much pudding. Or dreaming…" He muttered.

"Oh no it happened. Definitely no dreaming involved on that one" She responded, descending the last stair.

"Right then. So you err. You haven't changed your mind then?" He asked

"Do I have a particular reason to do so?" She smirked amused by the prospect of the JAMES POTTER second guessing himself.

"No. No reason at all. Anyway so ugh now what?"

"What do you mean now what? We go down to breakfast, we eat, we get our timetables and we go from there. Come on I'm hungry" She brushed past him on the way to the exit. He shook his head as if trying to organise his train of thought.

"No what I meant to say is what happens with us now? I mean we're dating so do I like hold your hand? Do I not? Do you want to say anything or are we just gonna leave it or what? Like I don't even know I've never exactly thought this far ahead."

Lily turned around rolling her eyes at him. God he could be so dramatic. "First off stop stressing, we're dating now kinda… I guess anyway that parts no biggie. I imagine the first thing you're going to want to do is tell the marauders and I'm going to have to tell the girls, which I am cool with but I'd rather not go shouting it round the rest of the school because a.) It's not really anyone else's and b.) I don't really want to hear everybody's two knuts on the fact we're now dating and not apparent arch nemesis. If someone asks I'm not going to deny it, other than that" She shrugged "I don't really mind. Hold my hand is you want or don't it's up to you. I'm not big on the whole public displays of affection thing unless it's just in front of our friends…"

"So no sudden spontaneous snogs in the middle of the corridor got it" He stated.

"Now can we go? because I'm starving here and McGonagall's probably already started handing out time tables." Lily entered the great hall with James a couple of steps behind her, she scanned the crowd and saw her friend's clumped together and yawning at the center of the Gryffindor table. As Lily had predicted Professor McGonagall was already walking the line up the table handing out student timetables. Marlene noticed her and waved beckoning her over to the table, Lily smiled back in her direction and skittled quickly into an empty seat.

"You alright mate? You look like you've barely slept a wink Prongs" Remus asked as James took a seat beside him and Remus. Lily looked up and noticed more of his facial features now. He did in fact look like he'd barely slept, his hair was more of a ruffled mess than usual and there were dark circles forming under his eyes. He looked more like he'd recently walked out of an ordinary wizarding level exam rather than just got up for the first day of school. He opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall approaching them.

"Black, Evans, Lupin, MacDonald, McKinnon, Meadows, Pettigrew and last but not least Potter. Time tables, if you have any problems please come and see me in my office at some point today please. Mr. Potter I expect you not to be falling asleep in my class this morning" She raised an eyebrow before stalking off to the next group of Gryffindor's.

The distraction of timetables stopped whatever it had been that James was about to say. The topic switched to who had what and when, although most of their timetables matched up taking the same subjects. The only exceptions from having the exact same timetable from everyone else where Peter and Mary, with Peter taking ancient ruins in favour of herbology and Mary continuing on with care of magical creatures in replacement of transfiguration.

The rest were left with the same timetable. Monday didn't start until 11am with transfiguration then came lunch at 12 followed by charms at 1pm and herbology at 2pm. Tuesday was a bit harsher starting with charms at 10am, defense against the dark arts after that and then double potions after lunch. Wednesday and Thursday were easier with just three classes' herbology, transfiguration and defense following in the afternoon.

"Now Friday is just bloody cruel. A 9am start of double potions with the Slytherins, then charms and then transfiguration straight after lunch!" Sirius growled "They might as well kill us all now"

"I would like to point out Sirius that you can't really complain. Lily's barking mad and has signed herself up for an extra class on top of all of that." Marlene commented looking over Lily's timetable which had astronomy slipped in at 6pm on a Friday.

"It's not an extra class as such… I volunteered last year to help Professor Campbell by hosting a tutorial on a Friday evening, since I got an O for my owl. I only have to attend if students decide they want tutoring. Which they have to arrange with me before the Friday of that week." Lily explained. The others all still looked at her as though she'd lost all her bloody marbles.

"Merlin's beard why would you take that on. We're gonna end up swamped as is." Sirius exclaimed.

"You have quidditch I have astronomy" Lily shrugged.

"Prongs tell Evans to wash her mouth out with soap at once. I did not hear her just compare quidditch and astronomy tutoring in the same sentence." Sirius feigned shock and horror, pulling more sausages onto his already over flowing breakfast plate. James who had been modestly quiet up to this point just nodded in agreement through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Merlin what has gotten into you this morning Prongs. You're never this quiet. Are you ill or something?" Remus asked his voice laced with concern.

"I hope not" Lily added. James mumbled something under his breath that no one other than Sirius seemed to catch, whose eye brows rocketed upwards and looked towards Lily stunned.

"You bloody what mate?" Sirius asked. Lily rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yes Potter and I are now dating big whoop"

"Hang on a minute he just said he kissed ya, now you're saying you're together… What the fuck happened when we all went to bed last night?" Sirius was amazed, Lily felt as though every eye was on her and her face flushed.

"We kissed, he asked me out… Kinda… I said yes" Lily simplified. James nodded his head vigorously in agreement. Marlene smiled cockily and turned on Peter.

"Alright Pettigrew. Pay up you owe me 10 sickles"

"Over what?" James asked, suddenly finding his own voice. Peter looked down at his plate with embarrassment.

"Pettigrew and I made a bet which one another last year. I bet you'd get Lily to date you by the time we graduated. He said never in a million years. Karma's a bitch ain't it Pete?" Marlene sniggered.

"Pete you bet against me?" James asked the crestfallen look clear on his face.

"Well she did kinda like hate your guts for a while there…. She said she'd agree to a date with the giant squid before you so you know it seemed like a safe bet" He replied bashfully. "Although now I wish I'd bet less than 10 sickles"

"If it makes you feel better James I didn't date the giant squid first… Mostly because he didn't ask" Lily laughed trying to diffuse the tension around the table. James couldn't help but laugh too and returned to his breakfast. "So just for the sake of honesty… who else placed bets on me and Potter?" Lily asked the rest of the table who all looked at each other sheepishly. One by one each raised their hand except Remus.

"Alright you wankers who bet what?" James grumbled. Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bound notebook.

"Peter bet 10 sickles with Marlene that you wouldn't even manage it. Marlene counter offered 15 sickles by the time you graduate. Dorcas bet by the end of sixth year… loosing 5knuts to both Marlene and Mary. Mary bet 10 sickles by the middle of the year as of last night after dinner with the group…. So I guess technically she's right on that one. And one Sirius Black bet your father 20sickles by the end of the summer while he retorted 10Sickles by Lily's sister's wedding" Remus rambled off.

"You placed a bet with Dad Padfoot" James asked his brother amazed.

"Hey I would like to point out that I was the closest out of all of you… and technically the summer isn't over until classes start which is today. So your dad owes me." Sirius shrugged. "Remus is the one keeping the books here."

"Well someone had to keep track and be unbiased in all of this" Remus retorted.

For the first time in her entire Hogwarts career Lily did not sit in the very front row of Professor McGonagall's transfiguration class. For the first time James and the marauders found themselves not sitting at the very back. After a heated discussion on the way to the class room Lily had convinced James to sit with her further towards the front, the marauders joining in by extension. And James had managed to convince her that it was perfectly acceptable to sit about three rows back and still be able to take everything in. The rest of the class was unnerved by the change in seating arrangement, but none of them looked as concerned as Professor McGonagall herself when she enter the room in the form of a cat.

She walked briskly through the bustle of students until she realised where the marauders were sat. She paused on the spot while still in cat form, pondered them all for a moment and then continued on her way towards her desk shaking her head dismally before returning to her true human form. From here she once again looked back at the group of young men as though she was waiting for her desk drawer to suddenly explode open, or the chandelier to drop out of the roof. But it didn't happen. Lily however took no notice of the strange and curious look that her professor and the other students were throwing her way. She was too busy fishing out a pen and notebook from the bottom of her bag, along with her copy of the assigned text.

"You know I've never noticed you don't use a quill" James noted.

"I only use a pen for this class. Professor McGonagall speaks so quickly half the time I can barely keep up with note taking if I use a quill. You I notice haven't brought any form of writing utensil with you" She scolded. James shrugged.

"Transfiguration's what I'm good at. I've never really taken notes"

"Well not all of us can be animagi at a ripe young age" Lily hissed back quietly, with a playfulness in her tone.

"Today we shall begin to work on the third most difficult of the four branches of transfiguration. Can anybody tell me what that is?" Professor McGonagall started addressing the class. Both Lily and James's hands shot up. "Mr. Potter" The professor nodded, calling on James to give his answer.

"Conjuration" He quipped.

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Now in previous years you have used simple conjuring spells such as Aqua Eructo. However, this year we shall be moving onto something much more complex. The conjuration of inanimate objects is child's play in comparison to the conjuration of living things. The conjuration of live animals has its limitations and requires great skill. Can anyone tell me what can happen if an animal conjuration spell is performed incorrectly?" The professor asked. Lily's hand shot up again and Professor McGonagall chose to her. "Miss Evan's if you'd please"

"The Principle of Artificial Animate Quasi-Dominance states that malpractice of conjuring living creatures out of thin air can cause, severed heads and indeterminate stumps of body parts of the animal and even mutant hybrids" Lily replied confidently.

"Correct again. Another 10 points for Gryffindor house. Today well shall be working with some relatively simple animal conjuration spells. Birds are one of the easiest animals to conjure. So the task for today is for each of you to perfectly conjure a raven out of thin air. Please turn to page 34 of the text."

Lily flipped the pages of the text book trying to find the correct passage when she was startled with a loud caw near her ear. No. He had not just. Lily turned her head to find a raven staring at her sideways curiously, its beak only a few inches away from her face. Satisfied the bird hopped up and down along her desk and started bobbing up and down in front of James who was looking at her sheepishly.

"You've got to be kidding me Potter." She huffed.

"Sorry" He replied. Oh she knew he wasn't sorry really. James had always been brilliant at Transfiguration. It was the only subject he could beat her in and it pissed her off to no end that he could probably manage it blind folded. Especially considering the fact, he had just produced the raven non-verbally before she could even find the page in the text book.

"Apparet corvum" Lily heard Sirius mutter and suddenly a second bird joined James's on the desk. Followed quickly by another and another as Remus and Peter cast their own spells.

"Apparet corvum" Lily stated clearly with a flick of her wand. She'd managed to conjure a measly pile of black feathers but no bird. She tried again but got the same reaction. She didn't dare look up to see James. She could do this, she had this. Looking at him would just put her off. "Apparet corvum" She repeated impatiently, the frustration creeping into her voice. Again she was greeted by a puff of feathers. "Not a word Potter"

"Hey I didn't say anything. You nearly had it" He surrendered.

It took another 10 minutes and she was still no closer to making a raven appear out of thin air. Remus, Sirius and Peter were distracting themselves by having their birds race around the room for their own amusement, much to Professor McGonagall's displeasure. Although she couldn't really complain as so far none of her other students had mastered the conjuration spell either. James however still silently had his eyes on Lily. "Alright you are bloody putting me off with your apparent superiority when it comes to this" Lily huffed, letting her wand clatter onto the desk.

"How am I putting you off? I'm just sitting here quietly"

"That's precisely the problem. You're never quiet" She hissed. James bird was now becoming somewhat of an annoyance continuously bobbing up and down in front of her as though teasing her for her failure.

"Would you prefer it of I set off some firecrackers and got myself sent to Dumbledore's office?" He asked her.

"No" She muttered. She took in a deep breath, her eyes focused on James's raven so she had a clear picture in her mind's eye as to what she wanted to conjure from thin air. For what had to be the fiftieth time by now she repeated the incantation. There was a horrid squawk and feathers flew about in all directions as at long last her spell worked and a second raven appeared, falling with no grace what so ever onto James's. Giving both creatures the fright of their little lives. Lily couldn't help herself but to laugh out loud at the poor things misfortune. James offered her a slow clap.

"See told you, you would get the hang on it" He smirked.

"Oi Prongs" Sirius was laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his face. He was almost falling off his chair.

"What?" James asked raising an eye brow in confusion.

"Your um bird" Remus coughed clearing his throat. James and Lily turned to see that James's conjured raven was attempting rather unsuccessfully to mount Lily's. With a quick flick of his wand both birds disappeared back into thin air.

"Sorry about that." James replied bashfully.

"Lily I'm drowning" James whined. He lay upside-down, his back against the seat cushions, head sticking out over the edge with his legs in the air swung over the back of the couch in the heads common room. Lily was sat upright beneath him on the floor scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment.

"James it's Wednesday and you are not drowning. Now will you help me finish this prefect timetable already?" She scoffed. "We have to hand them out before the weekend."

"But Lily…." He continued to complain "We've got a transfiguration essay due by Friday, Professor Sprout wants the first 6 chapters of that bloody book read by Monday, Slughorn wants us to know that potion off by heart by tomorrow and I still need to organise the quidditch trials!"

"James please, all you have to do is go book the pitch and then put up a notice in the common room. Big deal" She turned her head and kissed him lightly on the tip of is nose. "It's a miracle those glasses don't fall off your bloody face" She chuckled.

"It is a big deal Lils. I need to design drills. Without drills I just have a bunch of people standing around on the pitch looking at me like I'm some kind of fool." He defended.

"I know for a bloody fact that the same drills are done every bloody year Potter. Due to all the random people who turn up to try-outs you don't want any of the other teams knowing your plays so cut that shit out and help me." She slapped his cheek playfully.

"But effort" He moaned.

"Ha you just earned a one-way ticket to finishing this yourself" She teased handing him over the piece of parchment and standing up.

"And where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" He fussed.

"For nice long relaxing bath before I crawl into bed" She sauntered towards the staircase.

"Can I join you?" He asked. Lily whipped her head around so fast she could have snapped her neck.

"No Potter you cannot join me in the bath!" She protested, her face flushed. He closed his eyes and scrunched his face together in a cringe.

"That is not what I meant." He started. "Let me clarify. Can I join you after your bath for a cuddle before you go to bed?" Lily pondered the idea for the moment. The last few nights she had crawled up into James bed for half an hour with a cup of tea for a cuddle and to chat. As far as she was aware he was still yet to see her bedroom. She didn't see why not.

"If you finish those timetables for the prefects and go make me a cuppa tea. I suppose"

"Done deal" He replied chirpily, righting himself and finally setting to work on the timetables.

Lily left him be and ascended the stairs to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and locked it with a defiant click before running the hot water. She stripped herself bare of her clothes and pulled her hair up into a high pony tail as she sat on the edge of the bath, letting her toes touch the rising water level. As the water rose Lily reflected on sending her sister a letter, she'd told Petunia last time they'd visited her father that she would send a letter by the weeks' end to get an update on all the wedding stuff. For once Petunia didn't seem to mind the idea of corresponding with her sister, though Lily suspected this was probably because she had the opportunity to rub something in her face… like getting married. She wondered how Petunia would react now that Lily was actually seeing someone. Petunia was already aware of the fact that she'd chosen to bring James as a plus one, she hadn't been happy about that then when he was just a friend, but now he was actually her boyfriend. She pictured a look of mild disgust plastered to Petunia's face and a speech about not showing her up in front of her guests.

Lily slid herself down into the now deep water and turned off the tap. All the aches and pains of being slouched over a desk and sitting on the floor started to melt away as her skin became saturated. She rotated her shoulders loosening all the knots that had formed over the past few days. James was half right, the work load they had been given was immense and it was the first week back and was only about to get harder. N.E.W.T's were no joke. She'd have to get at least exceeds expectations in all of her exam results to even have a hope at getting into the healer training program at St Mungo's. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She hadn't even started on the essay that was due on Friday. A groan escaped her, she really needed to get a move on with that but right now had no motivation what so ever. All that played on her mind was slipping beneath her warm sheets in her flannel pajamas with her cup of tea and bitching to James about how yes their work load was border lining on unfair and unreasonable. She lay with her back against the tub until the temperature started leaning more and more towards Luke-warm. With a sigh she pulled the plug and heaved herself out of the bath into the cold air. She shivered and hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself.

Unlocking the door Lily carefully peered around outside to make sure Potter was nowhere to be seen. She didn't fancy letting him see her dripping wet in a towel this early in their newly developed relationship. Nope too soon. But fortunately he wasn't around. Pulling the towel around her tightly she hastily bounced off the ends of her toes into her bedroom and shut the door. The fire place was going; a house elf must have snuck their way in earlier in the evening to light it for her. She dried herself off quickly, grabbing clean underwear from her drawer and pulled her pajamas out from behind her pillows on the bed. There was a light knock on the bedroom door. Lily slipped on the last of garments and called out. "Yeah?"

"Are you decent?" James's voice returned.

"Yes!" She laughed and James let himself in.

"I brought tea like you asked" He smiled, clutching a mug of tea in each hand. He'd gone and put on pajama pants himself, although his torso was naked. Not that Lily was complaining she didn't mind looking at a shirtless James Potter one bit.

"Can you put mine on her bed side table?" She asked him, perching on the end of her bed and taking her hair out of the scraggly pony tail so she could brush it. James did as asked before climbing onto the opposite side of the bed with his own. He leaned back against the head board, watching her as he sipped at his tea. Lily started to put her hair into plaits as she often did before bed. She was mildly aware of James watching her curiously.

"Why do you do that?" He asked bemused. "You're going to bed"

"It stops my hair from knotting so badly in my sleep" She explained, as she moved onto the next plait.

"Oh I see" He replied, continuing to watch her curiously.

Lily was amused by the little things that seemed to entertain James to no end. Turns out this was no exception. She finished the last few remaining plaits before she pulled back her covers, snuggled into bed properly and retrieved her cup of tea from the night stand. She snuggled up next to James so they were touching shoulder to shoulder. "You can get beneath the covers you know." She chuckled at him.

"I wasn't sure if I was allowed or not" He responded.

"I get into the covers in you room" She laughed at him.

"Well yeah but that's my bed. This is your bed. How do I know the same rules apply? You could not want me in your bed covers for all I know" He proclaimed as he shuffled himself under the covers to join her.

"James I've slept in a bed with you and Sirius at the same time. We cuddle under the covers. I think we've reached that level don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah well I'm new to this whole couple thing I'm still learning where all my boundaries are at." James confided. Lily yawned and clutched her cup tighter against her chest. The warmth was spreading through her hands and she was thankful for it. Tonight was going to be quite nippy, the more miserable weather was soon to start setting in. Just in time for quidditch season. Lily shivered at the idea of being seated in the stands as the rain poured down.

"You alight?" James asked her. She nodded "Just a bit cold." James placed his mug in his opposite hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closer. His skin was warm to the touch.

"I think I'm going to go up to the owlery after breakfast and send a letter to Petunia" Lily thought aloud.

"Sounds like a plan to me" James yawned before downing the rest of his tea and replacing the mug to the night stand. He wiggled himself down further into the bed, nearly pulling Lily down with him.

"Hey still drinking tea here" She grumbled playfully. She pushed his glasses so they slipped down off his nose.

"Not cool Evans" He moaned, taking his glasses off and placing them delicately beside his empty mug on the bed side table.

"Can you even see Potter?"

"I can make out shapes. That counts" He mumbled sleepily.

James dozed while Lily slowly finished the remainder of her tea, she placed her cup on the nightstand and elbowed James lightly to get him to budge and give her more room. The noise that escaped him could only be scribed as a mix between a moan and the sound of a disgruntled walrus. Lily's laughter echoed around the room and she snuggled up next to him allowing him to big spoon. "That was gold" Lily continued to laugh.

"What?" James moaned.

"You made a sound like a disgruntled walrus" Lily explained through her snickering.

"I'll have you know Evans that it was actually my seal noise. I do impressions you know" He beastly sarcastically.

"Oh really what other impressions can you do then"

"I do a very good rendition of a drunk seal trying to get laid. I will have you know" He responded mumbling into her shoulder. "It sounds a bit like Sirius after a few too many drinks at the pub when he stumbles in at 3am"

"Oh I'd love to hear that one" Lily giggled, clearly they had both reached beyond the point of tired where everything was hilarious.

"It goes a little something like this" James stated and they attempted him best drunk Sirius moaning noise, which Lily did have to admit sounded Lily and intoxicated seal.

"See I get the drunk part Potter, but I'm not hearing the trying to get laid part" Lily wheezed, her sides ached from the laughter. "But god if Sirius sounds like that drunk it's a wonder he ever gets in anyone's pants."

"Well you see Evans if I did the whole impression I'd have every chance at getting slapped as it means pretending to be a seal flopping around trying to mount you" He explained through his uncontrollable laughter.

"So a bit like your bird in Transfiguration" She teased. While her back was still pressed against him so she couldn't see him, she could however feel him stiffen up with embarrassment.

"I hold no responsibility over what a wild animal tries to do Evans. Clearly that bird had ideas, ideas that didn't work out in its favour. Don't make me drunk humping seal you" He threatened.

"Is that what you're calling it now are you?"

"Yes. I think it fits quite well. If I call it The Sirius he might get quite shitty" He smirked, the amusement coming out through his tired tone.

"Potter?"

"Yes Evans?"

"Either turn the light off, shut up and go to sleep. Or get out and turn the light off on the way out" Lily muttered, sleep was drawing her in and now she was beyond the point of tired to deal with his antics.

"I get the choice?" He asked

"Shhh sleeping" She hushed him and fell asleep.