A/N: I decided to write this chapter as soon as possible because I was so happy to get so many reviews.

Lara.x-I love you hun...I woke up and found soo manyy new reviews..you just made my day..and yes I had an amazing 18th birthday, thanks.

And of course there was a 'guest review', are you a new reviewer or my own personal favourite one? Doesn't matter I love you nonetheless. And I love all of my readers.

Ohkaayy...here's the new chapter...the reason I'm so shifty and uncertain about it being not as nice as other chapters is because it is a bit gloomy-ish. I want Lily to realise that she likes James more than just a friend and in this chapter she will. It isn't THAT gloomy but...urgh...you get it right..it has a bit serious undertone to it.

And also I've made a jump to the last days of their sixth year where they are finished with their exam and will soon be leaving for their home for the summers.

"Shush" Lily said to Alice.

It was there last day of their sixth year term as they'd be leaving tomorrow. They did not have anything to do so they decided to play a game of hide and seek. James was the one who had to find the others(Alice, Frank, Hestia, Marlene, Sirius and Remus). Alice and Lily were hiding behind the sofa in the common room which they had placed in such a manner that they were sandwiched between the wall and the back of the sofa. Marlene had turned her hair red so that James might mistake her for Lily and would be eliminated for wrong call. Alice was giggling uncontrollably because James was trying to climb up the girls' dormitories' staircase-cum-slide and was looking like an orangutan. Lily couldn't see him, the reason why she felt so irritated at Alice's giggling.

Alice let out a gasp. "He has managed to climb up the stairs."

Clever. James thought as he saw a mane of red hair which was so carefully turned into the same shade of hair as of Lily's. But he knew better. He'd hadn't spent six years of his life eyeing Lily's hair in awe to be fooled so easily. When he saw the tall athlete structure he immediately recognised Marlene.

"I spy, Marlene. Come out you're caught." James said victoriously.

But the figure didn't move.

"I know Lily enough to tell it's not her."

"Yes wouldn't you know all about her hair and measurements." said Marlene coming out the bed covering, smirking.

"Shut up." James said, a bit flustered.

Down here Lily saw Sirius rush out of the boys' dormitories towards the portrait hole.

"That's out of range Sirius you can't leave the tower."said Lily.

Instead of hearing a reply she heard a quiet sniff and wondered if Sirius was crying. With that she got out of the place she was stuck in and left without a word to Alice.

Lily climbed out of the portrait hole and and saw Sirius down the right corridor turning towards left. She started walking towards him and then started jogging to reach Sirius before she lost him. When she turned left she found a deserted corridor. It was very dark here and she could feel the eerie silence that surrounded that place. And then she saw a shadow of a tall well built boy sitting on the stairs. Sirius.

"Sirius?" Lily called.

The boy leaned back to see who had called him.

It was Sirius. Lily heaved a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"Nothing. Just needed some alone time you know." replied Sirius, his voice a bit shaky.

"Have you been crying?"

"No." He lied glibly.

"Really?" Lily said as she sat down beside him on the stairs.

"Yeah."

"You are an awful liar, Sirius."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing I thought I might come and see why my friend has been crying. Is it so wrong?"

"No Lily, it's not wrong."

"Then tell me what is wrong with you."

"It's my brother."

"Regulus? What about him?"

"He has joined that Voldemort bloke." Sirius said choking back a sob, "I never thought he would do that. He was more like me. He wasn't as brave as I but he would do whatever pranks I would plan and said that he'd never leave my side. How can he do that, how can he join his side when he clearly hated it. He never wanted anything to do with the pureblood thing and the dark side as well. What changed? I want to know what does that bloke whispers to these innocent kids that they run and join his side? He's just in his fourth year. Why can't everyone lead a normal life?"

"Sirius I don't know what to say to comfort you but I know one thing. I recognised Regulus the moment I saw him. Not because of his appearance but because of his aura. He is the quiet you. Or maybe he has become quiet after your family boycotted you and you left. But he has the same vibrant, young at heart aura as yours. He's in a way better than you. He takes into consideration other people's feelings while he pranks them. And I don't think that he volunteered , Sirius. Maybe he was forced to." Lily said and Sirius looked up.

"What do you mean?" He asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"I've seen him many a times. Someday I would be in the library and there would be too many books for me to put back. So Regulus would come around and help me. I still don't have any idea why he did that. It was our fourth year and his second. He would give me a friendly smile whenever he would pass me in a corridor. But then there would be some days when he wouldn't look at me at all and avoid my gaze quite guiltily. I wanted to ask him but I didn't want to go to any Slytherins group and call for him. It was then that it struck me. I noticed him for other few days. Whenever his housemates would be around he would pretend that he doesn't even know me. He would help me only when he was alone. He never said anything about this. He knew that I knew about this problem and neither of us ever brought it up." Lily finished.

"So you've been friends with him all this time?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Yeah pretty much."

"Wow."

"So try and talk to him Sirius. Maybe he might confess it to you."

"Yeah..yeah...I'll talk to him."

"When?" Lily said with emphasis, "Do it today, Sirius, okay?"

"Yeah...okay...er..thanks Lily." Sirius said awkwardly.

Lily laughed out loud at his awkwardness.

"It's okay Sirius, anytime. Now let's head back or the others would think we had taken the game way too seriously."

"You go..I'll go find Reg."

Lily nodded and left.

When Lily got back to the common room she found it oddly empty. There were a few seventh years' were around and and some others. But there was no trace of the sixth year students. She shrugged and thought that maybe they had gone back to playing. But she didn't feel like playing so she climbed out of the portrait hole and headed out to sit by the black lake.

"I see her." James shouted to the group who were looking for Lily and Sirius all over the school.

"The game's over we're not playing anymore I'm really tired." Marlene said and Alice agreed.

"I'll go find Sirius." Remus said when he saw James in a dilemma whether to go to Lily or to find Sirius.

James nodded gratefully and jogged off towards the black lake.

The moment Lily had sat down beneath the marauders' tree she had closed her eyes and thought about the real world that awaited her outside of Hogwarts. She knew there were dark times ahead and she wouldn't have the comfort and support of her parents in a way that her other classmates did. She knew they'd be on her side always but they couldn't come and help her. She was the only witch in their house and none of them knew about what all dangers were lurking around in the magical world. But in a way she was glad that they were pretty much away from the dangers.

"Where were you?!"

She was startled awake from her trail of thoughts. She looked up and saw James towering over her faking anger.

"I was with Sirius for some while and then I came here."

James noticed that her voice sounded hollow and tired.

"What is it, Lily?" James asked concern evident in his voice as he sat down beside her.

"I was talking to Sirius, his brother had joined Voldemort. He was pretty disturbed over this." Lily told him and went on telling all about her conversation with Sirius.

James watched Lily as she told him about Regulus. He noticed the change in her body language. She didn't once look up towards James and kept talking while her eyes were staring fixedly ahead into space. Her hands, with which she would normally make many gestures, were rested in her lap as if they had no life in them. Her shoulders were slumped down and her eyes didn't have the usual spark in them.

When she was finished she looked down to her fingers interlaced in her lap. She didn't know how would James react to that. Probably he'll go to search for Sirius. But she wanted him to stay, wanted him to be near her, making her feel safe like he always did.

"Are you afraid Lily?" James asked looking at her.

Lily kept looking down. He's still here. She thought, relief washing over her.

"No James, I'm not afraid of those death eaters or Voldemort. What I'm afraid of, are the consequences their actions might bring...I don't want to lose my friends or my family," and then she looked up at James and without thinking said in a whisper,"and I don't want to lose you."

Tears formed in her eyes thinking about losing James. What would she do without him?

James draped an arm around Lily and let her head rest on his chest.

"I'm not going to leave you Lily, at any cost. Never. There may exist guys who would offer to die for you but I promise Lily, I would live for you, by your side until the end only because you don't want to lose me and I care." James said resting his head on Lily's.

It was then that Lily realised why all these years she had never let any guy come near her. She had felt bad to say no to a nice guy but she never could bring herself saying yes to anyone. It seemed natural to her that they weren't made for her. All this time she had treated all boys nicely and equally. Except for one. The one who was the only one privileged to see the other side of her,her wrath, her angry passionate smartass comebacks, of which the other guys were unaware one in whose arms she was right now. And now she was sure that none of them could have handled her the way James did. They would have given up on her by now. But not James. Probably that is why all these years she had felt something calling on to her on a deeper level of the unconscious regarding him. She couldn't believe. She couldn't believe it.

She loved James. The serious kind of love. Not the usual fling. This was for sure. But she'll wait. To tell him this. She didn't know why but she just felt there'd be some right moment for it. But she let James know that she appreciated him for telling her that he cared by hugging him, wrapping her arms around his torso. He responded immediately by pulling her closer.

James knew that something about Lily had changed when she said she didn't want to lose him. But he didn't want to push the matter. She was disturbed enough. He had told her that he'd never leave her and it was only the truth. He loved her beyond anything. And he knew she loved him back in her own strange manner. But he'd give her space and let her come around in her own time until she was ready to tell him.

One thing was for sure. This summer too she will see a lot of hazel in her dream. She wouldn't dread them now. Rather she would wait for the night just to let those warm hazels tuck her to bed and then meet her in her dreams.

A/N: I'll update the next chapter by...umm...I guess..14th..yes...thanks for reading guys...love ya..byeee..