"You alright, Prongs?" Sirius asked, eyeing James warily.

"Why is it never easy?" James asked, his head in his hands as he sat in Lily's favourite chair in the common room, having been released from the hospital wing as soon as he'd drunk a healing potion. "Why does it never work out, why does it have to be so damn hard?"

"I don't know – " Sirius admitted quietly.

"Look, we're working on the idea that she would hide away in her room after classes so James couldn't get to her right?" Peter interrupted suddenly.

"Yeah," Sirius replied tiredly.

"Well maybe she's been there the whole time, maybe that little first year, the one that James intimidated into looking in her dorm earlier, lied," Peter continued with a hopeful look, sad to see James looking so miserable. "Maybe she told the kid not to tell James she was there, or maybe the kid had absolutely no idea who they were looking for and that's why they couldn't find her!" Peter continued.

"She's Head Girl, you idiot, of course the kid knew who she was!" Sirius snapped on James's behalf

"Yeah, okay, but think about it; she can be really intimidating sometimes…maybe the kid lied because Lily threatened to eat her head or something."

Remus snorted at the image and said "So what's your point?"

"Well, that, maybe we should try again."

"No," sighed Sirius. "Even if that was the case; if Lily intimidated that kid into not telling us she was there, she sure as hell isn't going to let someone else drag her down to us, is she?"

"True, but I was thinking we could look ourselves?" Peter tried, hesitantly, when James continued to ignore the conversation around him, seeming to have given up completely.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Remus asked incredulously. "I don't know about you, Wormtail, but I have a penis and as long as I have that appendage I'm not getting up those stairs without it turning into a slide – and no offence, James, but there is no way I'm going far enough to cut it off, just for your relationship with Lily," Remus finished, as he leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

"I don't know how but we can work it out!" Peter brightly assured them.

"Again, how? Do you have any ideas?" Remus groaned, wishing Peter would just shut up.

"No, but stop being so pessimistic – Come on, remember what Padfoot said earlier: we're the Marauders and we've overcome worse obstacles than this! Where's your marauder spirit?!"

"It went away round about the time this day started to go tits up, and it left officially when James split his head open in pursuit," Remus whispered harshly.

Peter looked around the group despairingly, casting distressed eyes on Sirius, expecting him to make it better, but seeing Sirius looking just as hopeless as James it inspired him to take action himself.

"Fine, you won't do anything," he declared after a moment. "But I will!" With that he stood and marched resolutely over to the girls' staircase, he eyed it warily for a second before taking a running jump.

He landed four steps up, and just as the staircase turned into a slide he flung out his arms and grabbed hold of the stair rail with all his might.

Remus had gotten up to watch what he assumed would be Peter's absolute, and hysterically funny, failure. But instead found himself watching in admiration as Peter heaved himself a few feet closer to the top of the girls' stairway.

"No way," Sirius murmured as he wandered over and stood next to Remus, also staring in awe at Peter's miraculous ascent.

Peter went to heave again but suddenly had to plaster himself as close to the wall as was physically possible, trying to avoid a poor third year girl who had obviously not looked before she stepped, and not realised that there was a slide instead of a stairwell.

She squealed in surprise, and then delight, before landing with an "oomph" at the feet of Sirius and Remus who both stared at her for a second before helping her up.

The moment she was on her feet their eyes whipped back up to watch Peter who was just about to make it to the half way point.

"GO PETER!" Remus joyfully cheered right before the wailing screech of the alarms set on the girls' staircase went off.

The noise startled Peter but he hung on hoisting himself the last few feet and on to the landing, he lay on the floor panting and, unable to believe that he'd made it.

As soon as he stood up, he turned around quickly and looked down at his friends in delight, to find not just Sirius and Remus staring back at him but also a humongous crowd that had gathered behind them.

As soon as he was facing them, the crowed cheered wildly, Sirius and Remus wolf-whistling right at the front.

Peter blushed and was so caught off guard by the unexpected noise that he wobbled slightly and came precariously close to toppling down the newly formed stairs.

There was a mass intake of air as he wobbled but as soon as he'd stabilised himself there was another roar of approval from below.

"Which room is hers?" he shouted down with a beaming smile.

"Last door on the left, its right at the end of the corridor!" called a familiar voice from somewhere at the back of the mass of people.

Peter nodded in acknowledgment of the information before he turned around and jogged off down the hall in search of her room, leaving the crowd below in suspense.

A few minutes passed before Peter returned again, when he did another spontaneous round of applause erupted.

He grinned and took a bow before jumping lightly onto the first step and gliding down the stone slide, being deposited at the Marauders' feet.

"Spectacular," grinned Sirius, offering him a hand up off the floor.

"Yeah, never would have thought you had it in you," Remus smiled approvingly.

Peter smiled proudly back at them.

As soon as he was on his feet and the crowd realised the fun was over, people started to disperse, with the odd person coming up to pat Peter on the back.

"Well did you find it?"

"Yeah, and man is her room is a mess! Moony, if you saw it you would have a heart attack, I think one of the piles of clothes was breathing" Peter said shuddering.

Sirius snorted before saying "So mutant piles of clothes but no Lily?"

"No Lily." Peter confirmed sadly, casting a worried look in James's direction.

--

"You should have seen it!" Sirius cried proudly as he walked over to James, thumping Peter on the back as he walked.

"Did it work?" James interrupted without raising his head from his hands.

"YES" shouted Sirius delightedly. "It was a magnificent attempt – he made it – none of us have ever even made it half way before!"

"That's great," James said emotionlessly. "But she's not up there, is she?"

"No," sighed Sirius losing his excited high, he pulled out his newly acquired goods from Hogsmead and placed a shot of firewhisky in front of James.

James looked at it for a long time before saying quietly "I knew it. I knew it was useless to even try, because nothing seems to work," before turning his tortured eyes on Sirius. "You know I'm really starting to think that it just wasn't meant to be."

"I'm really sorry, James," Remus said as he sat on a nearby sofa.

"Me too, mate," agreed Sirius as he perched himself on the arm of James's chair, hovering protectively.

"Oh shit, I'm an awful, despicable, disgusting human being!" Peter cried from his newly reclaimed place on the floor, causing his three friends to stare at him

Noticing their confused gaze, he elaborated "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault if I hadn't have been acting like the complete moron that I am, I never would have lost the map and then this never would have happened! Shit, I can't even find the words to say how sorry I am," Peter repeated, putting his head in his hands.

"What are you talking about, Pete?"

"Isn't it obvious? If I hadn't been a moron and lost the map then you would be with Lily right now."

"Shit, Peter, when are you going to learn there is a right time to say something and then there's a really fucking bad time to say something?" asked Sirius incredulously sending a worried look in James's direction and discreetly reaching for his wand in case James lost it altogether and decided to attack Peter.

"No, don't worry, Sirius," James stopped him, having seen Sirius's defensive movement, and knowing his friend well enough to have foresee the action anyway. "I'm not going to attack him in a fit of rage, I don't even think it's his fault! I just needed someone to blame earlier, but the truth is, if I hadn't frozen like I did Lily never would have gotten away from me in the first place. Hell, Lily can't have liked me all that much to begin with, if she did, she never would have left as soon as she kissed me."

When James finally looked up at his friends, all he could see was pity and regret on their faces, confirming what his brain had been trying to tell him all along; that it was hopeless. Not being able to stand their sympathetic looks he decided to excuse himself to the dorm, under the pretence of his head still hurting, where he could sink into his misery without the eyes of others on him.

"Fuck, mate," Sirius said as he walked James to the stairs. "I really didn't think things would end up like this."

"Me neither, Sirius, me neither, but it is what it is. And what it is… is over," James said, choking on the words as they came out.

Seeing Sirius's troubled face James said "Don't worry mate I'll be fine" and as he started to climb the boys' staircase he whispered to himself "eventually"

He opened the door to the dorm desolately, feeling completely inconsolable and wanting nothing more than to curl up in his bed, in the pitch black and wallow for the next few days – it would have been months if he thought he could get away with it.

He kicked off his shoes not caring where they landed, the room was still a mess from earlier anyway, then he dragged his feet over towards his bed and flung himself down face first onto the mattress, his arm landing on something soft and warm.

Not expecting to feel anything but cold sheets he freaked out, he jumped off his bed so fast he fell over landing painfully on his arse for the second time that day, before hurriedly reaching for his wand and wildly pointing it towards where he assumed the warm lump was.

"Merlin's ghost, I didn't mean to scare you!" said a light female voice. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," James responded automatically before finding the presence of mind to light his wand.

When he ignited it he found himself inches from the concerned face of Lily Evans and he nearly shouted out a second time.

She quickly put a hand to his shoulder in an effort to calm him.

It worked too because suddenly, instead of shouting, all James could do was stare at her hand, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Following his eyes she self-consciously removed it and, instead, sat down in front of him on the floor crossed legged. When he failed to say anything, Lily opened her mouth but the words seemed to die in her mouth and a blush stained her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" she finally managed to ask. "I mean from earlier, I can't believe you had to go to the hospital wing… I was really worried, there was so much blood," she said reaching out to tentatively touch the bandage the matron had insisted he keep on for a few hours. "I'm surprised she let you out," Lily continued as James allowed her to inspect him silently.

Finally he swallowed heavily, repeating "I'm Fine" before grasping her hand and pulling it away from his head.

"I tried to go with you, but Hoon," she said uncomfortably, putting her hand back in her lap, "he would only let one person go and I think Sirius would have tried to maim me if I had gone instead of him."

"It's fine." James mumbled in an emotionless voice. "I'm fine so there's no need to worry."

At his tone her nervous eyes finally met his.

"I'm so sorry for running out on you," she finally said, causing James's eyes to widen, he had not expected her to get to the point so quickly – in fact, he was expecting to be the one to have to bring it up.

"It—it wasn't very grown up of me – but it took you a while to really respond and then you didn't say anything after…and I couldn't bear the thought that you didn't like me anymore, that I'd made a huge fool of myself…"

His brain finally registering her words he frowned at her, accusing heatedly "You didn't really give me a chance to do much of anything!"

"I know!" she cried defensively in response. "I – I just couldn't bear to see your reaction, to see or worse hear you say that you didn't want me anymore – I wasn't really expecting to just attack you like that, it's not like I planned it! It took me by just as much surprise as it did you!"

"I doubt it," he scoffed. "And what the hell do you mean you didn't plan it?" he asked incredulously. "Who gives a shit if you planned it, you don't just run away after something like that Lily no matter how much you love or hate a person!"

Her eyes dropped to the floor ashamed. "I know, but I already said I was sorry and that I was being stupid, selfish and childish, I don't really know what else to say."

"Do you know I have been searching every where for you today?!" he said abruptly, raising his voice and making her cringe. "I was absolutely frantic all day – I thought I'd run out of time! It's almost seven now!"

Expecting her to shout back at him he was incredibly surprised when all she said was "So?"

"So what?" he asked suddenly, just as confused as she appeared to be.

"So what if it's seven? What has the time got to do with it?" she asked, clarifying.

"So it's over."

"Over because it's seven?" Lily asked, even more puzzled.

"Yes, the school day is over – you'll never speak to me again, I've lost any chance I ever had at being with you!"

"Just because it's almost seven o'clock?" she asked again bemusedly, beginning to smile.

"Yes!" he cried, frustrated.

Lily looked at him strangely. "Why wouldn't I just talk to you tomorrow?"

James stared at her with his mouth open, looking like a brainless idiot. "Because – because – Sirius – Sirius he said…"

"James," Lily sighed catching on to where the conversation was going

"Yes?" he answered distractedly.

"Sirius is an idiot who doesn't understand a thing about me – surely you must know that by now?"

James stared at her in shock before slowly letting a smile spread across his face. "You mean," he started hesitantly, "it's not over – I've still got time to tell you I love you, convince you it's true and then beg you to go on a date with me and kiss me again?"

She blushed a little, but nodded her head fervently in the affirmative.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly as he gave a relieved laugh. "You would not believe what I've been through thinking that I'd lost my chance – that you'd be too angry at me to ever talk to me again—"

"At first I was angry," she interrupted, "and hurt and convinced that I never wanted to see or speak to you again, and then I realised what an idiot I was being – I realised you've been putting yourself out there for years, embarrassing yourself –"

"Thanks, Lily, that was just the look I'd been going for!" he smiled at her fondly, rolling his eyes.

She gave him a small smile in return. "I happened to think it was a little cute."

His eyebrows shot into his hair line, but she ignored it and continued. "You've been humiliating yourself in front of me for years - having me reject you over and over and –and I guess I just figured I should at least give you the courtesy of facing my feelings head on… just like you would have – have been," she amended, "doing for years. So I came up here to wait for you – I only left to go to Defence."

"What?" James croaked, suddenly feeling like he couldn't breathe. "All – All this time you've been here waiting for me… on my bed…??"

She nodded shyly. "I hope you don't mind, I promise I didn't look through anything, it was just the only place I could think of where I knew you would have to go eventually."

He ignored her, not even slightly bothered by her being in his room with access to his stuff. "I don't fucking believe it," he cried making her flinch. "After all the places I've searched today it turns out that you've been here the whole time?!"

"Is that how you got this?" she said pointing to the bruise on his cheek where he'd fallen off the banister earlier. "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah," he mumbled distractedly kissing her fingertips gently, seeing her guilty expression. "Don't worry it was worth it," he said focusing on her eyes.

"…but what I really don't understand," he said, suddenly incredulous, "is why I have to make life so difficult for myself?"

"I like you just the way you are…" she said softly.

James stared, opened his mouth to say something but at the last minute changed what he was going to say "I really don't have anything to say to that –"

She looked down disappointed

But before she'd had time to really submerge in the misery of seeming rejection she heard him quietly repeat "I can't believe you were here the whole bloody time!" right before she found herself being pushed back on to the floor with James lying on top of her kissing her hungrily.

She didn't even hesitate before opening her mouth and allowing their tongues to tackle fiercely.

Suddenly though she pushed him off of her.

"What is it?" he asked concernedly, with slightly glazed eyes. "Shit, you do want this, don't you?" he questioned, suddenly worried. "I thought you wanted – I'm so sorry," he said steeling his heart as he prepared to pull away.

Lily rolled her eyes and used a hand to hold him on top of her, she then wiggled a little before using her other hand to pull a quill, a couple of gobstones, and one of Sirius's t-shirts out from underneath her.

"Sorry," he chuckled sheepishly. "I became a little frantic earlier whilst looking for something, and I kind of made a bit of a mess."

She smiled at him and said "It's fine, I've never been very tidy or organised myself. Believe it or not this is only a little worse than my dorm. In fact, the only reason I think it's worse is because I can see what I think to be a pair of Sirius's dirty underpants,." she finished, her eyes flickering to a pair of boxers hanging off the end of the bed next to James.

James grimaced as he pulled her to her feet. "Sorry… let me make it up to you?" he finished before pushing her once again, only that time she found herself flat on her back on James's soft, comfortable, obstacle free bed.

"Better?" he asked as he pulled the cord on his bed, obscuring the rest of the room and, therefore, the mess and Sirius's pants.

She grinned at him in response, and finally situated comfortably they both immediately carried on where they had left off.

--

They had spent the whole evening that way; kissing and talking. But for the last twenty minutes or so they had been lying together quietly. About ten minutes before James had started to stroke Lily's hair, telling her about his day and his frantic search for her. She was just starting to fall asleep, and James was watching her eyes droop affectionately, when he asked quietly "I'm really sorry, Lily, but do you think I could just take a minute to tell Sirius?"

When she gave him a strange look he said "I know it sounds weird but he'd want to know, he's really worried about me and well he's been helping me all day, I really think I owe it to him to let him know everything's turned out aright."

Lily gave James a small indulgent smile. "Of course, I understand - it's a little weird mind you, but I guess that's just who you are," she chuckled.

Smiling like a kid on his birthday he leaned in as if to kiss her again but instead took her by complete surprise by suddenly yelling out "SIRIUS!"

Lily, who was already looking at him as if he was mad, was shocked a second time when all he did in response to her surprised gasp was kiss her lightly, smile at her, and then shout out, again, "SIRIUS!"

"WHAT?! What is it now?…" Sirius trailed off as he burst into the room, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of Lily on James's bed and in James's arms

Before James had time to say anything Lily had cut across him. "That's amazing!" she said, pulling away from James and standing up in awe. "Does that just work on them or can I do it?"

James shrugged looking at her strangely. Lily circled Sirius as though inspecting a piece of art or an interesting potion before suddenly bellowing out "JENNIFER?!"

Sirius fell away from her, clutching his ear. "Good Gummy bears, Evans, could you have been any louder?"

"JENNIFER?!" Lily shouted in response.

"Prongs, make her stop, I think I've gone deaf in one ear as it is!"

James ignored Sirius's entreaty and just watched Lily with warmth sparkling in his eyes and an amused smile on his face.

"JENNIF—"

"Enough!" roared Sirius seeing James was going to do nothing and choosing to take matters into his own hands.

Lily blinked at him over the top of the hand he had placed over her mouth.

"Ew!" he cried suddenly a disgusted look over taking his face.

"What?" James quickly asked.

"She licked me!" cried Sirius, pointing an outraged finger directly into Lily's smirking face.

James rumbled out a laugh, pulling Lily back down with him onto the bed and kissing her soundly. "Come on love, be nice and leave Padfoot alone, he's not very gracious when people outside our group mock him."

"Weirdos, the both of you?" mumbled Sirius, but with a smile on his face nonetheless.

Ignoring Sirius's jab, James just said to Lily "You are amazing and worth every single second of effort it took to get us here."

She smiled at him and just as he leaned to kiss her again Jennifer bellowed from the doorway "For the love of Merlin woman, what the hell do you want?!"

"Whoa," Sirius exclaimed, staring at Jennifer in amazement. "I honestly didn't think that would work."

Lily smiled gleefully from her position beneath James and he loved the look on her so much he knew he had to kiss her again.

So he did.

--

AN

Oh it's so sad! Only the epilogue to go now and then its over! I'm so sad!

I hope you enjoyed my ending – was it what you expected or did I manage to surprise you??

Thanks to Izabella Pheonix who wanted them to check the girl's dorm

And thank you for reading!