"I shouldn't have accepted it!"

I stared at the ceiling of my own dormitory minutes before I was to meet Sirius Black in the library. My weird day just kept getting weirder. For instance, I had an Outstanding in a Transfiguration essay. Needless to say, I believed someone had switched it, but I was not about to complain about it!!

"Well, you did," Alice said, "So just get yourself in the library and get on with it."

I sighed. She was, as always, right. "Do I have to?" I whined.

I heard the door opening and took a peek to see Fiona and Meagan entering.

"You know you do," Alice said, "Just get going. Anna is in the library as well, if you need anything just scream!" she finished laughing.

"Don't joke about it. I might do just that!" I answered as I got up and picked up my stuff for Transfiguration.

"Off to meet Remus again?" Fiona asked me venomously, "I can't believe he actually accepted to tutor you!"

"Don't say that, Fiona," Meagan, always the naïve one, said, "Remus is a great guy and he was very sweet in accepting to tutor Lily. Besides, it's paying off, isn't it? She had an Outstanding this last essay, didn't she? Oh, but you should know she isn't going to meet Remus; he can't come so Sirius will be replacing him. James offered to do it, but Lily preferred Sirius. Although Charlotte was the one who pushed her to it. I mean, she just jeered her brother in front of her-"

"I think that's enough, Meg," Fiona said, cutting her friend off. I squirmed under her gaze which was now icy. I hadn't thought about telling her- since she was completely obsessed with Sirius and all.

"I thought Sirius refused to tutor?" she asked, this time to Alice.

She shrugged, "Guess he opened an exception," she answered, smiling, "Great guy that Sirius Black, isn't he?"

Fiona seemed to redden with anger when she turned to me, "Lucky you then, Evans," she huffed as she fell on her bed and closed the curtains around.

I looked around to see Alice shaking her head sadly and Meagan smiling at me like she had done this last few times as if to say "sorry".

"Okay then," I said, standing you, "I'll be going. Sirius is waiting for me."

I heard Alice saying "Okay!" as I opened the door and exited.

I descended the stairs slowly as I thought over how being tutor by Sirius would be like. I mean, I knew his personality outside, but I had no idea how he behaved in classes. But he must be a good student, I thought, or he wouldn't have such great results.

As I was walking through the common room, a voice called me, making me turn. Sirius, James and Peter were still there, sitting by the fire like they always did.

"Hey," I said, raising an eyebrow at Sirius, "I was going to meet you."

Sirius smiled, "I was thinking-" he started, touching his chin in deep thought.

"Wow. Way to go Sirius!" I said sarcastically.

James and Peter sniggered, but Sirius just ignored my comment.

"Like I was saying," he continued, "I've been thinking and I thought that maybe we could do your tutor lesson here, in the common room."

I gave him a bemused stare and looked around. The common room was full, people still arriving from dinner. He wanted to give a tutor lesson in here?

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," I said, as I finally turned to him, "It's too noisy in here."

The trio smirked, "I can get a way to shut them up if needed," James said "I am Head Boy after all."

I chewed over that as I stared at their angelic faces. After what happened last night in the library, I knew for sure Madam Pince wouldn't be exactly thrill to see me there- with a Marauder nonetheless. And James was Head Boy and Quidditch captain. He could keep everyone quiet.

At last, I nodded, "Alright then," I said, challenging him, "Go ahead and keep them quiet and we can have the tutor lesson here."

Sirius and James grinned as the last stood up to face the Gryffindor students.

"May I have you attention, please?" he asked and everyone turned to him at once. A Marauders' authority wasn't supposed to be questioned; especially when the Marauder in question was Head Boy and Quidditch captain.

"I just received a letter from Professor McGonagall saying that everyone should go up to bed immediately!" he said, "I'm not authorized to say why but I am supposed to give detentions and dock points from everyone who doesn't obey!"

Groans of displeasure were heard everywhere, but, after some time, people started to leave and in no time the common room was left all for us.

"How's that?" James asked, smirking, as he sat down next to us again.

I tried to stifle my laugh as I stared at him, but I couldn't. After some minutes, we were all laughing our heads off.

"What about the Head Girl?" I asked at last, as the Head Girl was from Gryffindor as well, "Won't she say anything?"

James shrugged, "She's off with her boyfriend," he said, "By the time she comes back I'll be deathly asleep in my dorm!" he grinned, making me laugh again.

After some minutes, Sirius interrupted, "So," he said "Should we start?"

I nodded as I picked up my Transfiguration things and turned to them.

"Okay, this is the last thing Remus and I went over," I said, showing them a piece of parchment.

I saw their faces wriggling in confusion as they examined it.

This isn't going to be good, I thought to myself, God help me!

(…)

"That was… wicked!" I said to Alice as I entered our dormitories later that night. In the meantime, Anna had arrived as well.

"Where were you tutored?" she asked me as she changed into her nightgown.

"In the common room," I said, "by all three Marauders!" I told them. But then I corrected myself, "I mean; more like by Sirius and James. Peter didn't do much. He just basically watched."

"He's never been exactly smart," Meagan said, "if it wasn't for the other three I don't know what he'd have done."

"Meg's right," Alice said "But we can talk all you want about Peter tomorrow. Right now I need to sleep."

I laughed, "Alright. Good night then."

"Good night," they all said.

I lay in my bed during some minutes, but sleep just wouldn't come. After what seemed like eternities of lying still, I got fed up and stood up from my bed, walking to the window.

Looking at the sky, I saw a beautiful full moon staring back at me. Smiling to myself, I opened the window, and had to pull my pyjama closer as it was chilly. I hope the girls won't wake up, I thought. But I knew they wouldn't. Almost all of them slept like rocks.

Laughing at that thought I examined the grounds which were peacefully resting without any noisy student.

I was dwelling over that thought when something caught my eye.

It seemed… people. Someone was out there.

Three people to be more exact, two of them really tall and one a little shorter. For some reason, the image of the three boys I had just been tutored by came to my mind.

That's stupid, I scolded myself, remember James saying he would be deathly asleep when the Head Girl returned?

With that comforting thought in my head, I dismissed those ideas. Why would the Marauders be outside at such an hour? Not only was it forbidden but also they'd have been easily caught by the caretaker.

Shaking my head, I watched the three figures walk the grounds under the moonlight, until I was no longer able to.

After that, I closed the window and leaned on it.

Well, I thought at last, after some minutes of agonizing doubt, it won't hurt to check!

And with that thought on mind, I opened the door from the dormitory and descended the stairs. If they were in bed, I'll just get out without waking them. If they were not… well, I'd be thinking about that later.

(…)

Next morning came with an unusual glow.

The night before had left many things to explain. Things that, in morning's light, seemed impossible and unbelievable.

I had gone to the boys' dormitory and returned to my own with only one sure thing: the Marauders had gone out.

They weren't there when I arrived: not James, not Sirius and most certainly not Peter. And Remus as well, but that was expected, as he had gone home to see his mother.

As I sat down at breakfast table and the girls sat around me, I waited anxiously for them to come and join us.

But the thing was, they never came.

I didn't put my gaze on them the entire morning. When I finally saw them it was lunch time, but there was so much confusion inside the Great Hall that I couldn't reach them.

All I was able to see was that they looked tired, really tired. Sirius even had some kind of scratches on his neck and face. They had been up to no good, that was for sure.

The day went by without me having a chance to actually speak with them. And that was definitely weird. At least one of them always took some minutes of my day. Suddenly, I felt ignored!

It was the following day when I was finally able to catch up with them. "Hi," I said as I found them in the common room before lunch.

It was Saturday and I knew they'd be at a Quidditch game that afternoon. James, as the captain, had to make sure everyone was ready in time. He played Chaser and Sirius played Beater.

"Good morning Flower!" Sirius said.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Since when am I 'Flower'?" I asked doubtfully.

Sirius smiled, "Since I felt like you needed a nickname!"

I laughed, "Whatever Sirius," I said as I took a place next to James and Remus, who must have arrived that morning.

"Hello," James said.

Remus gave me a smile, "Is she better?" I asked him curiously.

He looked at me confused "Who?" he asked.

I wrinkled my noise in bemusement, "Your mother, wasn't she sick?"

Remus eyes widened, "Oh, yes! She's alright now, thanks."

I smiled, but thought his reaction was really weird. Also, he seemed paler than usually, as if he was the one who had been sick.

"So, are you going to the game this afternoon?" James asked me, "We're playing Slytherin."

"And winning, of course," Sirius added with a grin.

I shook my head, "I've never really been a fan of Quidditch," I said.

They all approached me and eyed me with unbelievable eyes, "You don't like Quidditch?" James asked me.

"No, not much."

That made them stare even more at me, and I started feeling uncomfortable under their gazes. What was wrong with not liking Quidditch?

"Oh God, you can't be normal!" Peter said at last.

"Thanks," I said dryly.

Peter blushed a little, but James looked unfazed by my comment, "But he's right! Who on earth doesn't like Quidditch??"

"Me?"

They all groaned, "But you're going to watch my game and that's it," James stated.

"What, are you forcing me to?" I asked with a smirk.

"Interesting you asking that," He said "You know I can pretty well just carry you to the pitch."

I opened my mouth in mock shock, "You wouldn't!"

He shook his head and looked me in the eyes, "It's nothing I haven't done before."

Peter, Sirius and Remus gave him puzzled looks, "When did you carry her?" Sirius asked.

James laughed, "Mind your own business, Black." he said

They laughed and Sirius gave him a hurt expression, "What a friend you are!" he said, only to start laughing after.

"Anyway," James said, "You're coming then?"

"What other choice do I have? You have the gift to make me do things I'd prefer not."

Again, Peter, Sirius and Remus gave us puzzled looks.

"Okay," Sirius said at last, "I'm giving up on this conversation," he stood up "I'm going to lunch."

"Me too," Peter and Remus said at the same time as they stood up, "See you later."

We waited until they exited the common room to start laughing at them, "So," James said after a while, "Let's go to lunch? I want you to come down with me to the pitch. Just to make sure…"

I laughed, "Alright, let's go."

We stood up and exited the common room in silence, all the way I was thinking about how to ask him about that night two days ago.

"James?"

"Mmmh?" he said as he seemed to be in deep thought.

"After tutoring me the other night, did you go straight to your dormitory?"

He forgot whatever he was thinking immediately, and turned to me with a bewildered expression, "Of course!" he said, "Why do you ask that?"

I shrugged, "It's just that, last night, I went to your dormitory to ask if you had my quill and, well, you weren't there," I lied quickly.

He seemed shocked that I knew he hadn't been in bed. "So?" I asked after a few more seconds when he said nothing.

We had arrived to the stairs and started descending them. Damn whoever made the Gryffindor common room to be in the seventh floor!

"Yeah, we went out for a while," he admitted, "we were… hungry. So we went to the kitchen."

"You're lying," I said in a sing sang voice.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "And what exactly makes you say that?" he asked me.

We stopped almost at the end of the stairs and I looked him in the eyes "I saw you lot on the grounds," I told him clearly.

I watched his hazel eyes widening and, for some reason, found concentrating in the conversation really hard.

"Lily…" he started but wasn't able to finish the question as the staircase started moving.

With a cry, I found myself almost falling, but James caught my wrists and pulled me to him, making me push him and fall on top of him on the stairs as the kept moving.

If I was mesmerized by his hazel eyes before, now I simply couldn't tear my eyes away from them.

My heart beat increased madly as I saw him part his lips, but no sound came out of them. His eyes seemed to be locked on mine as well.

The stairs stopped but neither of us moved.

I licked my lips with the tip of my tongue, and could feel my face gaining a soft pink colour as I noticed he followed my movement with his eyes. My breath was starting to become heavier with each moment that passed, as he eyed me with the eyes of a lion which made me feel more and more like his prey.

His prey. That thought send chills through my body and, when he supported his firm hands on my waist and started describing circles with his fingertips, my whole being seemed to enter a daze.

And for some distorted stupid reason, I was actually enjoying it. I liked what was happening!

My red hair - I could now perfectly see it was red and not orange- was falling in his face, making a perfect contrast with his raven hair. My hands were still touching the floor, supporting me and I could feel his hot, but at the same time fresh breath touching my lips.

One of my hands found its way to his hair, making me support more on his body. His hand that was around my waist pulled me even closer and I found myself locked in his embrace.

I knew what was happening. And I also knew I- and probably him too- would regret what we were about to do. But I couldn't stop it. And I bet neither could he.

I saw him closing his eyes slowly and starting to fill the gap between our lips. My eyes closed as well and I waited for the contact between them as I encircled my hands around his neck. I had no control over my body, which acted on its own accord, not following any reason.

I let out a soft yelp as his lips touched mine softly, and pulled away as if an electric shock had felt over me. It was a caring touch, but more than I could handle.

My whole being was falling for James Potter and I was just watching and trying to see when the dream would be over.

I felt James' lips touching mine once again, and this time I didn't pull away, returning my hands to his neck and waiting for something more…

However, all good things come to an end. And this time, I didn't know if I should be mad or grateful to the voice which brought me back to reality.

"So, are we going to the game? My brother is captain after all; I have to see him play!"

I quickly got up from the top of James, my eyes widening just in thinking of what we were about to do.

The stair moved again, to its original position, but this time I stood my ground. James stood up as well, examining me with puzzlement as we came face to face with his sister.

"Jimmy! Lily!" she said, smiling at us. Her smile quickly disappeared as she looked at our expressions, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Coming back to reality, I looked at James one last time before looking at Charlotte, "Nothing," I lied, managing a weak smile.

James nodded, "Yeah," he said, his voice rough as he also put a fake smile, "Nothing Charlie."

Charlotte smiled again, "Alright… let's go to lunch?"

"Yeah," I said, as the three of us and one of Charlotte's friends started descending the stairs to the Great Hall, and I was careful enough to make sure I was far away from James and didn't linger much on the last step of each stair.

"So, are you going to James' game?" Charlotte asked me

With that sentence, I remembered James never got to tell me what exactly they had done the night before.