A/N: Ok, so, I didn't really intend to write this chapter like this, it just sort of spilled out this way, and I practically had a drunken Sirius at age 17 yelling at me to just go with the flow, so I'm not changing it. Just a casual little FYI.

Chapter 14: Just Like You Imagined

James Potter was in love.

Then again, so was Lily Evans.

Not that either of them would admit it, much to Sirius Black's distain. Even with the Gryffindor common room alight with the dozens of students getting drunk on spiked Butterbeer and Firewhiskey (courtesy of the Marauders, sans James because he was Head Boy now and he couldn't abide by getting eleven year olds drunk), and Lily drunkily yelling at everyone to stop handing out alcohol to the first years (not that they were drunk, per say, just slightly tipsy in a tripping-over-furniture kind of way) and Marlene McKinnon flirting with some sixth year boy (who wasn't Sirius Black, by the way), the looks James and Lily were throwing each other were ridiculous. Never mind that everyone in this common room was drunk (except the first years), and never mind that no one else was paying attention (especially Marlene McKinnon with her flirtatious little laugh at something the sixth year stupidly slurred).

"Just go snog her will you," Sirius slid next to his best mate and grinned wolfishly. "Do what everyone has been waiting for three years for you to do." Prongs just shook his head, and walked away (presumably to the other side of the room to shoot Lily some more secret-but-not-so-secretly little "I love you" glances.)

"Lils! Lilipad! Lily-roni-and-cheese!" Sirius nearly shouted, as he stepped up to the red head.

"Would you say you were a coward?"

"I'm a Gryffindor!" her indignant slur made him grin even wider.

"So, you wouldn't back down from a dare, now would you?"

Maybe it was the fact that she was drunk or maybe it was the fact that they were now friends, but Lily Evans shook her head.

"Bring it, Black," she breathed, throwing her arm around his shoulder.

"I dare you to go over there and snog James." For a moment, Lily looked as if she might say no, but something in her (alcohol) resolved her doubts. She staggered over to where James was standing (next to overly-flirty Marlene McKinnon) and nearly threw herself into Prongs' arms, making him drop his drink. And before James Potter could say anything, Lily Evans was snogging him senseless.

The Gryffindor common room went silent, for even though half the students (not the first years) were drunk, they knew that this was something magical, something to behold, something that would later be read about in the history books. Sirius let out a cheer as his friends began to come back up for air. As James and Lily beamed at each other, Sirius himself could see that this was something amazing, and that these two were so full of love that maybe, just maybe they stood a chance against all the hate the world threw at them. The common room began to go about their partying, ignoring the scene.

"Oy! Sirius?!" Lily shouted, grabbing Marlene's hand and pulling her away from that sixth year.

"Are you a coward?"

"I'm a Gryffindor, aren't I?" With those words, slightly dry on his lips, he pulled Marlene into a kiss, making it known to everyone that these two were official. And though he cared for Marlene a great deal, and possibly even loved her, he knew that he had nothing compared to James and Lily. And while they would make it through the darkness the world had to offer, he could not say the same about himself.