"Can you pass the pudding?"

Sirius looks up to his left and carries the dish up and over to Lily who waited patiently and gave him a quick thank you when he passed it over.

A minute later, Sirius briefly glances up at her and holds his hand out. "Lils, do you mind passing back the pudding?"

Lily blinks but delivers the dish back to him. However, when he settles it back down, he doesn't even touch it. Instead, he focuses back on his reading.

Is he going to eat it?

"Sirius."

"Yeah?"

"Are you going eat that?"

"Me? Oh no, I don't like rice pudding- you know I don't." He looks at her with a sardonic look.

Lily just shakes her head, not willing to take his bait. "I know, I know. Forget it."

"Okay," Sirius announces, sitting up straighter and fixing his leg back under the table. Throwing his book down on the table, he crosses his arms in a readied stance. "Now, test me."

Lily laughed, making his handsome face look only more confident. "You think you've got it all memorized already?"

"Are you afraid to be bested by my intelligence?"

Lily narrows her green eyes at him. "1752." She hits him with a year.

"Boot resigns and Flack comes on board- only to resign that same flipping year and for Gore to take his place," he so brilliantly answers.

"The law that only permits witches and wizards to own a wand."

"The Decree of 1631."

"Ulick Gamp."

"He doesn't have anything to do with goblin history!"

"It's supposed to throw you off your game," Lily explained with a grand smile. "Now do you know him or not?"

"Obviously!"

"Well?"

"He's the first bloody Minister of Magic."

"Partial credit. How can you leave out the most relevant information which is that he is so obviously the founder of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"You're fired."

"Declaration denied." She doesn't even bat an eye. "Where's the current placement of artifact-"

"BLACK."

Lily and Sirius both turn around towards the scratchy, most unpleasant voice that belonged to Hogwart's caretaker Filch himself... with his daunting, truly dreadful face as he stared down Sirius with simmering anger by the doors.

"Merllin, what did you do this time..." Lily whispered.

Her fear of Filch was well known by her friends, though James would often tease her about it and try to lower the amount of authority she gave Filch by insinuating he was nothing more than a boring distraction.

"Many things, but I do wish he wouldn't come over. I might lose my appetite. Violently."

"Then, you better go to him," Lily whispered hastily, watching each crooked ominous step taken by Filch. She was growing anxious by the second from his dreadful approach and if Sirius didn't go to him soon, she's ready to offer him as a sacrifice, throwing him Filch's way and making a run for it.

But thankfully, she didn't have to make the selfish choice when Sirius gets up.

"Right, right, I'll be right back." Sirius regretfully jogged over to Filch with what looked like an easy going smile, but even Lily could recognize the strains it was putting on his face to put on the farce, dandy smile.

Lily watched as Filch ranted at Sirius over something about a closet and a constant presence of... books.

What?

Did she even hear that right?

Regardless, Sirius was lucky that it was just Filch lecturing him. Since Sirius and Lily both had free periods at this time, they spent it at a barely half filled Great Hall and McGonagall was teaching first years at this time, so that was a small blessing- not getting the head of house involved.

If she heard Filch going at Sirius again, she might even take Filch's side this time.

Eventually, Sirius returned with, this time, a genuine grin of his as he sat back down across from her. "Just got two weeks detention to clean up the broom closets."

Lily leaned towards him. "Did I hear him right when he shouted the word 'books?'"

"Ahh, just a little project of ours, Little Evans."

And, he preferred to be content on leaving it at that. But, Lily...

"Care to share why?"

"Nah, I'm all right. Can we go back to studying though? Our exams in 3 hours."

"Sirius, trust me when I say I'm not worried about you at all," she says, regarding their exam. "I think you've got it. Especially when apparently you have a stockpile of knowledge hidden around the castle."

"Oh?" Sirius feigns surprise with his dark brows raised. "I'm not gone five minutes and you've already become a seer?"

Lily let out a few dark laughs. "Gosh, you're hilarious." She threw her hair back over her shoulder, and simultaneously hit someone in the face with it as they were sitting down beside her.

"Oh my God." Lily covers her mouth, appalled and so bloody just embarrassed at herself- of course this would happen to- oh, it's just Alice.

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry." Lily immediately went to console her, bursting into relieved laughter and thanking the deities above for letting it only be Alice and not some stranger she actually whipped with her hair. "Dear God."

Sirius was laughing as well, though not as much as Lily since he had no reason to be dreadfully embarrassed and it was directed at solely her.

Alice was a good sport -though when was ever she not, and immediately forgave Lily.

Which only made Sirius laugh louder to Lily's bloody embarrassment.

Come afternoon, James was waiting outside of the classroom, leaning on the adjacent wall as he read a book in one hand and took the occasional bite of his apple in the other. Lily was still inside taking her test, so he was patiently waiting for her to be done while looking up each time the door opened.

Finally, when she emerged, he threw his book back into his backpack and grinned at her when she saw him. "So, what'd you think?"

"It could have been worse," she says, meeting him halfway and accepting James' silent offer to his apple. "He hardly put down anything on those 18th century laws, and I spent the hours trying to memorize all of them."

"Which you amazingly did," James says proudly while she takes a bite. "Good apple, isn't it? Must be the season."

Lily smiles up at him, humored as they start to walk down the corridor. "Isn't that the fall? But, anyway, what about you? Do you think you did well?"

James shrugged, draping his arm around her shoulders. "It was easy enough." History never really challenged him.

"Then, care to make one of our little friendly bets again?"

"Oh Evans, you're absolutely terrible at our bets, I love you, let's do it."

Lily looks haughtily at him, lifting her chin. "Careful, Mr. Potter, your arrogance just might lead to you sorely losing against your pretty girlfriend."

A sly grin slowly emerges. "2 Galleons you get only partial credit on one of the writing questions for missing a detail."

"5 you miss full marks by at most two points- because I know how much that frustrates you."

"God, you're stunning when you're trying to best me. Deal."

"Deal." And, holding on to his shoulder, she leans up on her toes to quickly kiss him to certify their bet. "Also, let's ask Sirius to join in."

"Even better," James leaves a final kiss on her nose. "I love taking money from my mates- how was studying with him earlier?"

Lily shivers under his arm. "Oo, don't remind me. Filch paid us a visit."

"Oh, you're ex?" he goes innocently.

"That's not funny," Lily elbowed him, which only felt like a child's nudge to him. "He's on to whatever Marauder shenanigans you guys are up to."

"And, what is it that we're up to?"

"How would I know? I'm not a member of your little boy's club. But, he gave Sirius detention for a couple nights."

"What? Seriously?" He looks down at her a bit astounded.

"Apparently, hoarding books in his closets puts him in a real foul mood."

"Hell, anything we do puts him in a foul mood." His hazel eyes focus back forward as he thinks. "Oh well... guess we'll have to figure out some other place to hide them in."

"What are you guys up to?" Lily finally gives in and tiredly asks.

James noticeably hesitates, making Lily very much more suspicious. James realizes this and turns her to face him, moving his hands up to her upper arms. "I know you're thinking we're up to something, but I promise it's nothing, it's just a little renovation."

"Renovation? Since when were you put in charge of our school's architectu-"

"The guys and I are sneaking out all the dark magic and curses books from the library."

Lily's eyes grew wide as she stared up at him.

"... Have you gone m- how even- how?"

"Aren't you more curious in knowing the why?" he teased.

"I- I mean, I'm pretty sure I know why you're doing it." She released a deep breath, her shoulders visibly lowering.

She wasn't even bothered, this was nothing like the extremes she's witnessed from the Marauders, but she was concerned for them.

"Where are you going to hide them now?"

James was mildly surprised but very delighted over her rather calm reaction. "You're not very upset..." he stated, amused.

She moves in closer to him and plays with his tie. "I can be if you want."

"Mmm, next time." Magnetically, he lowers his face closer to hers, his hand moving up to cup her face when she hastily takes a step back.

"Not in the hallway, sir." She quickly checks him, smiling when he groans in protest, looking defeated.

She didn't set out to be deliberately cruel, but she heard voices coming around the corner.

When some students made their hurried appearance, James took a step to the right and motioned some over.

"Hey, kid-"

Hey, kid, Lily shakes her head at her boyfriend's blunt words and turns around to see a couple younger years walking back to them.

"Where are the heck are you guys going?"

"They're playing a killer game of fanged frisbee, and we just found another one!" A second year gasps out excitedly while his friend proudly holds up the snarling disk.

Lily never liked those, finding them troubling efficient in gnawing whatever they get their terrible teeth on and walked backwards into James.

"Wicked, let's all go." He grabs her hand, ready to follow after their charge who were all already dashing away.

"Hold on!" Lily pulls back on her hand, making James trip backward. "You can't just join them!"

"What do you mean?"

"They're banned."

"Yeah, 'cause that stopped us," he scoffed dismissing caution behind.

"James, you're wearing a badge on your robes that signifies your promise to enforce school rules."

"Ah, Evans... how about... we hide behind the crowd and kill the party right before next session starts?"

Lily tries to resist his hand lightly pulling her closer to him."You expect me to believe that you're just going to be an observer?"

"Then, as a student leader, I'll lead them to eventually finish their game before class starts-"

She bites her lip down as she tries not to think of something that doesn't sound like a fun-killing, pointless excuse, or explicitly approve of his suggestions because, they're really not supposed to. But, she also really doesn't want to seem like such a- fun-killer...

"All right, I have a plan."

James lifts his brow. "Scheming now, are we?"

"Go get your cloak. The cloak."