"So," Sirius began as he piggybacked Lily to potions, "about what you found out last night…"

Lily stared ahead down the corridor. "What about it?"

"Well." Sirius tried to blow a piece of hair out of his eyes that was refusing to move. Lily laughed and pushed it back for him herself. "Well," Sirius said again, "you're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not," Lily told him.

"Not a soul?"

"Not a soul," she repeated.

"Why should I believe you?"

It wasn't said angrily or rudely, or even accusatorily. He asked it as a question, genuinely wanting an answer.

Because…

"Well because I've been keeping the secret for a while now," Lily said honestly.

She felt Sirius tense. "James told you before?"

"No," Lily said quickly. "I meant I already knew about Remus'…"

What did James call it? His furry little problem?

"furry little problem," she finished. "I figured it out late last year actually."

"Oh." He visibly relaxed. "Alright."

Lily smiled. "I already told James this, but, you know the four of you are incredible."

Sirius smirked, "Sucking up to us Evans?" he joked.

"No. I mean it. The map, the…transformations, I can't say I've ever met more complex people."

"I'll take it," Sirius nodded.

"Take what?" Lily asked.

"The compliment," Sirius clarified.

Hm. I guess it was more of a… 'Just Is' kind of thing. But compliment? I'll go with it.

Lily grinned, "Alright then."

I wonder if this is crossing a line…

"Black?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"What is it Evans?" he asked back tiredly.

Lily took a deep breath, "Can you tell me why James likes me?"

Sirius looked at her from the corner of his eye, lifting her up higher on his back as she began to slip. "I don't know Evans," he told her. "Are guys allowed to do that?"

Do what?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, girls, they have all those rules you know."

Not quite following.

"Such as…?" she prodded.

Sirius sighed. "Say Prewett liked a guy-"

"She likes Frank," Lily interrupted.

"Fine," Sirius rolled his eyes. "So Prewett likes Frank and she tells you all about how she likes Frank. Are you allowed to go and tell Frank?"

"No," Lily answered automatically.

He's smirking isn't he?

"Well, maybe depending on the circumstances," Lily corrected quickly.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like…if Frank really wanted to know," Lily stressed. "Or if it could…possibly…make their relationship better."

Come on Paddy…it's for the greater good…

Sirius took the bait and caved. "I guess. Fine. But this isn't some sort of…slumber party game," he said. "And I'm not telling you everything."

"But you're telling me some things?" Lily questioned hopefully.

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged slightly. "What I remember from his blabbering anyway."

She tried to keep her mouth shut and resist the urge to chirp a loud 'YAY!'

Is…is he going to tell me…?

"Well?" Lily pressed.

"Right," Sirius said. "I don't know. He usually just goes on about how smart you are. Or how pretty you are. Or how unique you are. Or how nice you were to that third year…how pretty you looked." Sirius made a face. Lily caught his look and his eyes widened. "Not that you're not attractive Evans," he told her quickly. "But…well I'm not the one obsessed with you. I don't need to hear about how…gorgeous-" Lily got the feeling he was quoting his best mate- "you are."

Lily smiled.

"He likes it when you wear your hair that one way," Sirius recalled.

My hair?

"What way?" she asked.

Sirius gave her an odd look. "How the hell should I know?"

Well you just said 'that one way'. What way!

"You just said 'that one way'," Lily pointed out.

"I don't know," Sirius told her. "He said it a couple weeks ago I think. Something about you braiding your hair and it being long."

A couple weeks ago? Oh! That was a good day. I woke up early enough to actually do something with my hair. I love those days.

Lily paused to think just how her hair had been done that day.

I…oh. I had the two small braids tied in the back.

"Anything else?" Lily pried.

"Nope," Sirius answered, saying it quick and popping the 'p'. "Or at least, not anymore I'm telling you."

"Fine," Lily said dejectedly.

They were approaching the dungeons and getting strange and jealous looks from the students they passed in the corridors. Lily's eyes landed on James, Remus and Peter. James' eyes locked onto hers and they widened.

What?

What the hell?

Then she caught his look of hurt and the glare she sent Sirius' way.

Oh. No it's not like…

Her arms moved from hanging around Sirius' neck so she could put her hands on his shoulders. "I think you should put me down now," she whispered.

Sirius nodded, his gaze straight ahead, ignoring everyone's looks. He bent and lowered Lily to the floor, gently, allowing her get her footing before fully letting her go.

"You okay?" he asked distractedly.

"Yeah. Thanks," she smiled weakly.

She looked between James and Sirius warily. James was glaring at Sirius while Sirius was watching him coolly.

"I'm going to-to…" everyone staring at her was making her uncomfortable. Uneasy.

"Go talk to James," Sirius finished for her and then nodded. He shoved his hands in his pockets and inhaled with a shrug. "Let me know when it's safe?"

Lily laughed weakly, "Definitely."

She went over to James, not really looking at him but at everyone else staring at her as they passed.

"What's going on?" James asked as soon as she was in hearing distance to his lowered voice.

"I talked to Sirius," Lily said. "Everything's good…solved for the most part."

"And the piggyback?" Peter questioned.

"Because of my ankle," Lily explained. She paused and realized how well that balm stuff was working. "Which, by the way, is a lot better."

I told you to go to the hospital wing. That Pomfrey does sick Magic. Literally.

James nodded. "So what do you mean by 'you talked to Sirius'?"

"I mean I talked to him. Really talked to him."

But he was supposed to cave first!

"About what?" Remus enquired.

Well…

"About why he was upset," Lily said plainly. "And now…now we're okay." She looked at James, "But you two, you two need to talk about all of this too."

Merlin Lils, not you too.

James ignored her instructions and nodded towards class. "We should go in."

It wasn't until lunch when Lily left subtly slipped away from James and Remus and over to Sirius and Peter.

It was funny, she had thought, how they had split up. Peter was stuck to Sirius' side and Remus was with James. The interesting part was that Remus and Peter hadn't taken sides really; they just wanted everything sorted it out. And until then, they were both just keeping one of their friends company. And Sirius wasn't upset with Remus for hanging out with James and James wasn't upset with Peter. It was just what they did.

The other thing was how different things were between Remus and James than between James and Sirius. Things seemed quieter without Sirius thrown into the mix of things. And while Lily had been with James and Remus, thinking that's where she was supposed to be and that she'd like the quiet, she came to find she didn't.

Without Sirius, the entire morning was too quiet. Too calm. It wasn't hectic enough and Lily could tell she wasn't the only one bothered by the odd and unfamiliar atmosphere around the boys. From the look in James' eyes she knew that he was getting antsy.

"All clear, Black."

"What?" Sirius asked.

Merlin Black.

"You need to talk to him," Lily said urgently.

"I what?"

Peter started to wander off and Lily sighed. James and Remus were standing near the Great Hall doors and Peter was heading their way. Lily began to move down the corridor with everyone else, Sirius debating before walking with her.

"You need to talk to James," Lily told him slowly.

Sirius smiled charmingly at two passing girls and Lily rolled her eyes.

Really? You're going to flirt now, Black?

Sirius caught her pointed look. "He's still pissed?"

Well as far as I can I tell…you did do something pretty stupid.

"Not really," Lily said carefully.

"So then why do I need to talk to him?"

"Because he isn't exactly happy either," Lily huffed in frustration. "And you certainly can't just go on and pretend it never happened!"

"No need to yell Evans," Sirius reminded offhandedly.

"Sorry Black. But your stupidity is really wearing on my nerves!"

Sirius smirked, "If I recall, Evans, earlier you called me brilliant."

I eat my words. Right now.

"Black."

"Evans, no offense, but you're not a bloke," Sirius said.

"Funnily enough Black, I'm not offended in the slightest."

Sirius continued as if she hadn't said a thing. "It's different with guys. We don't sit and cry when we make up after fights. We move. On."

"Even with things like this?" Lily asked.

Sirius paused. Lily waited. Sirius' head fell back and he looked up tiredly. "I'll talk to him later."

"Really."

"Yes really. Now where is he?"

"Over there." Lily jabbed a thumb over her shoulder towards the Great Hall and Sirius looked at her expectantly. "What?"

"Well if you don't go over there, he's going to come over here."

"And?" Lily prodded.

If he comes over here then they can talk, right?

Lily voiced this thought in Sirius' silence.

"I'll talk to him later," Sirius snapped irately.

"Fine." Lily crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "You better actually though."

"Obviously."

'Later' turned out to be Divination. The only class that contained James and Sirius as the only Marauders.

Merlin this class is a breeze.

James sat with Sirius, having already been partners for the class since September.

They were supposed to be going deeper into the divination method of Dream Interpretation. They were supposed to be relating their dreams to their partners and then, well, interpreting them.

James smirked as he began, "So, I dreamt that my best mate was being an asshole. It was funny really; it was so vividly realistic. Like it actually happened."

Alright. Low. He deserves it.

Sirius looked at his textbook. "You want me to apologize?"

Couldn't hurt.

"Okay," he shut the textbook. "Sorry."

"You were a real dick."

"So were you."

"What the hell?" A few heads turned in their direction questioningly and James lowered his voice. "What the hell did I do in this?"

Sirius just shook his head.

"That's right. I didn't do a damn thing," James told him. "Now, are you going to tell me about your dreams?"

"Sure. I dreamt that…that a tidal wave swept Hogwarts away," Sirius supplied, following their usual routine of making up total bullshit dream stories.

James paused and looked at his textbook as if trying to truly interpret his subconscious crap. "I think that means you're an arse."

Oh shut up Prongs.

"Okay. Here's what you did," Sirius suddenly wanted to talk. To tell him just what was on his mind. "One, you were friends with me. Two, you decided you liked Evans. Three, we're brothers," he stopped counting. "Then, you and Evans have this bet. And then everything gets rearranged for her. Evans, that is. And then yesterday you send me off on four legs to go to Hogsmeade. By myself, if it hadn't been for me dragging Peter along. And you didn't even realize that I took the firewhiskey." Sirius considered something. "Oh, so we're out of firewhiskey as well."

So he felt ignored. That's what this is about?

"Padfoot-"

Sirius shrugged, "But hey, I'm over it. And I can see how I was an arse."

"This is my fault?" James asked incredulously. "You're really are freaking screwed up, aren't you?"

Sirius' jaw set.

"You got drunk. And you blew everything," James told him.

"Oh like you weren't going to tell her anyways. At least that way I had some say in it."

You would've had a 'say' in it no matter what!

"I wasn't going to tell her without you, Remus or Pete," James said angrily.

"Whatever," Sirius sighed.

With anybody else this would have made James even more furious. 'Whatever' was a phrase of indifference. Something that was meant to show how little you cared. With a conversation like this-something that for five years now, none of them had taken lightly—a response of 'whatever' should have bothered him. But with Sirius, this 'whatever' wasn't an uncaring term but a breaking term. He had caved and they both knew it.

He caved. He looks awful.

"You cool?"

"Evans talked me through it. We're all good."

"Alright."

"You're not going to say sorry?" Sirius asked.

Huh?

"Come on, man. Even Evans said sorry!" Students turned to look at them and Sirius gave them a 'what are you looking at?' look. When James still hadn't apologized Sirius slid his textbook across the table.

James smirked, "You're my brother. We're supposed to fight."

"Well fine," Sirius leaned back in his chair. "You can apologize with replacement firewhiskey."

"No-"

Hell. Fine.

"-okay." Sirius raised a hand and James followed suit, doing a half fish tail sort of slap and bumping fists. Typical male 'embrace.'

"Cool. Now, go. I want to hear your bullshit dreams."

Padfoot.

"Alright. So Filch is about to jump off the astronomy tower and…"

"So," Lily started as they entered the common room, "what are we doing?"

They shrugged and Lily raised an eyebrow.

No plans? At all?

Lily was following the boys' up the staircase and entering the boys' common room when she asked, "Really? No plans?"

"Rarely," James told her, "do we ever have plans."

Lily considered this. "True. But you all usually have something you want to do."

Or some party that is planned.

"Not on Thursdays," Peter said in that 'oh you silly naïve little girl' tone.

"Well alright. What are Thursdays then?"

"Thursdays," Sirius informed her, "are our relaxing days. Nothing to do."

"Except for Sirius," Peter sighed. "Sirius always finds a girl on Thursdays."

"Oh?" Lily asked. "But everybody else has nothing to do?" Lily looked at James as she said this and he shook his head.

Sirius is the only one of us who runs off with girls on Thursdays. I swear.

"It's not that was have nothing to do," James corrected. "It's that we are free to relax and do whatever we please."

I see.

"And what you please today would be…?"

Remus flopped back onto his bed. "No idea," he grinned.

Lily hummed a bit to herself. "So we aren't doing anything then?"

Well doesn't Black have a girl to go run off with?

James kicked off his shoes and crawled onto his own bed, leaning against his plush pillow and the curtain hanging behind it. Lily sat at the end of James' bed, stretching her legs out over the bedding horizontally.

"I don't know," James said. "We usually just sit around and talk. Play some sort of…talking game I guess."

Like...like those slumber party-type games?

"Awww," Lily cooed. "You play slumber party games."

"Slumber what?" Sirius demanded.

Lily laughed, "Slumber party games. You know, like when girls have sleepovers or whatever and they all sit around and gossip. They play games. Like truth or dare and stuff."

They all nodded in understanding.

How is it girls can have slumber parties and all that crap but guys can barely share rooms?

Peter sat up eagerly, "Can we play? Truth or Dare I mean."

Really Pete?

Sirius groaned from where he was, sprawled out on the floor by a window. "How about Truth or Truth? I'm tired. I refuse to get up for any sort of dense dares you people come up with."

"I'm in," Remus shrugged as he folded his outer robe and placed it on his trunk.

"Alright," Peter sighed in compromise.

James ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, okay."

The game started off easy. The questions asked were harmless. If the point of the game was to open people up the first round caused bruises. The second measly paper cuts and a few scrapes. But as the game progressed they were slicing each other, forcing open wounds that would leave nothing hidden.

First round Lily's biggest issue was 'What are you most attached to?' (After ruling out wands Lily answered her books, James his broom, Sirius his hair, Remus the cauldron he recently got, and Peter a bear he'd had since forever).

The second round's highlight was James question of first kisses. James hadn't paid attention to anyone's answers, already knowing them, except for Lily. He paid very close attention to her reply.

"Wait. Really?" James had asked.

"Yes, really!" she had yelled. "But only because you planned it."

James Potter was my first kiss. I hate that. I mean…it wasn't even…

Yeah I planned it. And I can't believe it actually worked.

"Yeah. What happened again?" he smirked.

"You can flashback yourself. I don't really like reliving it."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Sirius.

He nodded. "I swear. Fenwick is going to ask her out and steal your chance."

Remus rolled his eyes. "I really don't think this is a good idea. Besides, it's only third year you still have four years."

I remember being frustrated that Remus wasn't getting the point. "I want to be her first kiss," I told him. "Benjy Fenwick is two years older than us! If he gets to Evans first than I'll be second. I don't want to be second. I want to be first!" I don't recall much of the conversation after that…oh well. It's what happened after that matters.

Lily was leaving the charms classroom. And as soon as she was out of the door Sirius waved his wand and Peter grabbed Lily's from her hand. Lily was stuck to her spot in the doorway. That was my cue. I sauntered up to the doorway and leaned close to her. "Hello Evans. How are you?"

A blur of conversation passed here. Egging each other on and bantering. "Potter, what are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm going to kiss you."

Ugh, I had tried to forget that actually. Merlin. That was…he stole my first kiss! Took it right from my lips.

"I'm going to kiss you," he had told me ludicrously.

"Get away Potter," I snapped. If I had my wand I would have prevented the entire situation. But of course one of his little friends and snatched it right from my hand. And I was already stuck to my spot by Black, heaven knows how.

James had moved closer to me, his face right in front of mine. "Ready Evans?"

I slapped him. Fast, sharp, and hard across his face. When I heard the 'oohs' and sharp, shocked intakes of breath from behind me I realized we had an audience. Everyone waited to leave the classroom who hadn't been able to slip around me and a few kids who had stopped and were lucky enough to be passing by so they could witness all of this. He put a hand to his cheek but seemed barely bothered. "Go away," I whispered harshly.

"I'm not leaving until kissed," he smirked. Even then, that smirk had bugged the hell out of me, and at thirteen he had it perfected. "Come on Evans," he taunted. "Everybody's waiting."

Now that I think about it, one of those bystanders should have helped me. Cruel little thirteen year olds.

I could feel myself blushing. Heat rushing to my cheeks like crazy with everybody watching me and James Potter's lips inches from mine. I had licked my lips nervously and turned away from him trying to shield myself without looking obvious.

And then he moved in closer and I couldn't think anymore. Thoughts were swimming through my brain but getting mixed and jumbled together as he came even closer to me. My hands were in front of me, poised to push him back but they never did. Instead his lips fell on mine and I felt the slight press of them. And then he moved and walked away. His friends following after him.

That was it. Awkward and reluctant. And when he was finally gone and I was moving on through the day all the thoughts slowly pulled apart, separating from each other and all I could think was how unfair it was. He stole my first kiss from me. And while it meant everything to me it probably meant nothing to him.

"And you Prongs?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

Both Lily and James were pulled from their thoughts and James seemed to smile embarrassedly. He looked at Lily. "You."

Or maybe not.

A/N: so sorry for the long wait. I hope you weren't dissapointed. Now, if I update again within the next little while, you can consider yourself miracle-witnesses. But I'll tell you what, I will start writing the next chapter (where truth or truth continues) and if I get to 600 reviews (quite a long stretch but we'll see) I will send eight reviewers as much of the chapter as I have written, in advance.

Or I might do that whether or not I hit 600. Who knows? I am in a good mood.

Trivia Question: In one of my other stories Lily and James get stuck together and Lily is thinking of a song while in the shower. What song is it and who sings it?

Anyways,

Scarlett