Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, etc.

Note: I just realized that this story is about to get to 100 reviews. Pretty good for twenty-eight unplanned, edited-as-I-go, short, infrequently updated chapters! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and made me feel special. Honestly, half of my inspiration has come from you guys. I write for you. I hope you enjoy this chapter, but please note that any romantic writing is not from experience, so I apologize if it's not very good.

Also, just to make this the longest author's not ever, I'd like to amend that statement from the last chapter about not doing too many more. I realized there are a lot more plotlines that still need to be tied up. I am beginning to formulate these, but the main momentum of the story is over. When I started this story, I had no idea where anything was going, except that it was LE/JP. I hope you like this chapter!

After the Game, Lily and James had taken a very long 'walk' along the lake. They talked some, but mostly they just held hands and enjoyed each other's presence.

Okay. They snogged a lot.

James couldn't believe his luck. Finally. He couldn't stop grinning. Now that he had her here, now, he knew that he would die if he had to let go.

Lily forgot everything that had happened beforehand. She was very glad there were no classes that day, or else she surely wouldn't have been able to pay attention. The only thing on her mind was James. She liked the way he smelled. And his scarlet Quidditch robes were very becoming. When he held her close, she felt the hard muscles and she heard his breathing. She felt safe.

James' mind was racing. They sat under a tree and looked out at the lake. He leaned over, and kissed her again. "Marry me." He begged.

Lily laughed. "One step at a time." She said, ruffling his hair for him.

Back in the Gryffindor common room, the party was louder and crazier than usual. Sirius and anyone who was idiot enough to join him downed so much butter beer that they became actually drunk.

Eleanor watched from a couch as they staggered around the common room. Sofia plunked herself down beside Eleanor.

"You dumped him?"

"He wasn't being any fun." Sofia said, though her clear eyes flashed.

"How so?" Eleanor prodded.

"He knew I was using him just like he was using me. It doesn't work like that. "So much for getting him back. Maybe we just ought to hex him. A well aimed reductor charm… and well… his shagging days are over."

Sofia laughed so hard she nearly wet herself. Eleanor steadied her, chuckling.

"A little too much Butterbeer?"

"Nope. Sirius stole something stronger and put it in every drink but the pumpkin juice. I didn't find out until it was too late, so I guess I'm a little tipsy."

Eleanor winced and pushed her glass of butterbeer away. She strongly disliked pumpkin juice, but was in no mood to get drunk.

"Perhaps we can re-decorate his dorm. Violent pink, barf orange, or Slytherin colors?"

"Then we're punishing all the people who live there. Poor Frank."

"Or we could transfigure his pillow into… something?" Eleanor was running out of ideas.

"Or we could slip him a love potion."

"For who? Pettigrew?" Eleanor snorted.

"No. You." Sofia murmured.

"Hell no." Eleanor retorted, a little too loudly. "We've resolved this. He's an asshole, and I've given up on him." She lowered her voice.

"That's where the potion comes in."

"It won't make him less of an asshole."

"True. Maybe we could ask Remus."

"I never thought that he was the mastermind behind their pranks." Eleanor glanced across the room to where Remus supervised the proceedings; occasionally glancing up from his book to make sure Sirius hadn't broken anything yet.

"He's not, but he understands Sirius." Sofia defended herself.

"Oh really?" Eleanor watched as Remus shook his head as his friend made a fool of himself.

"Just go talk to him, El. He'll know."

Willingly, Eleanor got up and made her way across the room, dodging boisterous Gryffindors.

"Hi, Remus. Mind if I sit?" She gestured to the seat next to him.

"Sure. What's up?" He had to raise his voice over the ruckus.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be discreet about this, but Sofia and I owe Sirius big-time." Eleanor said dryly.

"Certainly." Remus said with a strait face. "You need advice as to what he would most… appreciate?"

"Precisely. We want to make sure he gets what he's due without inconveniencing people such as yourself."

"Might I suggest you surprise him with something practical? Sirius uses numerous products on his hair and skin." Remus looked down at his book.

"Is that so?" Eleanor's mouth twitched. "Well, we can certainly help him in his quest to be… noticed. I dare say you're a genius, Lupin." She clapped him on the back and made her way back to Sofia.

"Remus says to mess with his toiletries." Eleanor snickered. "Hairgel, Face cream, all that."

"He doesn't use that stuff." Sofias eyes widened. Eleanor noticed that the tankard she had discarded was significantly emptier than it had been.

"He does." Eleanor said over her friend's peals of laughter.

That night, Lily distractedly got ready for bed, thinking about her past—how things had worked out so beautifully this year, despite all expectations. She also thought about her future—With James there, she felt like she had the strength to withstand anything Auror training or the Order might throw at her. But what if something happened to James? The idea had never occurred to her until now. She'd have to use the extra strength he gave her to protect him, and what they had together.

James was also distracted. It occurred to him that all his dreams had come true in one blissful day—he had won the Quidditch cup and Lily Evans' heart. It also occurred to him that he had proposed. But not really. They hadn't even gone on a date yet. He planned to make their first date special. There was a Hogsmeade trip just before Easter holiday. James could already plan it. He and the other Marauders were all staying for the Holiday, as were Frank, Alice, Lily, Eleanor, and Sofia. Mary was going home. He looked forward to it. Years ago, as a fifth year with a little crush, he had imagined graduating with her, staying with her, marrying her, and having children with her. And now, he knew he could graduate with her, if not more. As for living staying with her, he knew he had to. Not just because it might cause him physical pain to be away from her, but also because their lives outside of Hogwarts were about to become a lot more dangerous.

Sirius was too drunk to notice Prongs' change in attitude, but Remus was acutely aware of it. "Good game, mate." He said quietly, sitting down on his friends bed.

"Wha—oh. Yeah." James agreed, his hands locked behind his head.

"What happened?" Remus had his suspicions, but he wanted to hear it from James.

Prongs closed his eyes, remembering. "I asked Lily." Remus grinned. "She said yes."

"And?"

"And I never want to let go." James said, oblivious to the cliché.

"Understandable. But uh… can I talk to you about the Order?

James sat up, focusing. "Yeah. What's up?"

"My… uh… furry little problem… I think it'll get in the way. You've read the news."

"Remus John Lupin, don't even think like that." James put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "The marauders wouldn't be the same without Moony. The Order won't be the same without you. You're one of the smartest students in Hogwarts, and you know more about Dark creatures than any of us. The order needs someone with your skills… and maybe even your 'connections.' You won't turn on us." James said it with such conviction that the tension went out of Remus' shoulders.

"I'll try not to let you down." Remus said.

"You won't." James said.

Eleanor and Sofia waited until all the Gryffindors had gone down to breakfast. Then, they snuck up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. No one stopped them on their way, but they had a cover story ready. They would tell everyone that they were looking for Remus.

Seeing several bottles on Sirius' bedside table, they picked them up one by one. The bottle labeled "Face" they hexed so that whoever used it would break out in boils. The bottle labeled "Hair" they added a potion from Zonkos that would cause the hair to stand up straight. The bottle of cologne they diluted with a strong swelling solution. Recapping the bottles and replacing them exactly, they were startled by someone stomping up the stairs. But Eleanor and Sofia were professionals. Their pranks weren't as loud as the marauders' and were often attributed to their male counterparts when they were discovered, but they had developed skill over the course of their years at Hogwarts. Sofia dropped and rolled until she was under Frank's Bed. Eleanor rolled the other way, under Sirius's. Sirius entered and flopped down on his bed. Luckily, the bedsprings hid Eleanor's grunt. The girls made eye contact and stayed there. With Sirius, Remus, and Peter all in the room, they were well and truly trapped. There was a scuffle as Remus dropped something on the floor in between Frank's and Sirius's beds. He noticed Eleanor but didn't react as he picked up his book.

"Are you guys done with McGonagall's essay?" He asked, Sitting on his own bed.

"Yes." Sirius said, as Peter said "No."

"Honestly, Peter?" Sirius started to tease, but Remus interrupted.

"Get it done, Peter. In the meantime, Sirius, up for a game of Chess?"

"Sure. Why not." Sirius followed his friends downstairs.

Eleanor and Sofia waited a second, before creeping downstairs. Remus had positioned his friends facing away from the door to the dormitory. Eleanor and Sofia blended into the crowd of girls coming up from breakfast to get their bags.

"We have time to go down to the kitchens. It's on the way to Herbology, anyway." Sofia told Eleanor, her stomach growling.

"Sure."

The two headed down to the kitchens to beg a breakfast from the house elves, eager to see how long it took Sirius to re-do his hair or face. They alone knew the antidotes for that specific brew. They picked up a slice of chocolate cake and transfigured a plate into a box. It would find it's way into Remus's bag over the course of the day as a thank-you.

With full stomachs, they made their way to Herbology.

That evening, Eleanor and Sofia were working their way through all the homework McGonagall had given them after they turned in their latest papers on creating your own elemental transfiguration spells.

"BLOODY HELL!" came the yell that they'd been waiting for all day. Peter ran downstairs and whispered to James, who was sitting beside Lily on the couch by the hearth.

James whispered something to Lily, who laughed, as he stood up and followed Peter up the stairs.

Everything was going according to plan. Sofia went to the window and held out an owl treat for her owl, Cracker. The barn owl swooped onto her arm, grabbed the owl treat, and held out his leg. Eleanor joined her and fastened the note they had prepared to its leg. Then, they waited.

James followed Peter up the steps, and nearly pissed himself when he saw his friend. Padfoot's head was the size of a melon, and his face was covered in angry purple boils. His hair stood out from his head at a right angle to his scalp.

"Ni—Nice new look, Pads." James gasped out in between hoots of mirth.

"Ha. Ha." Sirius's voice was nasal, due to his oddly proportioned head.

Just then, a barn owl tapped at the window. Peter shrank back, scared of this natural predator of rodents, and Sirius refused to go to the window, so James received the message.

Sirius, or should we say, Melon Head:

Consider this payback. If you want your smirking, handsome face back, meet us on top of the Astronomy tower in one hour. We know that your mate is Head Boy. He can bend the rules just this once.

Sincerely, The queens of Pranking.

James finished reading.

"You won't turn us in, Mate?" Sirius begged. "I can't live like this."

"I'd have to ask Lily… I can't hide this from her."

"Please, Prongs?"

"Hold on." James raced downstairs.

"Lily, you have to come and see this." James pulled her upstairs.

Lily protested but stopped short when she saw Sirius. And burst out laughing.

"I—I know I shouldn't—whoever did this—pure genius—big trouble—" She could hardly speak from laughing.

"It gets better." James said, and handed her the letter.

Lily looked at it seriously.

"Take the cloak." She told Sirius, and exited.

"There you are, Mate." James said, running after Lily.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she leaned against him.

"I don't know whether to laugh or scream." She confided.

"I understand that Sirius looks quite gruesome…" James began, and Lily chuckled.

"It's not that. It's that I recognize that handwriting." Lily told him.

"Really? Who?" James prodded.

"I'll tell you later. Come on. We have homework, and rounds start in half an hour."

Fifteen minutes after Lily and James left for rounds, Eleanor and Sofia left for the astronomy tower. They were dressed in their prankster clothes—namely, all black. They didn't go for the cliché masks. They were true badasses. Yet they never figured out how Sirius and James had always managed to disappear. In any case, Eleanor and Sofia had mastered the disillusionment charm almost as fast as Lily. They were waiting at the Astronomy tower with a camera and the antidotes when they heard Sirius's footsteps on the stone steps. They hadn't expected him to be visible—they assumed he used a disillusionment charm as well. When he threw off the cloak, they were surprised, but Sofia recovered first. She snapped the picture and quickly hid the camera.

Sirius blinked as the flash blinded him. When he could see and he realized who had pranked him, he glared.

"Give me the antidote." He growled.

Eleanor ignored him as she and Sofia examined their handiwork.

"The hair's a nice touch, but what if he went bald next time?"

"Give it to me!" He growled.

"Fine." Eleanor tossed him the vial of antidote for the swelling as Sofia dumped the solution that would fix the hair on his head.

"And the boils." He demanded.

"Hm… Looks like someone forgot who's calling the shots here." Eleanor said to Sofia.

"Maybe we should keep him like that." Sofia replied smoothly.

"Please?" Sirius begged.

"Not a chance." Eleanor said as Sofia snapped another picture.

"What do you want me to do? Get down on my knees?" Sirius said, desperately.

"Good idea. Do it." Eleanor commanded, ruthlessly.

Sirius did so with a glare.

"So, we're even?" Sirius asked from the ground.

"Are we?" Sofia asked Eleanor.

Eleanor considered.

"Yes." She preformed the counter-hex and held out a hand to Sirius. He took it and she pulled it up.

Sirius didn't seem to want to let go, but Eleanor let it drop as if discarding a candy wrapper.

"Let's get out of here." She told Sofia, as she disillusioned herself.

Sofia followed suit and they left.

Back in the girl's dorm, Sofia and Eleanor sat on Sofia's bed and discussed their revenge.

"I think it worked. Did you see him beg?"

"Yes. I also saw him hold your hand for a bit too long."

"Bullshit, Sof."

"No, really. I think so. But you're even now, so you have to be nice."

"I will be if he is. If he's a cocky bastard, I can't help but reprimand him."

"You only see him as a cocky bastard because that's what makes you pay attention. He has his moments."

"Shush." Mary Grumbled from the next bed over.

"Go to sleep, Eleanor." Sofia told her, pushing her off of the bed.

"G'night, Sofia."

Note: Holy crap, longest chapter I've done. Summer boredom, I guess… Enjoy!