Oh boy! I have the feeling some of you guys aren't super excited about them being happy now and miss them being angsty and drama-filled? Haaaa.

Hope everyone had a good chocolate-filled weekend! There was just an earthquake in the area and I swear I feel like my building is still moving. But maybe I just need bed.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. Art work by the awesome Meg (tumblr: anxiouspineapples)

Friends Don't

Later That Night, September, 7th Year

"Okay, what were you talking about earlier with Dumbledore?" James asked as soon as the portrait door closed behind them. It was now quite late considering Alice had first broken the pregnancy news to Frank and, as expected, he'd completely freaked out, practically bouncing off the walls with joy. Alice had then insisted Lily and James sneak off to Hogsmeade with them for a celebratory drink, but she'd gotten decidedly less excited when she realized she could no longer drink herself.

Lily wondered if James had been stewing this whole time. She picked up Tiger on her way to the couch — fully intending to use her emotional support — and took a heavy breath. Oh boy. She motioned for James to join her. "So. Like I said, this is a bit of a doozy, but I need you to promise me you won't do anything rash or harebrained or — actually, just promise me you won't leave our suite tonight."

"Lils, you're scaring me."

She watched the fireplace's flames flickering in his lenses. "Just promise me, please."

He realized there was no way out of this. "Okay. I promise."

"Okay." She looked down to Tiger, her large eyes filled with nothing but love and wonder. "This isn't even my secret to tell, not really, and a lot of people could get hurt if word got out, not just me, and I'm sorry, but I didn't really know what to do after it happened, I still don't, but I want you to know everything about me, and—"

"Lily," James cut off her rambling, reaching for her free hand on her lap, "breathe. Start from the beginning."

She listened to him. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. "You know how I told everyone I was able to escape because Adam got clumsy and dropped my wand the last time he visited my cell?"

"Yeah," James said with scrunched brows.

It's now or never. "That wasn't true. He didn't drop it. Someone gave it to me."

James' eyes oscillated between hers rapidly. "Who? Regulus?" he asked hopefully.

"No." She swallowed. "Rosier."

She swore you could have heard a pin drop across the room. "What?"

Lily couldn't quite meet his frozen gaze. "Evan Rosier gave me my wand back."

His features morphed to rage. "Lily—" He stopped himself to rub the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He tried again, far calmer, "You're telling me Rosier is a Death Eater?"

She stole a peek at him. "Yes."

"The same guy Marlene is dating?" His forced neutral voice was almost worse. Lily looked to her lap shamefully. "Yes," she croaked.

"Fuck, Lily," he whispered angrily.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. "I'm sorry." He hasn't pulled his hand back, at least that's something.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell Marlene?!"

"Because," she spoke desperately, needing him to understand, needing him to be on her side, "James, he saved my life! You didn't see him when he did it. He's scared! He told me if I told anyone, he'd get killed!"

James shook his head and muttered, "Asshole."

"What?" Lily flinched.

"He's an asshole, Lily. He should never have put that burden on you."

"James, he saved my life," she insisted. "Without him, I'd be dead right now."

He pulled back his hand and Lily tried not letting the loss stab her in the gut. "Yeah, well without people like him, you'd never have been kidnapped in the first place. I'm not gonna give him credit for doing the bare minimum."

"I don't think it's that simple! He was born into it — his dad, he said his dad's one too. Evan told me he wouldn't hesitate to turn him in himself if he defected. I think he's trying to change. That's gotta count for something, doesn't it?" Lily knew it sounded like she was defending him, but really, deep down, she was defending herself and her choice to keep Rosier's secret for so long.

James snorted. "Padfoot was born into it. His parents are as terrible as they come, and he still didn't join. He did the right thing instead. It's not hard." While she didn't agree with James' assessment (she thought it had probably been extremely hard for Sirius to break free and James knew that when he wasn't so riled up), Lily felt a renewed surge of affection for his best friend.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked softly, scared for his answer.

"No! I mean," he shifted, "I don't know. Maybe a little," he confessed painfully. "I wish you had told me sooner." She didn't say anything. She didn't blame him for his response, but she'd honestly done what she felt was right at the time. "Wait, why are you telling me now? Did he do something new? Is he threatening you?!" He leaned in, concerned as hell, and Lily knew he was reliving Rosier's stare towards her in the library.

"No," she tried mollifying him, "he hasn't done anything new. But I really do think he wants out. That's what I was talking to Dumbledore about — I think he's the spy. I think he's the one who told us that Voldemort's coming after me again."

"Because he helped you." James worked through her logic.

"Yeah. Because from Voldemort's point of view, Evan let his key to invincibility escape. That's not what someone who wants to keep seeing him in power would do."

James got up and started pacing. "Fuck… I knew he was a Death Eater." He spun to her. "Remember when I told you? Right after—"

"Potions last year. Yeah." Right before our really good shag up against a wall. Hard to forget.

"So what are you planning on doing?"

"I'm gonna ask him if he'll fully turn spy for us. I'm pretty sure that's what Dumbledore wants me to do."

"I'll do it," James said, conviction written all over his body.

"What?" Lily asked shocked.

"I'll ask him," James repeated, sitting down on the edge of their coffee table so their knees touched. "You shouldn't have to. And that way he can't hurt you. Plus I can knock some sense into him if things go wrong." He gave her a smirk.

"James," she deadpanned. "No. It's gotta be me. You don't know about this, remember?" He let out a frustrated grumble, clearly wishing to fight her on the matter. "No, I'm serious. Whether you think so or not, I feel like I owe him my life, so I gotta be the one to ask. We gotta show him I didn't betray his trust. And you've got to pretend like you don't know."

"Lily, I—"

"You could help me though?" she threw in, trying to meet him halfway. "I'll need help getting him alone. That's the only way I can ask him."

He didn't look happy, but at least he looked like he understood. "Fine. I'll help. But what about Marlene? She shouldn't be dating a fucking Death Eater."

"I know, I know," Lily rushed out, pushing her hair back off of her forehead.

"I don't get how you just let her date him," James said. Clearly this was his major point of contention.

"I didn't let…" Lily trailed off, racking her brain for how to explain to James what had happened. I tried. Was it enough? "There was so much happening last year that I don't think you realized, but she and I got into this huge row right before I got kidnapped. I was convinced Rosier was a Death Eater and she didn't want to believe me. So… I just don't know how to tell her now that I know I'm right. Especially considering he's clearly a skilled liar and she's head over heels for the guy. I doubt she'll believe me. And I'm afraid if I tell her, I might just end up pushing her even further away."

James' shoulders sunk. "She didn't believe you?"

Lily shrugged. "She loves him," she said simply.

"Rosier-colored glasses." She snorted; his ability to make bad puns at bad times truly was unmatched. "Sorry. That's fucked up," James apologized, leaning in to pet Tiger as well. At least one of them was super happy right now and purring up a storm. "I know what you should do." He'd suddenly perked up. "Make Rosier tell her." Lily looked skeptical, so he continued, "He claims to love her, right? Well, if he actually does, he'd be honest with her, about who he really is—"

"Ow!" Lily yelped, her necklace unexpectedly burning hot.

James looked like a deer caught in headlights. "What?"

She raised her brows at him and pointed to the pendant. "What was that?"

"Oh, um. I…" He played with his lower lip, rolling it between his thumb and pointer finger. She really wished he wouldn't, it was thoroughly distracting. "I may have just thought of something that I've been meaning to tell you."

She sassily tilted her head at him. "Oh har har, James."

He took both her hands in his own. "Uh, no, I'm not joking."

Lily straightened her back at his tone, waiting for him to drop a bomb, freaking out just a little. What the fuck? Did Emmeline tell him she had his baby? Is he trying to tell me I snore like a Banshee at night? Is he thinking of shaving off all his hair? Lily didn't know why this was the order of her thoughts, but who was she to control her brain?

He took a deep breath and rubbed his thumbs over her skin soothingly. "I know you know about Remus' lycanthropy; he told us how you've been brewing him the Wolfsbane Potion — bloody brilliant by the way—"

"It's really nothing—"

"Like hell it's not! It's helped him so much. Thank you." She gave him a shy smile. "Um, so… there's also something about me that you might want to know. It's not as big of a deal, but I mean, if we're being completely honest with each other now—"

"We are…"

"Right, yeah. Well, then it's only right that you know this about me."

"James, please: just spit it out!"

"Right, right. So, the rest of us actually also turn into animals." Oh. Lily's heart dropped back down into her chest from where it was previously lodged in her throat. He's only trying to tell me he's an Animagus. "Obviously, ours aren't forced transformations like his or anything…"

Should I keep letting him squirm…? Nah. She reached out and patted his knee. "It's all right dear, you can tell me the truth."

He did a double take, and Lily could feel her treasonous lips curl into a smile despite her best efforts to keep them down. "Do you— did you know?"

"Know what?" She was fully laughing now. "That my boyfriend likes to prance about in hooves every now and then?"

"Damn it, babe," he laughed. "What's with you and sitting on secrets?"

"Hey, what other secrets—?" Lily started defending herself.

James listed them off on his fingers: "Rosier, knowing I was an Animagus, the Order, your virginity, that I was your first orgasm—"

"You just wanted to say that out loud again."

He grinned. "I did." He continued on his other hand, "What your singing voice sounds like, that you knew about Remus' condition in the first place… that you've secretly always loved me…" Lily was already blushing, he really didn't have to pile on. Hearing all the things she'd been holding in before, one after another like this, sounded insane. It was a miracle she hadn't imploded last year. James leaned his face into her so he could whisper, "That you can do that crazy thing with your tongue when we—"

She put two fingers to his lips. "I get it James."

He smiled against her. "Well, how long have you known then? And how?"

"Not long enough. I'm rather embarrassed I didn't put your stag obsession and your Transfiguration genius together sooner." He looked so happy with the ego rub, she couldn't even be a tiny bit mad about it. "Frank saw you. The night we came back."

"Ah." He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I'm usually more careful. You know, under normal circumstances."

"I know." They both remembered that night so vividly.

"So… why didn't you tell me you knew?" he pushed.

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

"Well, now I kinda feel like a dick," James admitted, playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

"Don't." She shrugged. "You were ready now." He'd been so patient with her this past year, so understanding and caring and… well perfect; like hell she couldn't at least give him this. "What I don't get is why. Why risk expulsion, or maybe even legal trouble?"

His eyes locked with hers. "Remus. We… turn with him. To keep him company."

He can't possible mean… "While he's a werewolf?" He nodded. "Are you mad?!" Never mind, fucking hell, I'm dating an imbecile with a death wish!

"Lily, it's—"

"He could turn you!"

"Lily—"

"He could kill you!"

"Babe! It's fine. We've been doing this for two years already."

"Two—" Lily groaned as she buried her face in her hands, bent over her knees. "Do you never want me to be able to sleep again? Is that it?" she said muffled.

He rubbed her back, oddly pleased. "You know, it's kinda cute to see you worried about me." She came back up so she could give him a death glare. "I promise, we're perfectly safe. He can't turn us when we're animals."

"Hm. Well, maybe I should learn how to transform as well, and then I could help out."

"Absolutely not," James responded in record time.

"But I thought you just said it was perfectly safe?" she challenged, knowing she had him.

"Evans. You'd most likely turn into a doe. A soft, fluffy little doe with no prongs to defend herself with. Aka you'd turn into a Moony-snack." She took a very angry huff in and out. He was looking at her like he found it adorable. "Don't worry, love. I'm serious, the potion you make him has already helped so much. He is far less violent now. You're doing your part and then some."

She fought off the urge to repeat his last line back to him in a baby voice; that wouldn't get them anywhere. She was pretty sure he read the frustration carved into her face anyway. "James, I don't like it."

"Well, I don't like you talking to Rosier alone."

"You're dealing with a werewolf!"

"And you're dealing with a Death Eater." He leaned back crossing his arms over her his chest. "I don't like it, but it's your choice, so I respect that."

Damn him. She squinted at him. "When'd you take up psychology?"

"I might have done some light reading last year." He couldn't stop the hubris from seeping into his words.

Lily smirked, interlocking her fingers behind his neck to drag him back to her. "Who are you, and what have you done to Potter?"

"Just trying to keep up with you, Evans."

Although the heavy snog that followed had all the telltale signs of leading somewhere very promising, Lily had to remind James that they had a prefects meeting tomorrow, and they had a lot of prep work to do beforehand. James begrudgingly agreed.

"Lily! There you are! I was hoping you'd come out eventually," Mary said as soon as Lily and James climbed out of their portrait hole Monday morning. "You haven't told me your new password yet." James gave Lily a quick peck on the cheek and a jovial 'Morning,' to Mary before running off to find the other Marauders. Mary watched him go, amused.

"How was home?" Lily asked.

"Not as eventful as here apparently." Lily knew some ribbing was coming from the glint in her bestie's eye. "So what, I'm gone TWO days and you're doing public shagging shows now?"

Lily's jaw dropped. "For fuck's sake! Didn't you just get back? How did you hear that already?"

"IS IT TRUE?!"

Lily grabbed her friend's hand and started dragging her down the stairs towards breakfast. "No, Mare, it's not, I just can't believe you heard about it already."

Mary motioned for her to continue with an encouraging flick of her wrist. "Well? What actually happened then?"

Lily pulled on the end of her braid innocently, trying not to smile like a fool at the memory. "We were just intensely snogging. While horizontal. It was honestly way less scandalous than it sounds."

Mary wiggled her eyebrows. "Uh huh."

"Oh shut up," Lily sighed, pushing Mary's shoulder. "Who told you anyway?"

"I overheard Brianna telling Tweedledee and Tweedledum in our room. She must not have realized I got back yet, but I obviously ripped her a new one for talking shit about you!" Lily smiled at her fierce show of loyalty. Truth be told, she had hardly spared a second thought for Brianna this year. If someone had told her she'd moved over the summer, Lily might actually have believed them. It was weird to know she was still in the castle — and apparently still very angry at her.

"Let me guess, I'm the only one who's the slut in the situation? James was just… being a boy?"

"Ding, ding, ding!" Mary cheered without any mirth. "But anyone with two brain cells could tell she was jealous. That's the only reason she was being so mean about it. Didn't you say they dated for a hot second after I left?"

Lily let out a very audible sigh. "Yeah. She took his virginity."

"What?" Mary exclaimed. "Ew, James, boooo! That's one strike against him."

"Oh come on," Lily defended. "That's not exactly fair…"

"Oh my god, Lily." Mary stopped walking and stared at her, frozen still. A few 4th years grumbled as they were forced to walk around them. "You guys aren't in that annoying phase where you think the other can walk on water and you'd let them get away with literal murder… are you?"

Lily cracked her back, looking for an out. "I don't think he can walk on water, but Mary…" she looked at her pleadingly, willing her to understand, "you don't get it. This weekend? He was perfect."

Mary looked up at the ceiling for strength as they trudged into the boisterous Great Hall. "Well, that's a fucking yes and a half." They settled into their seats next to the Marauders, digging in to breakfast. Lily didn't miss James checking her out from across the table. (And she didn't mind it one bit.) "Oh!" Mary said through a mouth full of beans. "I think I'm making headway on convincing my mum that I should stay here on weekends." She pointed her fork to Lily. "I brought up that it's really gonna hinder my studies if I can't use the library while doing homework."

"Devious, Macdonald."

Mary grinned. "Whatever works! Speaking of…" she whispered to Lily before turning to Sirius. "Oy! Black?"

Sirius looked up innocently from his mug. It was quite the look on him. "Hm?"

"Wanna take me to Hogsmeade?"

"… Yes?" He looked like he thought it was a trick question.

"Awesome," Mary replied with a spunky grin. "I'm free tomorrow night." It was no secret that the Marauders knew all the best ways to get out of the castle, with or without the Cloak, and that Rosmerta was never one to tattle on a paying customer. (Plus she had a soft spot for Sirius.)

Lily and James shared a look. Could it really be that simple? She felt like their years long saga of pining and suffering and hoping and praying had just been put to shame by this: one simple, honest question over beans.

As Sirius turned back to his friends puffed up like a blowfish, Lily whispered to Mary, "I can't believe you just did that."

"It's like I said 5th year, Lil. He's just one guy. Take the ego out, and it's whatever." Lily couldn't help but be astonished by her friend. Oh to be that brave. Mary, Alice, McGonagall… maybe they'll rub off on me yet. "Besides, it was a little selfish of me. If this works out, we can double date!"

"Oh, going back to wisdom you shared in 5th year…" Lily leaned in closer. "Thank you for teaching me that anti-UTI charm."

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Coming in handy is it now, Miss Horizontal-Snogger?"

Lily flushed. "You know, when you told me about it back then, I thought, 'How hard can it be to just go pee after every time I shag?' but now that I'm actually doing it—" Mary squeed, "—I really just wanna cuddle him afterwards," she admitted softly, hating herself for admitting it, while loving what she was actually admitting.

The pair dissolved into giggles, making James shoot them an amused smirk. He must have known they were gossiping about him. He would just assume…

Unfortunately, Marlene didn't seem to feel as happy that Lily had gotten her person back. She got up form beside Peter in a huff, threw Lily an irritated look, and stormed out of the hall. Lily saw Rosier get up from the Slytherin table and follow her out shortly after.

"What was that all about?" Sirius asked the group.

"No idea," Peter answered.

Lily stayed silent. She was afraid she'd just realized why Marlene was so upset. And she sure as hell wasn't excited for that conversation.

"I need to talk to you." Lily spun around, shocked to find Rosier waiting for her just as she'd separated from Mary on her way to Charms. After all the planning she'd done with James to figure out a way to get Rosier alone — involving the Map, the Cloak, general high jinks — it seemed inevitable that he'd just find her and throw a wrench into all their brilliant schemes.

"Okay."

"Not here," he said as he ushered her to the nearest door and got them in. Lily recognized it as the abandoned classroom James had helped her overcome Imperio in. Rosier snapped the door shut and faced her. "You're being a shit friend to Marlene."

Okay, awkward, but not what I thought he wanted to talk about. Lily felt her pulse fall back to its usual rhythm. For one heart-stopping moment, Lily thought Rosier had just known somehow that Lily had told someone his secret and was here to make her sign his death warrant. You know, since I'd practically conjured it up. "What do you mean?" Lily asked hesitantly, nervous for his answer.

"She feels abandoned, Lily. She was there for you last year when you had no friends—" okay, harsh, "—and now that Macdonald's back, you act like she doesn't exist."

"That's not true," Lily tried defending herself.

"She says you didn't even notice her at breakfast this morning."

Well, that's hardly my fault! Also, so what? "I was in the middle of a conversation—"

"Right. With Mary."

"Hold up: is she jealous of Mary?"

"She's not jealous, she just feels like she's always gonna come in second place. Even when she tries her hardest." Lily's heart sank. It seemed a little ridiculous, but knowing Marlene was hurting sucked. She'd never meant to make her feel like that. "Did you know that she got that gramophone you asked to borrow fixed for you?" Oh no. No, no, no, come on! "She told me you came to her all shy to get back with her cousin again. She loves you guys, and she was so happy for you. Hell, she was happy that you were even coming to her for anything at all again. So she got it fixed. It had broken over the summer." He seemed to enjoy giving his sentences to her in terse punches for maximum gut wrenching effect. "She did that. Just for you. And then apparently you forgot about it, just like you did her."

Fuck. "Evan, I had no idea."

"Yeah, well, that's the problem, isn't it?"

Okay, he can fuck right off with that tone. An angry roar sounded inside her. "Okay buddy, while you being a good boyfriend to her and all that is obviously cute and shit, you're not entirely blameless in all this."

He stalked towards her, and Lily was quite viscerally reminded that this man might just be a killer. "Excuse me?"

Lily hit the door with a muffling spell. "Did Marlene ever tell you why we started drifting apart in the first place?" She crossed her arms out (wand in hand) and jutted out her hip.

"No. I assumed it had to do with you being all weird after you got back."

Oh fuck no, does this boy wanna be hit? Lily breathed through her spite. "No. It was because I knew you were a Death Eater."

Rosier went white as a ghost. "You told her?!"

"Not recently, no. I knew before I got kidnapped. Your little arm burning trick? Yeah, not as slick as you thought it was." He had the decency to look embarrassed. "How do you keep that up now, by the way? Hiding your mark?" She knew she had the upper hand in the conversation again.

"I just keep it wrapped." He wasn't looking her in the eye.

Lily felt his words drip over her body like an ice-cold bucket of water. "She practically already knows then, Evan. We talked about how all Death Eaters have tattoos there over Christmas," Lily said, crushed. He was barely even trying to hide his affiliations then. Marlene just didn't care. How could she?! Lily knew about love: she knew how it could drive you crazy, knew how it could consume you, blind you, and make you feel like you'd do anything for it — but this? Ignore that your lover is part of a bigoted death cult despite this amount of evidence? This was above and beyond denial now. Marlene was complicit. Her pretending like the problem wasn't there didn't exonerate her part in perpetuating it. "You might as well tell her the truth: that you're at least trying to get out. It might help quell her conscience." Lily knew that Marlene must at least feel a small degree of guilt, even if only subconsciously… right?

"You think it's that easy?" Rosier asked angrily, stepping closer towards her still. "You think I haven't thought about this? That I don't lie awake at night thinking about how to tell her so that she doesn't leave me?" What, does he think as long as he doesn't address it, they can keep living in a fantasy world?

As Rosier shot her daggers, Lily stood her ground. It wasn't like she was back in the cell, it isn't. She had her wand in her fist now; she could defend herself. 'You're good,' Alice's voice rang in her head. Lily didn't let her slight panic attack show on her face. "No, it's not easy, but it's your mess. So maybe you should try fixing it before you go accusing me of being the bad guy." He retreated a bit, so Lily pushed. "She deserves to know the truth, the whole truth, Evan. You owe her that much."

He looked out the window, sorrow marring his pretty features. "I'm not that guy though. I'm not a monster like them."

Lily perked up, spotting her chance to do right by both Marlene and Dumbledore. "Then tell her that you're not anymore. Tell her you're working for the other side now."

"What?"

"Tell her you're a spy for the right side."

Rosier looked over both his shoulders before closing the distance between them and clutching her upper arms. Lily had her wand in his neck half a second later. He backed off, seemingly shocked by his own actions as well. "What are you talking about?" he spat harshly.

"You sent the Patronus to Dumbledore, didn't you?" His lack of denial told her everything. "This is your out, Evan," she said firmly.

"You don't know anything," Evan retorted, leaving her to pace agitatedly.

"I know you don't want to do this anymore." He shot her an annoyed look but kept walking. "I know you love Marlene, and she wouldn't want you to be a Death Eater." Even if it's not a deal breaker that she probably assumes you are one, apparently.

"So what? I sent one Patronus, and suddenly I'm a spy now?"

He's thinking about it… "No, but you could be. Join us. Come out to Dumbledore. He can protect you."

Rosier let out a cruel scoff. "Ha. Somehow I doubt that. None of us are safe, Lily. None of us."

He shot her one last look before making for the door. "Think about it," she said as his hand grasped the handle. "Do it for her." He took a long pregnant pause before opening the door and slipping out.

Lily let out a giant breath she didn't know she'd been holding in. Rosier had meant to mend her and Marlene's friendship, but Lily feared he'd actually severed it forever. After all, how was she expected to be friends with someone who seemed comfortable just letting bigotry like this flourish as long as it didn't affect her personally? Her ability to look the other way and remain silent on her boyfriend's allegiances spoke volumes.

"There you are!" James said merrily as Lily snuck into class right before it started. "Everything okay? My necklace burned for a second but then cooled pretty fast. Figured you'd handled it."

"I talked to him," Lily said, too high on adrenaline to dillydally.

James' eyes went wide before he turned to Flitwick at the front of the room and stealthily hit him with the temporary hearing loss spell he and Sirius had worked out last Christmas. Lily tried not to get distracted with how confused Flitwick looked, snapping his fingers next to his ears. "Rosier?" James hushed.

"Yeah. He cornered me after class to talk about — his girlfriend." She figured the less names they started throwing out in public, the better.

"No kidding."

"Yeah. So I told him to tell her and to go full… you know what, for us," she whispered.

"Bludgeon two birds to death." James smiled wickedly.

Lily held back a laugh, kissing his cheek. "Exactly."

Next Chapter: A Woman Scorned