Disclaimer: Although I certainly wish all these characters had been the product of my own amazing mind, they are in fact all J.K. Rowling's. I just make up the bits she left out. Hopefully in an interesting and witty way :)

A/N: I've made a few changes to make sense with the last couple of books. For example, James being Head Boy. I wasn't aware of that when I started. I also added a few scenes between Lily and Sirius to give them some closure and to make Sirius' intentions clearer. Sorry to make you guys read again...the new chapter will still make sense even if you don't reread. R/R please!

Chapter One

A Run To Privet Drive

An owl watched solemnly from its perch on the roof of number 7 Crescent Drive as a redheaded figure slowly made its way out of the second floor window, and cautiously began to climb down the drainpipe. The owl hooted in a questioning manner, flapping its snowy white wings. The figure paused. The face gazed up at the roof and at the owl. It was that of a sixteen-year old girl, her pale skin and almond-shaped, emerald green eyes glistening in the moonlight, her soft lips parted in surprise. Apparently deciding the owl's unusual behavior was nothing to worry about; she proceeded to make her way down the drainpipe, wincing as her foot clanked against the rusted metal.

The owl hooted again, this time impatiently.

"What?" She hissed, dropping onto the dewy grass below.

As if in response, the owl swooped down and landed on a birch besides her, but not before dropping a letter at her feet.

The girl sighed.

"Another one?" She inquired at no one in particular. The owl, satisfied with his delivery, hooted again and flew off into the glittering sky. She picked up the letter and recognized the messy writing scrawled on the parchment. It matched the handwriting of the three letters she had previously received that night, each one making her even more irritated. She opened the letter hurriedly and read the latest installment of James Potter's plans:

Okay, Lily, I promise this is the last. Again, we must change our plans as Sirius is having problems getting out of his house tonight. We have to get Remus to the Shrieking Shack between the two of us somehow. He made us promise we'd be there with him tonight. Meet me at the end of Privet Drive at 11:30. I'll be there waiting.

James

Lily Evans glanced at the Muggle watch on her wrist. It was 11:20.

"Damn it."

She took her wand out, whispered, "Lumos," and with her wand's soft light leading the way, sprinted down Crescent Drive and down Magnolia Lane. Leave it to James to make this as difficult as possible, she thought to herself. The air was thick with the scent of freshly mown grass and honeysuckle, and a warm summer breeze enveloped Lily in a soft embrace she was thankful for in the dark of the night. Little Whinging was quiet as the neat, square houses succumbed to the drowsiness of the summer evening, and yet Lily ran now, full speed, down Victoria Drive, past their slumbering owners. The luminous numbers on her watch read 11:27, and she was still two blocks away.

Finally, with a last spurt of speed, she reached the end of Privet Drive. It was 11:30. James was nowhere to be seen. Out of breath and annoyed at his lack of punctuality, she collapsed onto the carefully trimmed lawn of number 4. Looking up at the willow tree hanging droopily over her, her emerald green eyes met a pair of hazel eyes, flashing with amusement beneath extremely untidy black hair. The owner's tan face grinned at her handsomely.

"Looking for me?" James inquired, laughter bubbling behind his carefree tone.

"You? No actually, I'm meeting some other bloke here in the dead of the night. We're eloping on a romantic trip to Guatemala. Nothing to do with werewolves and...boys," she added lamely, slowly staggering to her tired feet.

James laughed. "Well, I don't know about Guatemala, but the rest sounds deathly boring to me. Come, Lily Evans! I will sweep you off your feet and on an adventure of a lifetime with absolutely everything to do with werewolves and boys!"

He jumped down from the tree and in one swift motion twirled Lily around as if on a dance floor. Her laughter echoed down the empty street, and suddenly the night seemed a little bit brighter.

"So what do you say, Lily?" James whispered. Lily hastily backed away from him, her face flushed and eyes beaming.

She grinned at him.

"I say you're ridiculously full of yourself, Potter. Let's go."

"Excellent."

James retrieved his Nimbus from behind the willow and hastily climbed on. Lily eyed him closely as he scrawled a message to Sirius telling him they were on their way to pick up Remus, a mischievous grin permanently plastered on his face. There was no trying to understand why he loved danger so much. Perhaps that's what had made Lily stop hating him.

The snowy owl that had earlier reprimanded Lily swooped down onto his broom, pecking his owner affectionately on his finger.

"This goes to Sirius, Apollo. And we'll be at Hogsmeade later, okay?"

The owl hooted and took off at once. Lily watched as his white feathers melted into the starry sky, her face expressing both excitement and worry at that night's future events. James studied her from where he hovered on his Nimbus, and then cleared his throat.

"Your valiant steed awaits, m'lady."