Disclaimer: I wouldn't be giving a disclaimer if I was JKR...
A/N: Cute, fluffy chapter. Enjoy!
"Prongs, you got Evans to sleep with you?" Sirius was loud enough for the whole class to hear. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Shut up, Sirius! I did not sleep with Potter! I just..." Lily faltered, realizing that sleeping next to him, in a figure of speech, was technically sleeping with him. She decided to ignore it. "...slept next to him."
"Ah, but you see, in a figure of speech that's technically sleeping with him, Lily, even if you guys didn't actually do anything," Remus teased, mirroring her earlier thoughts and making her blush bright red. Sirius shook his head.
"I just thought you guys would have enough common sense not to do it in the common room. Ouch!" Sirius added as Lily's Transfiguration textbook hit him square in the head.
"Miss Evans, as aggravating as Black can be, I would like you to refrain from throwing books at his head, or anyone's for that matter," McGonagall handed the book back to Lily, who reddened once again.
"Thank you, Professor." Through this whole exchange James had not said a word, instead concentrating very hard on the lamp in front of him, trying to turn it into a cat as instructed.
"Prongs? Anything you'd like to tell us?"
"Lily's telling the truth, mate." Remus chuckled, while Sirius crossed his arms.
"I still don't believe you."
"Drop the subject, will you, Black? James is trying to concentrate here." Lily sounded exasperated. Peter and Remus shared a sly look. They'd noticed the way Lily was standing up for James, but decided not to cast light upon their observation.
James and Lily were doing rounds that night. Lily, for one, was exhausted. She'd found at least twenty pairs of students all over each other in various places: broom cupboards, empty classrooms, and whatnot.
And then there were whispers. The same ones they heard last week, the same ones that lured James away from Lily. The same ones that had now instilled in Lily a phobia of being alone. James now realized that they were in the same place as they were when Lily was attacked. He took a tentative step toward the east corridor, as the whispers grew yet louder. Lily whimpered softly. In two strides James was back beside her, his arms around her.
"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm not going anywhere."
"They're coming," she said in a shaky voice. "They'll come after you because you're here with me. It's all my fault."
"Lily,-"
"Don't say it's not my fault, because it is."
"Lily, why would it be your fault?"
"B-because I'm a Mudblood." James inhaled sharply.
"Never call yourself that. You're not what they make people like you out to be. The fact that you're Muggle-born doesn't change anything about you, my Lily. It's not your fault."
"Yes. Yes, it is." Hot tears began to spill down her cheeks. "They'll kill anyone who isn't of wizard descent, and anyone who is who associates with Muggles. Even - even my own sister refuses to talk to me anymore! Wizards won't accept me, and neither does my best friend! I've no other reason to live, so just let them come get me and kill me so I don't have to watch the destruction of my loved ones!"
"I'm going to take you back to Gryffindor Tower. Come on." Lily didn't budge.
"James Potter, do not even think for one moment that I'm going to let you wander Hogwarts alone at a time like this. Either we do rounds together or I'm going alone."
"Oh, hell no, you're not going alone."
"Neither are you." James stared at Lily's tear-stained face. The sensitive Lily was gone and her stubborn side had returned.
"You know what?" James put his hands on his hips. "We're just not going to do rounds today. Clearly you're not up for this."
"James, we have to-"
"No. We don't. And if you're not coming with me - well, now, that isn't a choice, is it?" James bent down and in one swift motion, picked Lily up.
"James, put me down!"
"No way."
"Please?"
"No."
"JAMES!"
"Sorry, Lily, this is one thing you can't talk me out of." Huffing, Lily gave up, encircling his neck with her arms. James's face reddened. This was, quite frankly, an intimate position. James had only ever carried Lily like this once before - when she was almost dying.
"I wish you would stop being so... protective. You're not even my friend, and yet you act like you're my guardian angel or something." James didn't know whether to feel bad or proud. Her first words stung, but she'd called him an angel...
"Lily, the last time this happened you almost died because some stupid blokes didn't know what they were doing. That's something I'm definitely not going to allow to happen again." Lily's serious face broke into a faint smile.
"You kept your promise," she said quietly. "Oh, James..."
"What promise?"
"Of course you don't remember."
"I will remember if you tell me! So many things are going through my head right now and I can't think properly."
"I'll tell you if you put me down." Reluctantly James set Lily gently on the floor, then sat down next to her.
"Do tell, Miss Evans."
"The summer before first year, we met in Diagon Alley, remember? I accidentally skipped right into you." She smiled, reliving the memory. "We spent the whole evening wandering the shops. Then you met my parents." Of course. James remembered now.
"I suppose you'll be looking after my daughter, then? Keep her away from blokes who don't know what they're doing?"
"I promise, sir."
"I remember."
"You do?" Lily asked, surprised. "Wasn't expecting that from your measly brain, Potter."
"Of course I remember. And I fully intend to keep it. Which is why we're going back to the Tower instead of doing rounds." Lily nodded as they walked in silence.
"James?" Lily said timidly after a while, hair falling in her face. James turned. "I know I've been extremely rude to you for the past six years. I've said and done horrid things - I'm sorry."
"Nothing you did was horrid, Lily, I deserved all of it."
"No, James, I was wrong to judge you so." James thought for a moment.
"I'm sorry for all the horrid things I've done to you. Remember the time I swapped your shampoo with bleach?" Lily smiled. She looked beautiful when she smiled, James thought.
"And I lent the bottle to Marlene before I showered?" James snorted.
"Yes, I rather vividly remember McKinnon giving me hell for weeks after that."
"James, what I'm trying to say is - I think - friends?" Lily didn't even know how to ask. She looked at James and hoped he'd understand what she was getting at. Fortunately, he did.
"What? The great Lily Evans, who always looked upon me as if I was a stray mark on her exam paper, just asked me to be her mate?"
"I shall take back the offer if you ponder it too long."
"Lily - flower, I've waited forever for this day," James said.
"Okay, seriously. Remus mentioned this before, but - Lily-flower?" But James was too busy laughing at what she's said.
"Seriously. Siriusly," he said, clutching his stomach. "Oh, Lily, you said it again." The rest of their walk back to the Tower was like this: Lily saying something funny and not realizing it, then James laughing, then the both of them roaring with laughter. Their Head badges were the only reason Filch didn't report them to Dumbledore, and even the caretaker didn't seem to understand why Lily Evans was amused by James Potter.
So imagine the Marauders' surprise when the two climbed through the portrait hole smiling and holding hands. Even Peter noticed the way they looked at each other: madly, hopelessly in love.
Isn't that so cute? Unfortunately, Lily just wants to be mates... for now. Hehe.
Good day, y'all!
-Vis
