James walked into the great hall and felt a couple heads turn to look at him. I mean, he didn't actually feel them turn to look at him. That would be creepy. He saw them. Did people have nothing better to do than spread rumors? The walk to his seat seemed to take so long he almost sat down at a random empty seat at the hufflepuff table. Then he realized that would be way more awkward and he should keep walking. Finally he reached the gryffindor table where the other marauders were. As he was sitting down he heard a whistle aimed at him. He just sighed and shook his head.

"Mate." sirius whined "what did you do last night? Where did you goooo?" he ran his hand up james's arm

"Relax, padfoot. Nothing special happened." james said brushing his hand off.

"You mean…" he wiggled his eyebrows around rather ridiculously "nothing happened."

"No! I mean, yes. just what i said, nothing happened."

"Why couldn't we see you on the map last night?" remus leaned forward across the table.

"You couldn't?"

"No!" peter exclaimed "we were worried something happened to you!"

"I wasn't," sirius clarified "i just thought you two were doin' it." he smirked and popped a piece of biscuit in his mouth.

"Well we weren't." james grabbed his plate and began piling eggs onto it.

"Pssssst. Pssssssssssssst!" came an insistent whisper from who knows where. james turned around looking for the source of the sound

"James!" the voice was familiar

"Alice?"

"Yes!" he looked and saw alice leaning back on her bench glaring at him "get over here!" she waved at him frantically. He shook his head at her and mouthed no insistently.

"James potter get your arse over here!" james sighed and walked over to where alice sat with marlene. Alice may be quiet, but she was not to be trifled with.

"Where did you and lily go last night!"

"I just-"

"Sit down!" she demanded, scooting over and pulling him down onto the bench next to her with surprising strength.

"Why are you whispering?" he asked

"I- i don't know! Now, where did you go? Tell me."

"We just fell asleep. Nothing happened!" james insisted

"Fell asleep where!" hissed marlene

"Geesh, marlene, don't get your panties in a twist. Just an old hallway. And stop whispering. It's creeping me out." it was kind of a lie but he didn't think lily would want anybody to know about the room of requirement. Besides, he didn't feel like explaining it right now anyway.

"Likely story." marlene insisted

"It's true!"

"Wait, you're serious?" alice asked

"No, i'm just messing with you, alice, of course i'm serious."

"Oh. sorry then."

"Did you have a good time?" marlene leaned across the table, giving him a cheeky smile.

"Bye, marlene." he waved and went back to his seat. He finally picked up his fork and began eating his massive pile of eggs. A minute later lily walked in. she had insisted that the two of them leave a few minutes apart. James said it wouldn't do any good but he didn't feel like arguing with her when her mind was made up. It was extremely useless. So he left first.

Lily walked past the hufflepuff table and a sixth year boy tried to smack her butt as she walked by. James was about to get up and say something, when without even looking at him lily reached down and shoved his face in the rather messy plate of food he was eating. It splattered everywhere, getting brown goo on the surrounding hufflepuffs alone. James laughed. He was afraid someone from the teacher's table had seen and looked towards them. They were all preoccupied with either grading homework or engaged in conversation. None of them showed any sign that they'd seen it, except mcgonagall, who was staring down intently at her breakfast and james thought he saw her trying to suppress a smile.

…[...[]...]...

"Lily!" marlene cried as soon as lily sat down "what happened last night?"

"Marlene! james already told us." alice scolded her

"Yeah but i don't think i believe him." marlene sighed, putting her chin in her hands.

"Well he was telling you the truth." lily nodded solemnly, reaching for a breakfast plate "wait." she stopped herself "that depends on what he told you. What did he tell you?"

"He said you fell asleep in some hallway." marlene whined "laaaame if you ask me."

Lily tried not to show her relief at the fact that james hadn't told them about the room of requirement. It was just something she wanted to keep secret for now. I mean, she was sure she wasn't the only student who knew about it. She had never run into any other student in that abandoned hallway, and that was good enough for her.

"So," marlene spoke through a mouthful of some food lily honestly couldn't identify "when are you two gonna do it."

"Marlene!" alice smacked her full in the face "oh, i'm sorry!" she exclaimed "i mean, i'm not actually that sorry, but i feel like i should apologize. I meant to hit your arm, but at the same time i feel like you deserved that."

"Thanks alice." lily laughed "and marlene, no. just no."

"It's not that bad of a question." marlene defended, rubbing her cheek, that had a handprint on it because of how hard alice had actually slapped her.

"Okay, marlene." lily decided "when are you and your boyfriend gonna do it. What's his name? Jon doe-sn't exist." lily raised her hand to high five alice.

"No." alice just shook her head "that does not deserve a high five."

"Yeah, lily that was bad."

"Shut up, marlene. I'll slap you again."