Chapter 69
Unlikely Defence.

"James, what is a wizarding war really like?" Remus asked on a cold September day as they walked back to their dorm from Ancient Runes together. Sirius and Peter always met them on the way there not long after class was out.

"They're really bad, a lot of people die, we don't have wars as often as Muggle do, but when we do they are worse and they last a lot longer." James answered shaking his head. That was one thing he and Sirius had learned quickly from their Muggle studies class, Muggles fought a lot, but they were short fights. A war lasting only 100 years was a big deal to them. It was rare for a wizarding war to last only a hundred years, and it was a big deal if a war could truly end in one person's lifetime, which James also learned was longer then the average muggle. Sometimes there would be false ends, someone would give in, a leader would be killed, sometimes just a long period when nothing would happen, but it almost always was temporary. Wizards were not a very forgiving group of people.

"You don't think this'll turn into a war... do you?" Remus asked hesitantly, that hadn't been the answer he was hoping for. The newspaper was covered with bad news every day from front to back, the attacks are getting worse. People were now dieing daily, muggles mostly... but half-bloods were now being targeted as well. It wouldn't be too long before witches and wizard began to stand up to protect them, that is when pure bloods would end up in the obituaries as well.

James looked at Sirius who didn't look back, he seemed to be lost in thought, before answering. "I don't know, Moony. But I really hope not"

The silence that followed was only broken by the small group of girls walking in front of them coming from the same class they had just walked out of, the girls' conversation was easy to hear and it was pretty obvious that the group could overhear their conversation just as easily.

"All this stuff in the newspaper is just depressing." One of the girls said, giving a sigh that gave no sign of sympathy, just annoyance and irritation. "I wish people would just get over it, I'm so sick of all the drama all the time." She continued.

One of the others nodded in agreement. "Oh, I know. All this junk is taking up all the space for the good stuff, I haven't read my horoscope in two months!" she complained as though is was a tragical of the highest caliber.

James noticed one of the other girls in the group had red hair so bright he'd recognize it anywhere.

Lilly Evans gave the two of them the dirtiest look she could make, and it was one impressive dirty look, "You are kidding, right? because that is a sick joke. You can't seriously think that. People are dieing, kids are losing their mothers and fathers, there are children being murdered, and all you can say is that they should get over it."

"Please, Lilly," the first girl mockingly rolled her eyes at the other as though they got this kind response a lot. "None of that is really even important, I mean come on. Most of it is probably fake anyway, I..."

"Not important!" She stopped walking the other two did the same. They looked at each other, sharing an inside joke. The Marauders knew it was eve's dropping, and they knew Evans would tell them off for it, but suddenly this conversation had taken their full attention and they didn't even try to hide it, they stopped in plain sight just behind the girls who were now turned to face each other. "If you weren't my roommates..." Evans trailed off unable to finish the sentence making gestures in the air due to her read-headed anger flaring up.

"Besides," The girl continued, ignoring, or perhaps enjoying, the fact that anything more she said would just make her roommate even more angry. "I already know how to fix the problem, and if they don't then that's their own problem." She said with a smile. "If they would just take out the trash every once in awhile," she paused for a moment. "Throw them all in Azkaban if you ask me, but no, instead they're letting them loose to do what ever they darn well please. Even..." Her eyes flickered to Sirius, purposely making it known exactly who she was talking about and her tone became cruel "letting them walk around in a school full of children."

Remus latched himself onto James' arm the moment he sensed trouble out of his friend, and it was a good thing too, as James instantly moved to tackle the girl. James wasn't above fighting a girl who deserved it.

Sirius said nothing, his eyes narrowed and his look hardened, but he said nothing.

It was Lilly that retaliated with no restraint. And girls fight with words.

Lilly's eyes did not turn from the offending girl, "You're pathetic, Emma. You make me sick, your solution to war is to throw innocent people in prison. Yes, I'm sure that will work, stick one of the strongest, reliable Gryffindors in Azkaban. Heaven! If you ever end up in a position of power remind me to kill myself right then and there because we'd all be dead." Lilly retaliated harshly. The Marauders looked at her in surprise, no one had expected her to defend Sirius, especially not Sirius.

Emma looked at her with a degree of shock. "Reliable? Seriously, Lilly? You can't go a single day without complaining about pathetic Potter and his ridiculous friends."

"Sure they're idiots... Black especially. But they aren't murderous idiots. I mean, really? I hate them all but they're just immature bullies... nothing more."

Emma made a noise that girls do when their extremely annoyed but can't think of a good enough response, and walked off. The other girl followed with an amused look on her face that told everyone she liked drama a lot more than she acted like she did.

Lilly finally looked at the stunned faces of the Marauders.

"This doesn't mean I like any of you." She said flushing a little at the expression on their faces. "I still hate you all." She quickly turned around and continued heading back to the dorm trying to pretend like nothing had ever happened...

James however... was never the same again.

He didn't realize it, but he began to watch her. To look for her in any place that he could expect her to be. By the end of the week he had her seat in every class they shared memorized. By the end of the month her eyes were his favorite color.

He didn't know it, but he was beginning to fall for Miss Lilly Evans... and he was falling hard.

Peter was the first to notice, he didn't say anything, he never did. What good was saying anything when you couldn't do anything about it. He didn't know why James watched Evans during classes, or looked for her during lunch. He only watched. It was probably nothing anyway.