Chapter 18

(A/N) Thanks for all the reviews! A lot of you seemed to be confused with the discussion between Lily, James, and Arthur. Sorry about that, they were just discussing Snape calling them 'mudbloods', and Lily and James got too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice Arthur. Sorry this took so long.

Disclaimer: I own- refer to the last few chapters.

*~*~*~*~*

"You had the same dream," James murmured.

"Same dream? Perhaps you've caused brain damage hitting your head with those textbooks, Potter," Lily said.

"How'd you know about that?" James asked sharply.

Lily shrugged. "I get around."

"Meaning?"

Sirius glanced at the two. "Uh, what 'dream' are you guys talking about?"

Lily shruddered. "There was a man, and a woman. And another man. After them, I think."

"And?" Sirius prodded. "Besides, why'd you wake her up, James?"

"Because she would have died," James snapped.

"How?"

Lily muttered something under her breath about letting children get into sixth year.

"Hey! I heard that!"

Lily shrugged.

"Uh, Sirius?" Remus asked.

"What?"

"We really could have killed her."

"How?"

"Well, the potion made anything in her dream come true."

"Sounds like a fairytale," Peter said.

Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius turned to look at him.

"What?"

"Forget it."

"Didn't I slip in some of that nightmare potion in her drink, too?" Peter piped up.

"You. Did. What?" James asked.

"You know-"

Lily gave an aggravated sigh. "Are you all complete idiots?"

"Not all," Remus reminded her. "James helped save your life."

Lily scoffed. "Yeah, after he endangered it first."

"Hey! I deserve some sort of recognition," James said.

"Thank you, Potter, for almost killing me," Lily said sarcastically.

"You don't sound… mad," James noted lightly.

"Angry," Lily corrected him. "The word is angry. And no, for some bizarre reason, I'm not. I do however, hope that you lot realize the depths of your stupidity eventually, and have no need to kill me in the process."

Remus shot up from a chair. "You and James have been having the same dreams, right?"

Lily frowned. "Yeah, I guess."

"Can you describe it?"

"Not very well."

"Yes, you can," James said suddenly.

"How?"

"If we put the same potion on the both of us, we would probably have the same dream. That way, we'd end up acting out the whole thing."

"What are you suggesting? That you're the man in the dream?" Lily asked.

"Maybe."

"I need a straight answer, Potter."

"Just do what we say, Evans."

"Since when have I done that?"

"Try to at least cooperate," James rolled his eyes. "Perhaps we'll break a world record… Lily Evans being civil."

"I'm always civil," Lily replied. "Unlike some, who run around like barbaric idiots."

*~*~*~*~*

"This could be dangerous," Lily said, watching the four boys concocting the potion.

"Shut up, Evans. We're working," James said, not turning.

"I'd like to at least help," she complained.

"You have no idea what you're doing," James answered.

Lily scowled, then turned her attention to the table. "Shove over, Potter."

"Evans, what the-"

"Shut up, Potter. I'm working," Lily answered, staring intently at the table.

"Sirius, Remus, Peter, move."

"Wha-"

Lily focused on the bubbling cauldron, as if she were looking into the depths of the crystal clear solution.

"Evans-"

Lily gasped suddenly, as if out of pain. "There. Your stupid potion's done."

James shook his head. "Not possible. It takes at least two hours-"

"Whoa, Lily, it worked!"

Lily smiled at Remus, then turned triumphantly to James. "Certain advantages to being a Seer, isn't there?"

"Voldemort's going to be after you," he said.

"Sure, Potter. Let's get this over with," Lily sighed.

"Yeah. Uh, Sirius? Wake me up the third or fourth time I say 'hurry', or else I'll be…"

"Following the voice that says 'Go into the light, James,'" Sirius nodded.

"Same here," Lily grumbled. "I have no intention of dying before seventeen.

*~*~*~*~*

"Remus, they're asleep," Sirius hissed.

"Good," Remus nodded. "Peter, wake up."

"Mommy, I don't like stickers with cheese…" Peter mumbled.

"Peter! Wake up!"

"Chocolate fudge and rat boogers, please, they're the yummy ones," the sleeping boy said.

"Ugh," Sirius shook his head. "Let's leave him to his own dreams. C'mon."

*~*~*~*~*

In the Common Room, both Lily and James stumbled in, with the same glazed look Lily had worn before.

"Limitito Mutitos," Sirius muttered.

"What?" Remus asked.

"They yell, so I made a muting charm that only we can hear through."

"Wise, young grasshopper."

"Thanks."

"Now pay attention to them," Remus ordered.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Lily said, appearing to be afraid.

"Lily, go! Hurry and go!"

"No! I can't! I'm staying with you!"

"We aren't risking Harry's life, Lily," James said.

"I can't leave you here, James," Lily said. "Let me stay with you. Harry will be fine."

"That's not true, and you know it. Run, Lily, hurry and run! It's not safe!"

"But you-"

"Don't worry about me, run!"

"No! I'm staying!"

"No you aren't, Lily! Hurry and run! Take Harry!"

"I can't!"

"Lily, run, now! I'll hold him off!" James said urgently.

"But-"

"Go! Now! Hurry!"

Lily nodded and ran.

"No!" James said suddenly. "Don't! You won't hurt them! Not if-"

James had a sudden greenish light in his eyes.

"Uh, Moony? How many times did James say 'Hurry'?"

Both Remus and Sirius jumped up and ran. "James! Wake up!"

"I'm awake, you idiots, Sirius, stop-ow- hitting- ow- me!"

"Sorry, we wanted to make sure you were awake," Sirius shrugged.

"What now?" James asked, straightening up.

"Well, we need to tell you about what happened," Sirius answered.

"Not now," Remus shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Lily."

The three turned to see Lily, who was huddled up as if in a corner.

"Evans?"

"No!" Lily's hand jerked forward, and a fireball the size of a large orange shot out and hit the wall behind of them.

"This she can do, but not my homework?" Sirius joked, earning a glare from both Remus and James.

"Please, not Harry!" A light reflected in her eyes for a second.

"The Cruciatus spell," James grimaced.

"Lily? Wake up," Remus said.

In response, she jerked her hand forward, this time freezing Sirius in mid step.

"What did she do to him?" James asked, observing his best friend, who was stiff as a board.

"Froze time for him," Remus said. "Look at her eyes, James."

"I'm trying not to," James answered, but obliged. In Lily's eyes were the reflection of someone not there, seen only to her. It was a hooded man, the same one in all of James' dreams. There wasn't any sound from the man, but the sudden light that reflected in Lily's eyes was obvious what he had done.

"Remus! Wake her up!"

"Lily! Wake up!"

"I meant shake her."

"Oh. LILY! WAKE UP!" Remus shouted in her ear.

Lily woke up. "Did it work?"

"Yeah… luckily," James sighed.

"Didn't realize you were concerned about my welfare," Lily said.

James gave her a funny look. "Your… concerned… welfare…?"

"Yeah. What, Potter?"

"Nothing. I just heard, er voices over Spring Break telling me- never mind."

"What happened to him?" Lily asked, gesturing towards Sirius.

James turned. "Evans! You-you- you froze him!" he said haltingly, all calmness gone.

"I did?"

"Don't play dumb, Evans!" James said, pointing at Sirius. "What did you do to him?"

"I don't know!"

"Ah," Remus cleared his throat. "Well, Lily probably had more developed powers in her dream, as she was older, right?"

Lily shrugged.

"Put- him- back-" James tried desperately to get out words as his best friend was still frozen in place.

"I don't know how," Lily said.

"You- you waved your hand at him," James told her.

Lily tried. And tried. And tried again. And again. And again. And again.

"Evans! Why- isn't it- working?"

"Shut. Up. Potter." Lily said, throwing her hands up in exasperation… and Sirius unfroze.

"Sirius!"

"Huh? Lily, you were over there-"

"Yeah, well, I froze you in place by accident," Lily said, mostly to James.

"Oh."

The four went to bed, with Lily shaking her head, saying something about dangerous and illegal acts.

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh please! Like that ever happens!" Lily exclaimed, arguing with James in their "office" with the seventh year, Molly watching.

"Well, maybe it would!" James retorted.

"Molly does not have to say anything to Arthur!"

"Well why not? Otherwise Arthur'll never know she likes him and will keep going out with that Ravenclaw slut!"

"She is not a slut! And if Arthur were worth it, he'd realize that Molly liked him!"

"I thought you said that they wouldn't break up!" (A/N: refer to last chpt.)

"That's confidential information," Lily said. "Besides, it's called being nice. I don't suppose you've heard of it?"

"No, I suppose not," James answered coldly.

"And anyway, if Arthur weren't so blind, he'd see that she likes him, and wouldn't be so stupid with girls if he knew a perfectly fine one liked him!"

"And Arthur's just supposed to ask her out, not knowing if she likes him? She has to tell him first."

"You've never had a problem with asking girls out," Lily pointed out stiffly.

"That's because I know they all like me!" James defended. "Well, most of them."

"Well, in any case, you wouldn't know, as you always know that they like you! Arthur should just realize that she likes him! Honestly! Are all boys so blind?"

"You've never been on a date, so how do you know what you're talking about? You rejected every date, as you didn't like them, well, what if Arthur's afraid that that'll happen to him? She has to tell him," James said decidedly.

"She does not!"

"How's he going to know, then? You think he'll interpret 'You're stupid' into 'I'm madly in love with you'?"

Lily scoffed. "It's called reverse psychology, Potter."

"Yeah, well, it's better to be straight forward about it," James argued.

"Oh, yeah. Like she'd say, 'Hi, Arthur, I obsess about you in my sleep. Say, d'you know the Potions homework?' Fat chance."

"Well, the worst he can do is say that he doesn't like her."

"Oh, yeah. She likes him, and he doesn't. Now they go back to normal?"

"Well, then don't like the guy!"

"Oh, sure, we choose," Lily said sarcastically. "That is soo like you, Potter. Self-absorbed and stupid!"

Molly stood up. "Wow, that was great, pretending to argue on a subject to get to sides. Four sickles, right?"

"Uh…"

"And, by the way," Molly paused, halfway through the door, "Are you sure you were just talking about me and Arthur the whole time?"

"What?" Lily asked.

"Figure it out yourselves," she shrugged, and left.

"Well, that was…"

"Odd," James finished for her.

*~*~*~*~*

(A/N) Another long one! Sorry this took so long!

To Come: Lily's parents die, trances, and, uh… checkers. Look for it in… between a day to three days.