Author's Note: Well… Uh… I have nothing to say.

Title: Love and Flashbacks

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Erm… Possibly.

Summary: Lily and James remember the events that led to their romance.

Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own Harry Potter and its characters, I don't.

Setting: This story takes place when the Marauders are at Hogwarts.

*** = setting change

*~*= begin flashback

~*~ = end flashback

[…] = time

italics = emphasis

~The Picnic~

[2 days later]

"Do you guys want to go on a picnic?" Koren asked her friends.

"Sure," they all replied.

"Okay, let's go pack some food."

***

"Mum, we're going on a picnic today."

"Okay. Don't stay out too long."

"We won't."

***

Sirius was eating a sandwich. Everyone else was watching him, since they had finished eating, and there was no food left anyway. He looked up, lowered the sandwich, and swallowed. "Er… why are you all looking at me?"

"Because you're so darn cute," Koren said, beginning to laugh.

"Ah." Sirius nodded. "I see. Good reason."

James asked, gesturing to the sandwich, "Padfoot, you going to finish that?"

Sirius just looked at him.

"Oh. Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to for a minute."

*~*

[2nd year]

Lily stared at Sirius. The boy was eating everything in sight. "How can he eat so much?" she asked the other Marauders.

Remus replied, "We don't know. He's a freak of nature."

"Hey!" Sirius said indignantly, his mouth full. "I am not a freak."

"Okay," James said, rolling his eyes. "Sirius is special."

"That's better."

"I swear, man. Someday you're gonna burst from eating so much."

"Or get fat," Peter put in.

"Right," Remus agreed.

"I hate to agree with Potter, but I have to in this case," Lily spoke up.

~*~

Remus, who was lying down with his head on Charlotte's stomach, pointed at a cloud above him. "That looks like a unicorn."

Lily looked at it. "Yeah, it does."

"Where?" James asked. He was looking around at the sky, trying to find the cloud. "I can't see it."

"It's right there," Koren said, pointing.

"I still can't see it." James cleaned his glasses, then put them back on and looked up again. "I don't know where it is."

"Prongs, even I see it," Sirius said, after finishing his sandwich.

"Is this 'unicorn' trying to avoid me or something?"

"Maybe it doesn't like idiots," Lily said.

"Then how come Sirius sees it?"

"Good point." Lily sat on the grass right next to James and pointed at the cloud. "There. Now do you see it?"

"Oh… It looks more like a donkey to me."

Lily pushed him. "Shut up."

***

"Okay, let's see," Koren said, thinking. "That one looks like a… goat."

The six were lying on the ground, playing the "cloud game." They were telling each other what they thought certain clouds looked like.

"That one next to it looks like a dragon," Charlotte said.

"What kind?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. You'd have to ask Hagrid about that."

The six laughed, remembering the Hogwarts gamekeeper and his fondness for dragons.

"Okay, what about that one?" Remus asked.

"Where?"

He pointed. "That one. It looks like—"

Charlotte interrupted, "It looks like Whiskers!"

"Hey, yeah, it does," Lily agreed.

"Sorry you couldn't bring her," Koren said apologetically, "but you know my mother's allergic to cats."

"It's okay," Charlotte replied.

"Okay," James said, pointing. "That one over there looks like a pig."

"I didn't know it looked like you, James," Lily said playfully.

"Hey!"

*~*

[3rd year]

Lily was yelling and hitting James for something offensive he had said to her. "You are such a pig!"

"Yeah, well, you look like one," James muttered, not thinking about what he was saying, since he was in so much pain.

"What?!" Lily shrieked. She started pounding harder. "You're dead!"

"Uh, James?" Sirius said. He and Remus were off to the side, watching Lily injure their friend. "I really don't think you should have said that, mate."

~*~

Sirius sat up and tapped Koren on the shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Okay." The blonde looked at her watch. "All right. Go. You have fifty-nine seconds left."

"Koren."

"Okay. Sorry."

The two walked away from the others so they couldn't hear their conversation.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Charlotte asked the other three, who sat up at the same time she did.

"I don't know. He sounded kind of nervous or worried," Remus replied.

"And when Sirius gets that way, you know it's something big," James said. He grinned. "Speaking of being nervous and worried," he continued, turning to Lily, "have you decided yet?"

"No. Quit asking me. I'm getting kind of annoyed with people asking me if I'll say yes. I will tell you when I want to tell you. Okay?"

"All right. Sheesh. You don't have to be so hostile."

Lily sighed. "Sorry. I'm just fed up with everyone trying to figure out if I'm going to marry you or not."

"Yeah? Well, I hope this helps you make up your mind," James said, leaning down to kiss her.

***

"So what'd you want to talk to me about?" Koren asked, smiling at her boyfriend.

"Well, I just wanted to know if you know what your parents think about me."

"What?"

"Do they like me? I mean, your dad doesn't hate me, does he?"

"Why would he hate you?"

"I don't know. You're his daughter. His only daughter."

"Of course they like you, Sirius. Who wouldn't?"

"Malfoy, Snape, Avery—"

"Okay, I get the picture. But my parents love you. I mean, they know you'd never hurt me. You wouldn't, would you?"

"Of course not."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really sure?"

"Really sure," Koren said, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"Really really sure?"

"Sirius!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Oh. Sorry."

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Okay, next chapter, I PROMISE there will be more Lily/James and Remus/Charlotte. And did you know it doesn't take two to tango? You'd probably look pretty stupid, but you could do it by yourself. Eh, I don't know. I don't like dancing, really, so I wouldn't know.