A/N: I just wanted to apologize for the humongous gaps between chapters. I have been wanting to write this chapter for quite a while now, but because of school .::hisses::. I haven't been able too. Plus, for the past week I have been sick and I don't write well when I'm sick. OK, onto the story!

A/N 2: 10/20/02 Yeah Aunt Jemima! My wonderful new Beta Reader is here to save the day! Whoo hoo! So, here is the chapter that's gonna stick… I think…

We're Just Friends… Right? – Chapter Three

Lily and James were sitting in the Prefect's office, along with the other house prefects, listening to the Head Boy and Girl –Joshua Keenan and Katie Hulett – telling them of their responsibilities and throwing around ideas about what events they would be having this year.

"… Also, as of tonight you will all be assigned new dorms and you'll be moving in."

"What?" Said Brian, "I never heard anything about different dorms."

Josh spoke, "Don't worry, you'll still see your friends. Eat at your house tables and attend classes with them and such. You'll still be allowed into the common rooms, too. You'll just be living in a different dorm. Nothing to worry about."

"Anyway," came Katie's high pitched voice, "you eight will have to start planning the Halloween Ball. I suggest you get started on it soon."

James rolled his eyes at the mention of the dances. Oh great, he thought, another excuse for the girls to fawn over me. God, they're annoying…

Lily caught James' eye roll and smothered a giggle. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised in a questioning manner. She batted her eye lashes at him, imitating the girls she knew he was thinking about.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your dorm."

James got up first and then pulled the chair out for Lily. She looked at him, wondering if he was OK, but realized he was just getting her back for the eye battings when he tugged at her red mane.

The walk to the new dorm was full of playfully pushing, hair pulling, laughing, and strange looks from the rest of the group.

The teens didn't really know where they were, except that it was somewhere in the middle of the castle, close to everything. The portrait was of a young woman and man. The man had chocolate colored hair and strange golden eyes. He wore a forest green tunic and tan colored pants. His boots were black leather that came halfway up his shins. The girl had strawberry blond hair that fell in tight curls down her back. She had sapphire eyes and milky white skin, like she hadn't seen the sun her entire life. Her Victorian style dress was a pastel blue, with the sleeves hanging off the shoulders. Their surroundings reminisced a courtyard, and a soft gray castle could be seen in the distance.

"What shall the password be, sire?" The woman asked Josh.

He thought for a moment, "Rubber bands."

"As you wish."

Lily raised an eyebrow at Josh, "Rubber bands?"

He turned a light shade of pink but smiled broadly. "I seem to have an infatuation with them." He held up his wrist which was covered in – you guesses it – rubber bands.

They both laughed, his deep booming ones contrasting nicely with Lily's light bell like ones. Josh offered his arm to Lily in a gentlemanly manner and she took it, following the others into the room.

James walked in behind the pair, a little ticked off that Josh was the one joking around with Lily, no longer himself.

Lily looked around her new common room with a smile on her face, everything seemed so cozy and made her felt at home. The walls were painted a soft, off white color and the trim was tan. The carpet was deep and plush, a deep manila color. There were four soft cowhide couches that would fit three of them comfortably. On both sides of all the couches were beautiful redwood side tables. Inside of the little half circle was a long redwood table with eight coasters and a glass bowl full of caramels, every flavor beans, and toffees. Then, there was a giant fireplace made of gray stone. There was a ledge in front of the fire that would allow you to sit there, if you wanted to. To the side of the fireplace was a small pile of birch wood to add when the fire was low. There were four doors around the circular common room, each door had the respective house crests.

Lily broke away from Josh, all but forgetting he was there, grabbed James and pulled him towards the Gryffindor door.

There was a small amount of stairs and then they came across three doors. One had 'Lily Evans', the other had 'James Potter', both of which were written in beautiful golden calligraphy. And then there was one with 'Gryffindor Common Room' written on it.

Still smiling broadly, Lily threw open the door to her room and pulled James in.

With a Malfoy-worthy-smirk James said, "You just can't resist me, can you Lils? First night in our new rooms and you just can't keep your hands off me."

"Oh yes, James," she said in a monotone, "you make me hot."

He let out a lovely chuckle and tugged her hair playfully.

She hardly noticed, as she was too busy looking at her new room. It had the same color scheme as the common room, and had the same cozy home feeling. Her king sized four-poster bed had cream cotton sheets and a giant feather-down comforter. There were two bed side tables on either side of the bed, a lantern on both. She had a dresser, desk, vanity and a tan leather chair by the giant window. Lily opened one door, and saw a closet full of her clothing, shut it, and opened the other which revealed a bathroom.

James realized that he couldn't stop smiling at Lily. She was running around like a five year old on Christmas. He followed her and leaned against the door jam into the bathroom. The room was pure white, two sinks fit into the counter with enough room for toothbrushes, soap, cups, and other essentials. There was one shower and a giant tub that had Jacuzzi jets in it. The only things with color in the room were two deep brown doors. The one to Lily's room and – Lily opened the other –

"Hey James, this is your room!" She skipped into his room.

Shaking his head, he followed her to see her sitting cross-legged on his bed. A quick sweep across the room showed him that it was a perfect mirror to Lily's.

"Let's go see the guys, they'll be worried if we just disappear." He held his hand out to Lily.

"OK" She took his hand and jumped up from the bed.

He pulled her to the door, and into the Gryffindor common room. They burst through a portrait, surprising quite a few people.

Peter looked at them, "Where the bloody hell did you guys come from? I didn't know there was a secret passage into the common room…"

"There isn't Wormtail. Lils and I have new bedrooms. Figured we should tell you so you three don't get ideas when we don't show up at night anymore." He finished with a big grin on his face.

Remus smirked, "New bedrooms, eh? Mind if we see?"

"Sure." Lily led them into James' bedroom. With a game show girl type gesture she said, "And here is James' wonderful new dresser. And these," She opened the top drawer, "Are his M&M silk boxers." She held them up and wiggled her eyebrows.

Peter, Remus and Sirius roared with laughter, and James turned tomato red. He snatched them out of her hands and stuffed them back into the drawer. After slamming it shut, he turned to Lily, "Evens… Prepare to die."

With that James lunged at Lily and started to tickle her relentlessly. She was laughing uncontrollably and James' screaming of "Die! Die! Die!" didn't help her any.

"James… Don't!… Stop!"

He paused for a moment, "Don't stop? OK!" He tickled her again.

"Guys!… Help!"

Remus took a running leap and landed on James' back.

"Dog-pile!" And then Peter jumped on Remus.

Sirius looked at them like they were high. Then he shouted in a high girly voice, "I'm a butterfly!" And landed on Peter.

Lily was, somehow, still laughing. "Guys… Can't… Breath… Dieing... Dieing…… Gone." With that she rolled her head to the side and stuck her tongue out in a very melodramatic death.

The Marauders each rolled off of each other, happy to be breathing again.

Suddenly the bedroom door swung open and a very angry looking Malfoy glared at them. "Do you freaks mind? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

The boys all glared at him, and were about to start cursing him like there was no tomorrow, when Lily bursted out laughing all over again.

"What is so funny, Mudblood?"

The insult didn't even faze her. "You're wearing" She paused to snort, "PINK!"

Sure enough, tough, manly, don't take no crap from nobody Lucius Malfoy was wearing nothing but pink. Pink boxers, pink robe, even pink bunny slippers. His face turned to match his wardrobe. "My Mother says it brings out my eyes."

That just caused the five laying on the floor to just laugh harder than they ever had before. Suddenly Lily screamed, "Kodak moment!" And flashed a quick picture with a camera she had hidden somewhere in her robes.

Malfoy turned around and slammed the door muttering something about 'stupid Gryffindor freaks'.

Every time one of the five would start to control themselves, they would just have to look at each other and start cracking up again. It took them all about fifteen minutes to finally calm down.

"Well," Remus said, "that was interesting…"