***DISCLAIMER:  Mine, all mine.  Except for the characters, plot, and all-around mood and sentiment.  So that means nothing's mine.  Oops.

        "Day-after-tomorrow's the twenty-second, Remus; Moony due?"

        "Unfortunately, Sirius.  He hopes Mr. Padfoot will join him as usual?"  His sixteen year-old gray eyes looked tiredly hopeful, gratefully took in the nod from his dark brunette friend.

        "Along with Prongs and Wormtail guaranteed, Remus; don't look so worried!"  He playfully cuffed his doubtful friend's shoulder, then turned at the peal of girlish laughter.

        "Oh, come now, James!  I know it was you and Sirius.  Why would the spellbooks stick shut and shout for Severus Snape to recite the twelve uses of dragons' blood and declare an undying love for steak-and-kidney pie?"

        "I'll never admit to anything, Miss Lily Evans, because I've done nothing."

        "Liar," she teased.

        "I know," James agreed.  A pair entered the common room arm in arm, and James laughed at the sight of Remus and Sirius.  Lily smiled, discreetly left for her dormitory after pecking James' cheek.  Sirius grinned roguishly, "I'll be your best man when you marry that girl."

        "I'm not marrying her!"  James shoved his best friend with a smirk and flopped casually into a chair by the fireplace.  Remus snickered, "Yet."

        Upon these words, James jumped up and stood on the chair, leveling his wand fiercely at Remus, "Watch it, Lupin!  Better take that one back!"  He struggled to mask a huge smile, but Remus matched him wand for wand, balancing on the back of the chair opposite his black-haired counterpart.  Sirius, not to be left out, clasped his hands under his chin, wailing in high falsetto, "Oh James!  Save me, James, my perfect and brave, da-dash—"

        'Dashing' never made to the list; both James' opposition and damsel-in-distress couldn't breathe through laughter.  James, however droll he found this, refused to discontinue his crusade.  Scrambling higher onto his chair's back, he raised his wand heroically, "I'll save you, Lily darling!  My love, sweet angel, my flower, my princess and lady, my—my…  Well, by Prongs, I've run out of them."  The bewildered expression left on his face forced another gale of laughter, this time engulfing James as well.

        "James dear, you forgot 'goddess'; you had better add it," the girl's green eyes flashed as bright as the fire crackling in the hearth.  She made rounds in her nightgown, hugged Remus and kissed his forehead, hugged Sirius and kissed his forehead.  Lily paused before moving on to James, "And Sirius, you know as well as I that James is far from perfect."  She smiled teasingly and turned to James, lingering in his arms before kissing his lips and murmuring a quiet 'goodnight' before skittering off to bed.

        The slight boy slumped backward into his chair, eyes slightly glazed and lips slightly parted as he tried to smile.  Remus and Sirius glanced at one another.  By some unspoken signal, Sirius vigorously nodded and announced loudly, "Right, like he's not gonna marry her."

James only sighed obliviously, managed his pleased grin, and sank deeper into his chair.

"Miss Tierney?"

"I'd say phoenix over griffin."

"Very good, Jessalyn; griffin, while effective, are usually surpassed by phoenix feathers in potions of long duration."

Sirius sucked quietly on a Honeydukes sugar quill as know-it-all Jessalyn Tierney answered for the entire class.  He scowled at Severus Snape on the Slytherin side of the room; Snape was whispering to Lucius Malfoy, gesturing frantically toward Remus, James, and Peter Pettigrew, all sitting in the row in front of Sirius.  He glanced at Lily beside him, and a tiny smile spread over her lips as she picked up her wand.

She muttered something, and Severus' voice raised as though speaking into a microphone.

"—KNOW WHERE THEY GO EVERY MONTH—!"  He clapped a hand over his mouth and immediately turned pink.  Lily slyly waved her wand under her desk as Professor Kettleburn frowned toward the Slytherins, "Mister Snape, if you plan to disrupt my entire class, I'd appreciate your absence."

"Pro-Professor!" Snape sputtered loudly, shaking his head in disbelief.  "It's Potter!  Potter or Black or Lupin or Pettigrew—"

"Come off it, Severus!"  James stood up and glowered across the room, "A simple Amplification Charm!  Flitwick showed them to us last week; anyone could per—"

"That's enough, boys!  And Mr. Potter, I suggest you remember it is Professor Flitwick."  The middle-aged wizard's eyes gleamed, daring them to speak again.  "Now Jessalyn…"

James stole a grin at Remus as the class settled back in, but the other boy only shook his head, denying credit.  James studied Peter a moment, then turned to Sirius with a ready smirk.  Sirius smiled but motioned toward Lily, who grinned innocently and blinked wide eyes.  He raised his eyebrows and smirked approvingly at her nerve.

"Potter, would you like to share with the rest of the class?"  Kettleburn narrowed his eyes in James' direction, but James smiled brightly in response as he turned around to face the teacher's glare.

"I was about to say Snape's prob'ly being tormented by some Slytherin.  I have nothing against him."

The professor rolled his eyes and continued the lecture, checking on James throughout the lesson.  Snape, in contrast, could have been guilty of murder in the first if looks could kill.

"Lily, I know it was you!"  The instant the group settled in for lunch, Remus pounced on his chance.  Sirius smirked, "Who knew Little Miss Future Headgirl had it in her?"

"I'll never admit to anything, boys, because I've done nothing."  Lily artlessly crossed her legs, a chiding frown on her lips.

"Liar."  James abruptly looked away, pretending to study the enchanted ceiling and feigning muteness.

"I know," her sunny smile shone through.  "Not bad, eh?"

"Not bad?"  Sirius laughed aloud, "Lily, he never saw it coming!  And I'll commend your choice of setting as well; Kettleburn lets everything slide.  James, you'd better watch this one."  His dark eyes gleamed mischievously as he thrust a finger in the girl's direction, "She's a keeper.  I say we adopt her."

"No!"

Four heads turned to study Peter Pettigrew after his outburst.  He glanced about quietly, "I mean, that's—that's—well, I think it's a bit dramatic for a simple charm.  Perhaps if she proves consistent."  No one else spoke; Sirius and James exchanged suspicious glances.  Peter bit his lip at the confused frown he was getting from Remus, "Maybe?  Well, I don't know, I could be wrong perhaps…?"  He looked away shiftily and slouched again.

Lily waved a graceful hand to regain attention, "Don't make a fuss over it.  I just thought you'd like to hear what he was saying."

"And you thought right; thanks, Lily."

Looking worried on a very rare occasion, James' usually chocolate-brown eyes looked licorice black as he surveyed his closest friends.  "You heard him.  No one tells him; it's too dangerous."  The boys nodded stoutly while James trained his gaze on Peter.  Lily furrowed her eyebrows in question, but she could see James was deliberately avoiding her.  Patient to the end, she decided not to press and spent the rest of lunch laughing at Remus' subtle jokes.