Lily and James stepped out of their secluded classroom after the first period of the day ended. They moved quickly to Charms, seeing as Lily refused to miss another class, and were assaulted by their friends, all of who wanted to know where they went. Lily just smiled secretively while James ignored them.

The two sat by each other and watched the class go by with infinite slowness, and almost touched each other, which was something they were not going to do till later. They were going to surprise their friends, and they couldn't wait.

Sarah leaned over her boyfriend to ask Remus, who was staring at the two in front of him, "Do you get the impression they're not telling us something?"

Just before Remus could answer, Lily had a note on his desk.

"Sorry, sweets. That'd be a no. Not nice to talk to others behind their backs."

Remus blinked before smiling. "Sorry Lil."

Lily shrugged, not even looking back. James noticed and smirked, but he too kept quiet. By the time class ended, Lily had her head down and her eyes closed. James smiled as he looked at her, and instead of just waking her up, like he normally would have done, James handed her bag to Remus, picked her up, and carried her back to the common room.

Remus lagged behind a bit to speak briefly with Sirius and Sarah, Peter once again in the Hospital Wing. (I'm sorry, I just can't write him.) When Remus reached the common room, James and Lily were already there, and talking quietly.

"Hey, you're awake."

Lily groaned lightly as she burrowed her head further into James' chest. "You ok love?"

Lily looked up and smiled slightly at James. "Of course. Tired, being bored will do that to you, though."

James nodded before becoming serious again. "You sure you're ok?"

Lily's smile broadened as she kissed James. Remus' eyes widened as his jaw dropped. He was just about to go when his friends broke their lips from their seemingly suctioned togetherness. "Should we tell them?"

James shrugged as he kissed Lily again. Once they broke he turned to the door and said, "It's ok Remus. I know you're there."

Lily looked up, her eyes wide. "You knew he was there?"

James laughed and nodded. "Sorry. I asked him to bring your things."

Lily shrugged as she hugged James again. "It's ok sweets. Now, I do believe that we have classes."

James nodded as he stood and pulled Lily to her feet. Remus came over and hit Lily and James upside their heads.

"Finally!"

~*~

When Sirius and Sarah next saw Lily and James next, they almost fainted. Indeed, Sarah had to blink several times, and Sirius took a very deep breath. Once Remus came in and sat next to them, they knew they weren't seeing things. "So they finally got together then?"

Remus nodded, and Sarah smiled wider than she thought possible. "Great! Finally!"

McGonagall looked over at her sharply and asked, "Do you have something to share with the class Miss Conklin?"

Sarah smiled and stood up. "Actually I do!"

McGonagall looked at her with her lips in a tight line. "Very well."

"I would like to say IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! To my good friends, Lily Evans and James Potter." With that Sarah sat down and everyone turned to the door, where Lily and James were holding hands and looking around at everyone.

McGonagall smiled and beckoned the two into seats. "Very nice. Now, if we may proceed with the class?"

Everyone nodded, but before the Transfiguration teacher could continue, someone else came in late to the class. "Mister Snape. Ten points from Slytherin. Take your seat please."

Snape's jaw dropped, but at the severe look on his teacher's face, shut it. With a mumbled apology, he took his seat, which was right behind Lily and James. Let's just say that he got very little work done that day.

~*~

The next few months went much the same way, and before the group of friends knew it, N.E.W.T.'s were upon them. Of course, with Lily heaping on more work than the teachers, they got through ok.

~*~

"FREE!"

Lily raised an eyebrow at Sirius, but just let it go as his usual hyper as hell self. Remus, the ever calm and collected one, silenced Sirius with a charm before turning to Lily and James and asking, "So what now?"

Lily's eyes lit up as she put a finger on her chin and pretended to think. "Well gee Professor Lupin. I thought you had it all figured out!"

James choked on his laughter before letting it all out. Remus made a mock sarcastic face as he laughed in the same way. "Very funny Miss Lily. But really guys, what are we going to do?"

Lily threw her hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh. "Really! Jamie lad did say that he had an idea earlier in the year."

Everyone turned to look at Lily, but she had her head in her hands. "You don't remember?"

Everyone turned to everyone else, and shrugged as one. Lily sighed before explaining. "I had just come back from the Hospital Wing and asked what we were going to do, and Jamie," Lily would have continued, but James tickled her until she wheezed out, "Ok, ok, James!" James stopped tickling her and let Lily continue. "Ok, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, James said, 'I have the perfect idea!' And then we went on to talk about other nonessential things!"

Remus raised an eyebrow, Sarah was staring at Lily, James was thinking back to when he said such a thing, and Sirius was waving his arms around since he couldn't talk. Remus took the charm off, and Sirius exclaimed, "I REMEMBER!"

Lily smiled and hugged him before sitting back down. She turned to James expectantly, and quite suddenly he jumped and exclaimed, "SO DO I!"

Lily hugged him as well, and once everyone was calm, they went over the plan for the end of the year.

~*~

Lily walked up the stairs to the stage, James holding her hand and giving her silent comfort. Dumbledore called out, "And our Head Students this year, Lily Evans and James Potter!"

Lily and James walked out from behind the curtain, smiles on their faces. Lily took the right side of the podium, and James the left. James started out by saying, "Why is she always called up first?"

Lily smiled sweetly before replying, " 'Cause I'm better, of course!"

Many people laughed as the two made funny faces at each other. They finally calmed down as James took over in a very serious tone.

"We have been here the past seven years of our lives. We have been through thick and thin, lost and found more things than we could ever begin to count, and met new people. We have lived in this school for those past seven years, and it has become a second home to most of us, perhaps even a first for the more unfortunate. Hogwarts has been our discovery ground. We've found what we want to do with our lives, and maybe even found the love of our lives." With that James looked at Lily briefly. Lily took her cue and stepped up.

"I went through a tough time in my life not too long ago. But through that pain I found my goal in life. Many others here went through that same type of thing. Whether it be from falling and breaking a bone of some sort," Lily glanced at Peter here, who looked back with a slightly red face. "Or maybe you passed all of your classes, and are now graduating. Whatever the reason, that pain helped us. We have come from being small little first years whom were scared to try on a hat, to full fledged witches and wizards ready to make their mark on the world. We have one more thing to say to you all before we celebrate."

James stepped up to her and grabbed her hand. As one, the couple yelled out, "WE DID IT!"

~*~

James, Lily, Sirius, Sarah, Remus, and Peter spent the night dancing away. They had fun, just hung around friends, and shared many stories of all of the pranks the Marauders had pulled.

Lily noticed quite a few times that Sirius and Remus were giving James strange looks, but she pushed it aside in order to treasure the moment.

At the end of the celebrations, the Headmaster stood up and just clapped. Everyone else in the hall, Slytherins and teachers alike, all clapped as well. It was an odd sort of unity that signified that they had known each other and even if they hated the other, knew who they were. A single tear slid down Lily's cheek as James held her close and whispered, "I love you."

~*~

Minerva leaned over and whispered to Albus, "I do not like it. They have been too quiet for my liking."

Albus smiled as he looked down on the Marauders. Of course he knew was going to happen, he had helped James with it. "Not to worry, Minerva. Everything will be fine."

Of course, Minerva didn't like the sound of that at all.

~*~

Lily leaned against James in pure, unadulterated pleasure. She was finally out of school, she was human, and she had the love of her life with her. Lily sighed as James started to rub her back. "You ok?"

Lily smiled up at James and nodded. "Happy. Thank you."

James raised an eyebrow, totally caught off guard with her answer. He was even more shocked when she kissed him, but got over it quickly and kissed her back. Remus made a fake gagging sound in the background while Sirius and Sarah followed their lead.

When James and Lily broke up, there were a great many catcalls from peers, and quite a few hisses to Lily. James looked to her to see how she would handle it, and to everyone's immense shock she smiled. She stood, said, "Thank you all! And now, let the feast begin!"

To everyone's shock, again, the food was set on the tables. Lily smiled as she sat down, and Albus winked to her. He stood up and raised a hand. "Since Miss Evans took my job, I guess I should take her own."

Everyone turned to their Headmaster with confused eyes, only to see him with his wand raised and a smile on his face. There was a very loud pop, and where the Slytherins had been, there was no more.

~*~

Lily fell into James as she laughed hysterically, and Remus' eyes were very wide. James looked to her and asked, "Did you know the Headmaster would do that?!"

Lily nodded as she laughed again.

The Slytherins were all in Gryffindor colors, but had on cheerleading outfits as well. The girls all had bright orange skin, which clashed horribly with the Gryffindor colors, and the guys all had black skin, which made them look really freaky. Everyone had purple mustaches, something that set Lily into even more hysterics, and their eyes were all a very freaky bright yellow. Above their heads, which shone red and gold ever five minutes, said, "FROM THE MARAUDERS! GIVING YOU ONE LAST TEAR, WHILE WE'RE HERE!"

True to the sign, even the teachers had tears in their eyes. Lily was still laughing until she saw the sigh flicker and be replaced by, "LILY EVANS."

Everyone in the hall turned to look as the sigh changed again. "I HAVE LOVED YOU FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER."

Lily took a deep breath, her eyes wide, as the sign changed. She was vaguely aware of the way most of the hall was looking at her, and James now basically on his knees next to her. "LILY, WOULD YOU DO ME THE PLEASURE OF BEING MY WIFE?"

~*~

Lily's mouth was working up and down as James turned her chin to face him. He raised an eyebrow, and a tear slipped out. They seemed to be talking through glances and facial gestures, because after about five minutes Lily laughed and hugged James, a beautiful golden ring on her finger.

~*~

Lily sat with her friends in the Marauders compartment of the train. Nothing any of the Slytherins said had ruined her mood. James was right next to her, his arm around her shoulders, and Remus was next to him. Sirius and Sarah were across from her, with Peter across from Moony. Lily smiled to them all, and they smiled back. With a kiss to James, she smiled and relaxed for the trip home. To her new life.

~*~ Fin ~*~

SO?!?! Did you like it? PLEASE REVIEW!!

Thanks to:

Kristin - Remy's Gurl - Read her stuff, it's great!

Sabre-X - Same as Kristin, in fact it applies to everyone!

kat6528

shortnsassy

Wish (You wonderful anonymous reviewer you.)

And last, but certainly not least,

Lani Lalaith

I hope to get more Reviews for this story! Thanks so much to everyone, and so I don't get in trouble, I DON'T OWN IT! (Author mumbles and grumbles about unfairness of money.)

Thanks again!

~Maniac