A little after eleven, Lily Evans entered the common room looking exhausted
and collapsed into the nearest chair. Almost everyone had gone to bed
except the Marauders; they had stayed up to plan their excursion.
"You look exhausted Lily." Remus smiled weakly. "It's been a long day. It's hard being a prefect you know." Lily didn't look at Remus. "Yeah, so what did you have to do?" Remus asked curiously. "Me and Severus had to monitor the corridors leading to the dungeon."
James had begun to eavesdrop into their conversation since Snape's name was mentioned.
"Do we have like a rota system?" Remus walked over to Lily and sat beside her.
"Yeah, kind of like pairings. Me and Severus are paired to monitor halls some nights and others, it'll be you and Francesca Stephens."
Remus and Lily were in deep conversation long after the marauders and Robin had planned their trip to Filch's office.
"James, it's a quarter to midnight. We're going to have to leave soon you know." James looked back at Sirius impatiently. "Yeah I know but Moony's deep in conversation."
Sirius gave a long sigh, walked up to Remus and grabbed him by his arm, stopping their conversation abruptly and growled "Remus, lets go to be eh? Long night ahead.err.day ahead of us. Night night Lily."
Lily smiled up at Sirius. "Yeah goodnight. I better go to bed too you know." James and Sirius watched as Lily descended the staircase leading to the girl's dormitories.
"Remus! What is this about Lily and Snivelly being an item then?"
Remus laughed. "They aren't an item Prongs, they just have to monitor halls together. Me and Francy have to do the same too."
Sirius howled with laughter. "Francy is it? Pet name?" James joined in with laughing. Moony's face reddened with embarrassment. "We're just good friends okay?"
Robin spoke after a long time. "Ok are you guys ready? I think we've sorted everything out. James, got your invisibility cloak have you?"
James nodded and they proceeded out of the common room one by one. It was pitch black in the corridors except for the torches on the walls blazing.
"James, have you got the map?" Sirius asked James urgently.
"Oh no, I left it on the table. Hold on, I'll just get it!" James scrambled back in through the portrait hole and walked to the table when he found Lily coming down the stairs. She smiled at him.
"Hi." "Oh err, hi.Lily. What are you doing up?" James' eyes kept darting back to the exit of the common room. Lily was a prefect and if she found out what he was up to, Remus might lose his position as Prefect. "I couldn't sleep. Anyway why are you up?" She looked around curiously. "Oh." James tried to think fast. "Charms.the Charms homework that we had to do over summer. Well I left it on the table and I don't want anyone taking it." Lily observed the parchment curiously. "There doesn't seem to be anything on it." "Invisible ink.so no one can copy it." James lied as he remembered the magic mirror in his pocket. "I'm tired, I better get some sleep. Good night."
James began to walk up the stairs as Lily's voice stopped him. "Is there something wrong Potter? Only you're acting a little strange. This hasn't got anything to do with before has it? About what I."
"No!" James interrupted. "No it's nothing. I'm just a little cranky from the train ride.I get like that after a long journey. I'll see you in the morning."
James ran up the stairs but could still hear Lily in the common room. Wishing that she'd go to bed, he pulled out the mirror and held it in front of his face. "Sirius!" he said clearly into the mirror. Sirius's face popped into the mirror and he looked annoyed.
"James, what are you playing at? COME ON! You haven't lost it have you?" "No I've got it here. It's just Lily's come back down and so I can't come back out." Sirius whispered something to Robin and Remus. "Ok, it doesn't matter." Sirius smiled. "What?" James looked confused. "What doesn't matter?" "Stay. Talk to Lily.we'll go." Sirius had a large smirk on his face. "Are you KIDDING?!" James bellowed. "Prongs look, how often do you get an opportunity to talk to Evans one on one alone? Take the opportunity mate."
Before James had time to protest, Sirius was gone. James heard footsteps going up the stairs and he decided to use the map to find the others and catch up with them. When he appeared in the common room, he had reached the door to get out when Lily caught him.
"I thought you went to sleep." James said. "I heard footsteps going up the stairs." "Yeah.it was Stacey Lori she came down and we were talking. She went back to bed, so where are you going Potter?"
James looked around "Going for a walk. I can't sleep either."
Lily's face brightened. "Can I come then? After all you should have supervision by a prefect when you're out roaming on your own."
"Sure!" James blurted out before he could stop himself.
They walked along the passages as Lily steared them in the direction of Filch's office. James tried to avoid it with no success. He didn't want to run into Robin, Remus and Sirius if they were invisible, especially since they didn't have the map with them.
"How was your summer Potter?" Lily smiled? "Great, terrific." James looked distracted.
"Is your rat okay?" Lily asked, obviously trying to make conversation but also looking rather embarrassed and quiet at the same time.
"Scabbers? Yeah he'll be fine." James smiled reassuringly.
"Did you know that there's a fancy dress party Potter? Snape and I have to set everything up."
James looked down at Lily with mild curiosity while looking out to see if he could spot any sign of his friends as they drew ever so closer to Filch's office. "Fancy dress eh?"
"Yeah, are you going to go? With anyone?" Lily tried hard to keep at a matter of fact place but she was blushing. James obviously didn't notice. Just at that moment, he saw the swishing of the cloak and one of the boys feet appear where the cloak didn't cover it and as they were walking, Lily was just about to collide into them. James had to act fast so he grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her back. Lily had a look of confusion and bewilderment on her face. James pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. They stood there, lips locked for a couple of seconds and then James said:
"If you're not going with anyone, I'd love to go with you." James smiled much more comfortably.
Lily looked surprised and blown away. "Yeah." She said breathlessly. The walk back to the common room was a quiet one. Neither of them said anything to the other. As they arrived at the portrait hole, James thought he'd better break the silence before they went their separate ways.
"I had a really great time Lily." James smiled.
"Yeah me too." Lily was still blushing as she climbed into the portrait hole before James. "Goodnight." She then walked up the stairs. After a while, James went to sleep too.
"You look exhausted Lily." Remus smiled weakly. "It's been a long day. It's hard being a prefect you know." Lily didn't look at Remus. "Yeah, so what did you have to do?" Remus asked curiously. "Me and Severus had to monitor the corridors leading to the dungeon."
James had begun to eavesdrop into their conversation since Snape's name was mentioned.
"Do we have like a rota system?" Remus walked over to Lily and sat beside her.
"Yeah, kind of like pairings. Me and Severus are paired to monitor halls some nights and others, it'll be you and Francesca Stephens."
Remus and Lily were in deep conversation long after the marauders and Robin had planned their trip to Filch's office.
"James, it's a quarter to midnight. We're going to have to leave soon you know." James looked back at Sirius impatiently. "Yeah I know but Moony's deep in conversation."
Sirius gave a long sigh, walked up to Remus and grabbed him by his arm, stopping their conversation abruptly and growled "Remus, lets go to be eh? Long night ahead.err.day ahead of us. Night night Lily."
Lily smiled up at Sirius. "Yeah goodnight. I better go to bed too you know." James and Sirius watched as Lily descended the staircase leading to the girl's dormitories.
"Remus! What is this about Lily and Snivelly being an item then?"
Remus laughed. "They aren't an item Prongs, they just have to monitor halls together. Me and Francy have to do the same too."
Sirius howled with laughter. "Francy is it? Pet name?" James joined in with laughing. Moony's face reddened with embarrassment. "We're just good friends okay?"
Robin spoke after a long time. "Ok are you guys ready? I think we've sorted everything out. James, got your invisibility cloak have you?"
James nodded and they proceeded out of the common room one by one. It was pitch black in the corridors except for the torches on the walls blazing.
"James, have you got the map?" Sirius asked James urgently.
"Oh no, I left it on the table. Hold on, I'll just get it!" James scrambled back in through the portrait hole and walked to the table when he found Lily coming down the stairs. She smiled at him.
"Hi." "Oh err, hi.Lily. What are you doing up?" James' eyes kept darting back to the exit of the common room. Lily was a prefect and if she found out what he was up to, Remus might lose his position as Prefect. "I couldn't sleep. Anyway why are you up?" She looked around curiously. "Oh." James tried to think fast. "Charms.the Charms homework that we had to do over summer. Well I left it on the table and I don't want anyone taking it." Lily observed the parchment curiously. "There doesn't seem to be anything on it." "Invisible ink.so no one can copy it." James lied as he remembered the magic mirror in his pocket. "I'm tired, I better get some sleep. Good night."
James began to walk up the stairs as Lily's voice stopped him. "Is there something wrong Potter? Only you're acting a little strange. This hasn't got anything to do with before has it? About what I."
"No!" James interrupted. "No it's nothing. I'm just a little cranky from the train ride.I get like that after a long journey. I'll see you in the morning."
James ran up the stairs but could still hear Lily in the common room. Wishing that she'd go to bed, he pulled out the mirror and held it in front of his face. "Sirius!" he said clearly into the mirror. Sirius's face popped into the mirror and he looked annoyed.
"James, what are you playing at? COME ON! You haven't lost it have you?" "No I've got it here. It's just Lily's come back down and so I can't come back out." Sirius whispered something to Robin and Remus. "Ok, it doesn't matter." Sirius smiled. "What?" James looked confused. "What doesn't matter?" "Stay. Talk to Lily.we'll go." Sirius had a large smirk on his face. "Are you KIDDING?!" James bellowed. "Prongs look, how often do you get an opportunity to talk to Evans one on one alone? Take the opportunity mate."
Before James had time to protest, Sirius was gone. James heard footsteps going up the stairs and he decided to use the map to find the others and catch up with them. When he appeared in the common room, he had reached the door to get out when Lily caught him.
"I thought you went to sleep." James said. "I heard footsteps going up the stairs." "Yeah.it was Stacey Lori she came down and we were talking. She went back to bed, so where are you going Potter?"
James looked around "Going for a walk. I can't sleep either."
Lily's face brightened. "Can I come then? After all you should have supervision by a prefect when you're out roaming on your own."
"Sure!" James blurted out before he could stop himself.
They walked along the passages as Lily steared them in the direction of Filch's office. James tried to avoid it with no success. He didn't want to run into Robin, Remus and Sirius if they were invisible, especially since they didn't have the map with them.
"How was your summer Potter?" Lily smiled? "Great, terrific." James looked distracted.
"Is your rat okay?" Lily asked, obviously trying to make conversation but also looking rather embarrassed and quiet at the same time.
"Scabbers? Yeah he'll be fine." James smiled reassuringly.
"Did you know that there's a fancy dress party Potter? Snape and I have to set everything up."
James looked down at Lily with mild curiosity while looking out to see if he could spot any sign of his friends as they drew ever so closer to Filch's office. "Fancy dress eh?"
"Yeah, are you going to go? With anyone?" Lily tried hard to keep at a matter of fact place but she was blushing. James obviously didn't notice. Just at that moment, he saw the swishing of the cloak and one of the boys feet appear where the cloak didn't cover it and as they were walking, Lily was just about to collide into them. James had to act fast so he grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her back. Lily had a look of confusion and bewilderment on her face. James pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. They stood there, lips locked for a couple of seconds and then James said:
"If you're not going with anyone, I'd love to go with you." James smiled much more comfortably.
Lily looked surprised and blown away. "Yeah." She said breathlessly. The walk back to the common room was a quiet one. Neither of them said anything to the other. As they arrived at the portrait hole, James thought he'd better break the silence before they went their separate ways.
"I had a really great time Lily." James smiled.
"Yeah me too." Lily was still blushing as she climbed into the portrait hole before James. "Goodnight." She then walked up the stairs. After a while, James went to sleep too.
