"James!" Lily gasped, watching the greasy haired Snape jump up from his seat.

James just smiled, wiping his hands on his trousers. "Now what is it you wanted to say, Snivelly?"

He ignored Lily's disapproving look at the name 'Snivellus'.

"I came to talk to Lily." He said, scratching his enormous hooked nose. Lily stood.

"I don't think this is a very good idea—maybe we should just go our separate ways—"

"NO!" Snape yelled. "Because Potter doesn't love you!" He pointed a crooked finger at him.

James raised an eyebrow, very amused. "Snivellus, I think maybe we should drop you off at St. Mungo's. You don't seem well."

"Why? Because I am letting Lily be saved from a big-headed little boy who treats her like a trophy?!" His coal like eyes flickered with a growing malice.

What the hell is going on? James thought. "What the hell is going on?" What better to say? "I love Lily very much and I would never hurt her! You just have problems…"

Lily swallowed. She'd never seen boys do this sort of thing, especially over her. "James lets just leave." She picked up her bag and placed a galleon on the table. "Did you pay?"

"No, but I can pay—take this back." He handed the gold chip back. "It wasn't even this much." Lily smiled.

"That was very gentlemanly." James could feel Snape smirk at him from behind his back.

"Potter a gentleman? I'll have to spread the word—"

"Will you shut it?" Lily yelled, exasperated. "At least somebody here is a gentleman." She held James's hand.

"Look outside." Snape muttered with a strange expression on his face. "It's so dark…"

Outside the sky had grown to wolf grey, like a slab of slate. It wouldn't have been so bad, it was rainy after all, but the sky had been white before.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, dropping James's hand and looking out the bay window.

"Stand back, Lily…" James pulled her away from the glass. "Don't want anything crashing through the window."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Did you hear about the latest disappearance? They say Death Eaters got a boy—just ten years old—outside of Hogsmeade."

"Has anyone seen the Mark near here?" James asked, watching the town being consumed by darkness. If he hadn't known better, he would've sworn it was eight o'clock at night. Everyone had fallen silent. They knew all to well of the danger that could be out there.

The burly bar keep came ambling towards the door. "Stand back! Got to make sure you don't get hurt." He held a janglely set of golden keys on a chain. He placed it in the lock at the bar's door. "Don't just stand there, close the curtains." He said, looking at James.

"Sure," James said pulling the checkered cloth over the dusty glass. Lily looked around. Nobody in the bar was moving.

"Whose little boy was it?" She asked as the waitresses dimmed the lights.

"I don't remember…why?"

"Just curious." She said, sitting back down.

"Now everybody just wait, we'll know when its safe again." The bar tender boomed cheerily, as the many worried faces sipped their butter beer.

Severus, Lily, and James sat in their little booth, consumed in silence. Slowly others began to talk and whisper, but not them. It took a while, but the normal hustle and bustle and cigarette smoke started up again.

"This isn't so bad…What do you think the others are doing?" Lily asked, playing the quarter game with a galleon. James watched Snape and her pass the coin around.

"I think they're flicking dung bombs at the girls' dormitory." He said, a bit said he had turned Sirius down.

"Oh yes, I forgot about your little adventure to the girls' room." Snape said silkily, smiling at James's evil looks.

James opened his mouth, but instead of spraying a witty remark at Snivellus, he felt as if someone sucked all of his insides out from underneath him. He was swirling in a pool of darkness…losing his grip on reality…tripping on his own mind. He was cold.

"James…James please wake up!" Lily was shaking him a bit. "Please James."

Suddenly his eyes fluttered open. He was slumped down in the booth, nearly sitting on the floor. He saw Lily and Snape looking at him, concerns in their eyes.

"What…?" he sat up, with the help of his two accompanists.

"Dementors…they were with the Ministry. Looking for leads from the boys kid napping." Lily said, brushing the sweat-soaked hair off his forehead.

He brushed her hand away. "What happened to me?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "We thought you'd tell us that."

"I dunno…I couldn't feel…" He squinted his eyes. "Shall we go back to the castle now?"

"James! Why did that happen to you?" Lily gave him a look to let him know she had no intentions on moving.

"I told you I don't know!" He told her, looking at her like she was a complete idiot. "It just did…maybe Dumbledore will know."

"Don't trick me into going back." She said, picking up her things and storming out of the bar.

Snape looked at James as if he were crazy. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I told you I'm fine."

"What a shame." Snape said, a disappointed tone in his voice. "You really had Lily worried. And you missed the hot chocolate." He informed him.

"You're such a git." James said, wiping his glass off.

"Have you ever thought maybe you're the git?" He asked, nicking Lily's galleon they had used to play the quarter game.

"No, that wouldn't be very confident of myself, now would it?" He placed his glasses back on, shivering. Now that all of his senses had returned, he felt extra cold. The tips of his fingers had turned white. He noticed that Snape was staring at him.

"What's your problem?" He asked.

"You're nose is a pink at the tip." He said, the corners of his mouth twitching. James smiled, remembering what Lily said. "I don't know why you're smiling about it, it looks positively doltish."

* * *

Lily sighed and fell back into a huge red armchair. Peter was sitting in the one next to her, doing some homework.

"Hullo Lily." He greeted.

"Hi Peter." She acknowledged, a tone of sadness in her voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked, grateful for the interruption of his work.

"My date with James…it was ruined." She sighed.

Peter nodded his head. "Be happy you had a date." He told her.

Lily looked at him. "Why do you say that?"

"I've never been on a date. Nobody ever fancies me." Lily looked at him.

"That's not true." She protested. Feeling bad that she had brought dating up.

"Prove it." Peter said, returning to his homework.

Lily sighed. "I fancy being with you Peter. James just got me first, is all." She held out a chocolate bar she had gotten on the way back to Hogwarts. "It's Honeyduke's, want some?"

Peter smiled. "You're very nice." He said as she handed him a slab.

"Thanks." She smiled. And then leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

* * *

"And she said James got her first—and kissed me!" Peter explained to Sirius as they ate breakfast together.

He looked rather perturbed. "James got me first."

Peter looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

Sirius looked up from his Daily Prophet. "Huh? Ah Moony!"

Remus was obviously startled by the happy greeting. "Hello. What are you plotting against me?"

Sirius gasped. "I would never plot anything against you. I solemnly swear." He smirked.

"Hm. Well since I believe that so much…" he said grabbing the newspaper out of Sirius's hands. "Look at this:" He began to read an article aloud.

" 'DEMENTORS DICTATE HOGSMEADE

It was quite a shock to some in Hogsmeade this Saturday

When a heard of Dementors glided across the cobblestone streets.

In search of the young boy that had gone missing early Friday morning

The Dementors showed no mercy towards the many students

Visiting from Hogwarts.' "

"I bet Dumbledore went mad." Sirius said, munching on a kipper.

"It gets better," Remus said, holding up a hand.

" 'It was reported from an eyewitness that Gryffindor student and

Quidditch expert James Potter, 15, fainted at the presence

Of the hooded embodiments of Fear.' "

"Oy!" Sirius laughed. "Has he read this yet?"

"No, but I have." Came McGonagall's voice from behind him.

A/N: And I didn't forget about Peter!