CHAPTER FOUR- Meet Prongs

DISCLAIMER- I am so tired of this damn thing!!!! How many more times must I say I own nothing, nothing, there you happy!!!! But hey, I guess it's a small price to pay to keep from being sued!. Cyah, enjoy. A/N-thanks a lot for the words of encouragement Ami-gryffindor89, you inspire me to write more and faster!!!!!!!!!!!

Lily ran straight to her dorm and locked herself in. She didn't want to be disturbed. How did Lucius keep trying to harm her like that? Why couldn't he find someone else to harass? But then Lily changed her mind, she was strong enough to not have anything happen to her, but what if another person wasn't? They would not have been so lucky. Then Lily thought what could have happened today if James Potter hadn't showed up. This was the first time Lucius had more than himself to corner Lily and she wasn't holding up too good this time. James had stunned them all and helped her. Did he do it because he truly cared for Lily or to show her he was good then be a jerk again? Was he as arrogant as she believed? Just then a knock came on her dorm door.

"Lily, dear, James Potter is downstairs and says he needs to talk to you now." Isabella said through the door, she didn't know what had happened, or had been happening, no one did, now except for James.

"Oh, well, tell him no, I don't want to talk to anyone now." Lily said back through the door, holding back her tears.

"He demands it Lil's." Isabella said uncertainly back.

"fine, but I'll be down in five minutes."

"Okay, I'll tell him to wait." Isabella said back and walked down the stairs.

Isabella walked back into the common room and stood in front of James and said, "She'll be down in five minutes."

"No! Dumbledore needs her now." James said, then he tried to run up the stairs but he fell as the steps turned into a slide and much to the amusement of the Gryffindor common room, he was thrown back into a chair looking dazed.

"What the hell?" James said in confusion, for as he knew, girls were able to get up the steps to their dorms, why couldn't he get up to see Lily.

"Oh, that, well, when the school was built, it was unknown for girls to go see men in their rooms so they didn't put a charm on your stairs but guys would try to see girls so they put a charm on our stairs." Isabella said giggling now at James's confused face.

"whatever, just get her now." James demanded again and stood up.

"Prongs, whats wrong?" Sirius asked

"Probably wants to propose to her or something." Peter said and started wheezing in laughter uncontrollably.

"Shut up Wormtail. Act your age." Remus replied and looked at James's serious face.

"What's up Prongs?" Remus asked with concern

"I'll tell you later." James said as he saw Lily coming down the stairs rather scared.

"Evans, I mean Lily, Dumbledore wants you to go to his office now." James said, holding Lily's arm for comfort, but she jerked it back and gave him the worst glare she had ever mustered up.

"You told him." Lily sneered.

"well, yes, but, Lily, you couldn't keep that a secret. You had to tell, and i realized you probably wouldn't so I did."

"James Potter, I hate you." Lily said as she left the common room into the corridor.

"What the hell was that about Prongs?" Sirius asked scared.

"Not now Padfoot, I'll be back." And with that James was out the portrait hole.

"wow" Isabella said as she collapsed into the nearest chair.

"Wow." Remus replied and sat next to her.

"I wonder what's up?" Isabella said, and then noticed she was in a marauder sandwich, right between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.

"I have no Idea." Remus replied and smiled at Isabella. "hi."

"Hello." Isabella replied and smiled back at him.

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"Evans wait!" James shouted.

"What Potter, you want me to shout some more?" Lily said

"Listen to me, they had to be told on. They shouldn't be allowed to do that, especially to you." James said, holding her shoulders to keep her in front of him. Lily just stared down at the ground, tearing fighting to come back up.

"Lily, no one deserved that." James said

"Did you just call me Lily?"

"yes." James replied uncertainly, ready for his lashing

"good."

"Lily, have they EVER done that before?" James asked, hoping she would tell him

"Yes."

"WHAT!!"

"they never got past harassing me, that's all, but it was always just Lucius so I was able to handle myself, but there were more this time. James, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." Lily said, the tears finally coming up and heavily.

At that James grabbed Lily into a hug and held her like that for a while and they stood in the corridor for god knows how long, but soon, a voice crept up behind them.

"children, I am sorry to disrupt you but I need Ms. Evans now James so if you'd kindly unlock her from your grasp, we can get going." Dumbledore said.

"Thank you James. I mean it." Lily said and with that she was lead away with Dumbledore and James seething uncontrollably.

"I will kill Malfoy." James replied and walked back to the common room.

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"James, what happened?" Sirius asked for the tenth time since James had walked through the portrait hole only ten minutes before.

"It is not mine to tell." James replied

"you told Dumbledore." Peter said from the chair he previously was occupying.

"I had to." James sneered back at Peter.

"Tell me at least, she's my best friend." Isabella said from next to Remus, James hadn't noticed her there and now he was wondering why she sat there when she made it clear she hated the marauders, he smiled to himself when he looked at how cozy Isabella and Remus looked.

"she'll tell you then if she wants you to know." James said kindly to the girl.

"Whatever." She replied and got up with a wave to Remus and walked up to her dorm.

"fine, keep this a secret, but you know you want to tell us." Sirius said with a wink to his friend.

"Yes, but I can't." James said and went up to his dorm.

"wonder what happened." Remus said.

"Who knows, but it must be serious." Sirius said with a frown.

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It was almost four months since "Lily's incident" and James hadn't told a soul. Lily and James now called each other by their first names and Lily didn't glare at him anymore. She still wouldn't go out with him, but hey, to James, it was pretty good. Christmas Break was coming up in a day and the marauders were talking about their plans.

"I have.....have...to see my..mum." Peter said as he rolled some nasty green socks up and put them into his trunk.

"I have to go with my Aunt to Egypt for a special Clinic she heard of." Remus said rather sadly, he hated his aunt, she was always drunk but she tried.

"I am going to find a house in Hogsmead and stay at Prong's house." Sirius said happily, and sat next to James on his bed.

"I am staying here." James said sadly. He was head boy and as Dumbledore put it, he would feel a lot safer with more authority at the school during Hoidays.

"Prongs, it won't be too bad, just think, the entire school to yourself." Remus said helpfully.

"And I read the list of Gryffindor's staying and guess who is?" Sirius said and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Who." James replied depressed.

"Lily Evans or should I say Potter." Remus supplied and sat on James other side.

"really?"

"Yep, her name was first on the list." Sirius said and grinned, his friend was in love and he didn't realize it.

"oh, well then. This might be fun." James said and smiled at Sirius.

"See you later pal." Remus said, slapped James on the back and left out the door.

"I have......have....to be going...now. Bye." And with that Peter hurried out of the dorm.

"well Prongs, I will have to say Christmas will not be the same without you and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Sirius said with a wink.

"well Padfoot ol'buddy, that leaves me still a wide area to do things if you haven't realized." James replied back with a laugh.

"exactly." Sirius answered and left the dorm.

James wasn't too used to being marauder-less and he didn't know what to do with himself. Usually during the summer, Sirius was there and Remus usually spent time with them and sometimes Peter too. James usually was never alone and he didn't know what to do with his new found freedom.

"How about a trip to the kitchens?" James asked to no one in particular.

"Sounds great." He answered himself and got up. When he entered the hallway he found a confused Bill Weasley just staring at him like he was mad.

"who were you talking to?" the small red headed first year asked.

"oh, my friend John, have you met him yet, here he is." James pointed to the air beside him and pretended to put his arm around the area.

"John is rather shy so he doesn't say much, OH! Hahaha, that's funny John, well good bye." James said to the now very confused first year and went to the kitchens laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" A voice said from behind him that sent chills down his spine.

"Why, Lily, you caught me off guard." James said in a deep voice, his hand going straight to his messy hair.

"Oh, Mr. Smooth caught off guard? My lord, that's a first." Lily replied as she rolled her eyes and added. "so, what was so funny?"

"Oh, nothing at all, hey, do you want to go down to the kitchens with me and get a snack?" James said hopefully.

"I guess, But I am warning you Potter, if you do anything at all I will send you back to last Tuesday." Lily said jokingly and threatening at the same time.

"Oh, what kind of person do you take me for Evans?" James said in Mock outrage.

"The kind like your buddy Black." Lily replied.

"Oh, I am saddened you think that way. Oh, tickle the pear please." James said as they arrived at the portrait into the kitchens.

"what?!?"

"Tickle the pear, please." James said again, realizing how funny that all sounded. "if you want to get into the kitchens, tickle the pear."

"fine, fine, okay, this better not be a prank." Lily said with a smile and tickled the pear.

The portrait opened up to reveal a large white room with 30 or so house elves running around frantically. There were at least 15 stoves and two fireplaces. There were four large tables exactly where the house tables were above them with empty dishes on them.

"wow." Said Lily, James looked over at her amazed face and smiled, she was so beautiful.

"what are you staring at?" Lily asked.

"oh nothing, nothing at all." James replied.

"boys." Was all Lily replied before a group of 8 house elves surrounded them and one said, "ah, Mr. Potter has come again, but where are his friends, and who is his pretty lady friend?"

"Oh, well now Swuiky, my friends went home for Christmas Break and this is Ms. Lily Evans, she is a friend of mine and we would appreciate it very much if we could get a snack or two." James replied, Lily noticed how well mannered he was and how kind he was to the house elves, most people didn't say two words to the creatures let alone use manners around them but James treated them like equals and this fascinated Lily a great deal.

"what are you staring at Evans?" James asked with a grin.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." Lily said, returning the grin.

"girls." James replied.

"What would the couple like?" The house elf Swuiky asked smiling at them.

"Oh, we're not togther." Both said at the same time and started laughing when they finished.

"Okay, well how about some butter beer and a plate of your excellent Ginger Bread Wizard cookies?" James said.

"Excellent!!! Great, I will be right back sir." Swuiky replied and bowed and ran off to an oven.

"You are so nice to them, why." Lily asked when they sat at a table with drinks and butter beer.

"Oh, well, they are here too, they're just like us, why wouldn't I be nice to them?" James asked.

"Oh, I am nice to them too, it's just most wizards aren't nice to them and you use such manners around them." Lily said, blushing at how rude her question could have been taken.

"I know, people don't realize they have a brain and heart and feelings too." James replied, want to take these back to the common room?"

"sure. Good bye Swuiky." Lily said and they left with their food.

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Christmas Day was an enjoyable one for James. He had Lily and Isabella to keep him company. Isabella had changed her mind about hating James when she heard what he did for Lily in the corridor that one night. They played Chess and Isabella beat them both horribly.

"You know what, beating the hell out you both of you is getting rather boring now, how about something else?" Isabella said after beating Lily for the fifth time today.

"A snowball fight?" Lily said with a grin.

"sounds excellent, but can you two ladies take the power of a Potter Snowball fight?" James replied.

"I think we can handle it." Lily answered back.

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James hadn't known, but the girls were brilliant at snowball fights. They beat him horribly since he allowed them, out of the kindness of his heart, to be partners against him so they teams would be "fair." He was very much wrong.

"Stop hiding James, it will only be worse if you do." Isabella shouted to the glittery white school grounds.

"Come out where ever you are Potter!" Lily hollered back.

Then James jumped out of a bush as Lily walked past it and tackled her. He began tickling her as she rolled laughing on the ground as they both were giggling.

"Oh, how cute." Isabella said when she found them lying in the snow, red from laughing so much and the cold.

"What's cute Bella?" Lily asked.

"You two of course, ahh, young love." Isabella knew she was pushing Lily's buttons with this and James was grinning a lot, but she knew it was true. Lily jumped up and tackled Isabella and James came and helped her tickle her.

"STOP!!" Isabella shouted and laughed and begging for them to stop.

"never!" James said back and continued tickling her.

After five minutes of this, they finally let up and a disgruntled Isabella stood up and wiped a snow ball at the other two and ran like mad away. With a "hey" from lily and James, they took off after Isabella, who, by some chance happened to be faster than Lily, but James still in good quidditch shape caught her in a matter of moments. Lily ran up and whitewashed her best friend, giggling madly.

"Ha, serves you right." Lily said back

"oh, grr on you." Isabella said.

"I'll be back, i just have to go inside for a moment okay." James said and left to the doors.

The girls went back to their area to make a snowman and James didn't go to the door. He instead when behind a tall bush by the Herbology classrooms and changed into Prongs. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"so Lily, I've noticed you eyeing our Mr. Potter today." Isabella said with a grin to her friend.

"what, I never." Lily replied.

"yes, you did." Isabella said.

"well.." before Lily could finish a beautiful white stag came trotting up to them and stood before the two girls.

"wow." Lily said as she reached her hand out to it.

"Don't Lily, it could hurt you." Isabella replied unsurely.

"It won't. I feel like I've seen this before." Lily said as she stared into its lovely hazel eyes with amazement.

Lily pet the stag on the head as it nuzzled her shoulder and Isabella soon came over and pet it. They stood there for about ten minutes until the Stag ran away elegantly and into the forest.

"that was amazing." Lily said in wonder.

"I know, i have never seen an animal from the forest so nice before." Isabella agreed.

"what was amazing?" James asked as he came up to them.

"there was this, this beautiful white stag. And it just came up and nuzzled us." Lily said with excitement and wonder in her eyes.

"It was so pretty. I have never seen one like it." Isabella said, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Hey, you guys ready for dinner, I am." James said and lead the way to the doors.

"I am still in awe." Lily said.

"Yeah, I think there's only one in the entire forest." James said.

"really, poor thing, he must be very lonely." Isabella added.

"Oh, he's fine, he is rather lonely but he's fine." James said.

"So there are no more like him?" Isabella asked.

"he's one of a kind." Lily said and smiled a large smile.

"He might be." James said and grinned all the way to lunch.

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AUTHORS NOTE- i hope you liked this chapter, I had fun writing it. I thought James should at least show Lily his animal form before he let her know the total secret. I don't know, it helps them become closer in my mind so go along with me here okay. I hope I did the almost rape scene okay, I hope I didn't mess it up or anything!!!! They had to have had something to bring them closer for Lily to start at least beginning to like him, why not him saving her? Hey, I thought it was good, so Review People Review, Say bad stuff, hoping for good stuff. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW, thanks again Ami- gryffindor89 For reviewing, come one people, be like her and review~~~~~