Summary: It's Lily and James final year, and with head prefects' duties, jealous rivals, a dangerous stalker and the threat of Voldemort looming ever closer, they are in for a hell of year indeed. Slightly AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Gideon Prewitt or any of the characters that are recognisable from the Harry Potter Books. They belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic, no infringement intended. Isabelle and Giselle McKinnon are mine.

Author's note: BIG BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter, hope it doesn't disappoint.

Chapter Three

At precisely three forty five on a glorious London afternoon, the doors of the Leaky Cauldron opened, and spilled two teenagers out into the street.

" You are absolutely incorrigible, James!" Lily declared, clearly exasperated.

" He was leering at you Lily!" James looked very frustrated as he began to defend his actions. " What was I supposed to do, let him?"

Lily laughed, surprising James once more. One minute she'd been lecturing him, the next she was laughing. He was never going to understand this girl. He grinned. And a part of him hoped he never would.

" No, you were supposed to let me do the honours," She chided. " I could have taught him a lesson myself you know,"

" What were you going to do?" James asked teasingly, as he deposited all his shopping into one hand and reached for one of hers with his free hand. " Kick him in the shins? The last time I checked, you weren't of age, Miss Evans." As he spoke, he led her a little way from the doorway to a small bench that had been placed on the sidewalk.

Lily tilted her chin upwards defiantly as she sat, her emerald eyes sparkling with amusement all the same. "Mr. Potter, I am quite capable of inflicting damage upon those who trouble me without my wand." She grinned. " You should know that better than anyone."

James winced and nodded ruefully, placing his bags on his other side as he sat down. " Right. I…forgot about that."

" I haven't." Lily gave him an innocent look. " How long did it take for that hand print to fade away?"

" A long time." Looking distinctly pained at the memory James sighed in defeat. " All right, all right. I promise I'll let you 'take care' of any troublemakers by yourself. Unless I absolutely can't stand doing nothing about it."

" And how often do you think that will be?" Lily asked, a knowing look on her face.

" Very often." He replied without missing a beat. " In fact, it would be safe to say all the time."

" James," Lily groaned in exasperation. " I am not a helpless damsel in distress who needs protection twenty four seven."

" I didn't say you were." He answered flippantly.

" So then stop treating me like one, all right?"

" All right."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, unsatisfied with his glib answers. She knew James Potter well enough to know when he wasn't taking someone seriously. It had been one of many things that had helped her gain the upper hand on him so much. He had an unfortunate tendency to underestimate her.

" James," She began, pursing her lips. " I'm serious."

He grinned at her. " No you're not!"

Lily groaned again. " Don't say it! Please don't say it."

He laughed, lifting his hands in a placatory gesture. " I won't. But just for the record, I know Sirius, and you are definitely not he. You are much, much prettier."

" You are impossible!" Lily scolded, but she couldn't help smiling at him anyway.

The day had been an absolute success. From shopping for their school supplies to eating lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and wandering around the Alley, discovering all sorts of ingenious little magical gadgets designed to make life easier while they slurped delicious ice creams, James had kept up a steady patter of amusing stories about the Marauders various exploits around the Alley and highly humorous explanations for strange objects on display that she didn't have the faintest idea about. She didn't think she'd ever had so much fun with a boy before. And now, it was almost over. Who would have ever thought that there would come a day when she'd actually be sad to be leaving James Potter's company?

" Lily?"

She glanced up at his hesitant tone, watching as the normally confident James shuffled his feet a little, an uncertain, almost shy look his face. Lily hid a grin. He looked completely adorable at that moment, almost like a little boy.

" I, er...that is to say, I hope you had a good time today." James swallowed nervously, looking her in the eye. " Because I did. I had more than that actually. I had a brilliant time." She was quiet for a moment, and just when James was preparing himself to hear about what an awful time she'd had, Lily gave him a pretty smile and reached up to brush away his bangs.

" I had a wonderful time, James."

" Really?" He blurted out, colouring almost immediately afterward. " I mean, good! Because I had one also. A good time I mean."

She giggled at his fumbling and he sighed, staring down at her in slight embarrassment.

" I just made an idiot out of myself again, didn't I?"

" To be honest, yeah you did," Lily admitted. She winked at him playfully. " But you're a rather good looking idiot, so I suppose I can overlook it."

" How do you do that?" James questioned, a genuinely puzzled look on his face. " How do you manage to insult me and compliment me at the same time? It's maddening, it is. I can never figure out if I'm supposed to be offended or flattered."

She laughed again and set her bags near her feet, starting to slip off the newly bought robes. She folded them neatly, grinning at him.

" It's my own little gift," A wistful expression crossed her face. " The day has gone by so fast, hasn't it?"

James leaned down to pick up her bags for her and let his hand rest briefly on hers as he gave them back.

" Yeah it has. Too fast." He answered regretfully.

Lily carefully placed the folded robes into the bag that contained her new school robes, the ones she'd pre-ordered from Madame Malkin.

" Listen, Lily. Will I see you again? Before school starts, I mean." James asked hopefully.

Lily frowned in thought as she remembered that they had a little over a week before the new term started. Now that she'd bought the things she needed for school, there really was no reason to come back to Diagon Alley. Her mother might've understood her desire to see James under normal circumstances, but right now, circumstances at the Evans household were anything but ordinary. Petunia was bound and determined to have the ultimate normal wedding, complete with fussy gowns and decorations that matched the china, even right down to the doves and rice that were going to be used at the end of the ceremony. That meant that her parents were both going to be extremely busy and had far too little time to be driving her to London. They would also be quick to point out that with school starting in a week or so, it was pointless to make the trip, as she would be seeing him soon anyway.

James knew, even before she answered that it would be a no. He also knew all the reasons behind it, but that didn't stop him from feeling slightly angry at the fates for letting it all play out this way. Why couldn't they have persuaded her to say yes at the beginning of sixth year anyway? He couldn't wait for school to start.

" I'd love to," Lily began and James interrupted.

" But you can't. I know." He shrugged. " Stupid of me to ask, with school starting soon and all."

" Anyway," Casting her mind about for a change of subject to lighten the suddenly heavy air around them, Lily smiled as she hit on a topic. " How are the others? Remus and Sirius and Peter?"

" Remus is fine," James answered automatically. " He and his family went down to Yorkshire to visit some relatives." In truth, the only 'relation' Remus had to the people they were going to visit, was that they all carried the burden of being werewolves. This particular group of wizards were carrying out groundbreaking research on a potion that could transform a raging werewolf into a tame and docile creature. He sent up a silent prayer for his friend, hoping that he would return with good news. He hadn't seen Remus as excited about anything as he had been about the news for a very long time. " Sirius is all right, he's turning my room into even more of pig sty than it was before," James paused as Lily chuckled at this. " Peter is all right as well, he wrote a few days back, apparently, his mum has been making him take remedial lessons over the holidays." He grimaced. "Poor old Peter. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes."

" Me neither," Lily agreed. " Did you get all your homework done already?"

" I'm working on it," James lied smoothly, thinking of the pile he and Sirius would have to do during their last week. " How are Gideon and Belle?" He asked swiftly, throwing the spotlight back to her.

Lily narrowed her eyes at his abrupt change of subject, but she let it pass. He had one more week to do it all after all, and she wasn't about to mother hen him. She found it highly irritating when the girls in school made such a fuss over their boyfriends and had promised herself that she would not go down that route. Why fuss when she could nag after all? She smiled, both at the thought and at the mention of her best friends.

" They're both fine. Well, at least 'Deon is. Belle's still globe trotting around the Spanish Mediterranean with her family, and I haven't heard from her in while. Deon's having a great time with his brother though, Fabian just got into the Magical Law enforcement Squad, did you hear?"

" Yeah I did," James nodded. Lily suddenly frowned and he shifted closer to her in concern." Something wrong?"

" It's nothing, I just realized," A blush rose on her cheeks and James found this completely adorable.

" Yeah? Go on, Lily." He grinned and nudged her. " If it's some life changing revelation about me, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Lily rolled her eyes and nudged him back. " You should be so lucky, Potter," She bit her lip and stared up at him a little warily. " I haven't told them yet James."

James blinked, a little confused. " Who? What? Who haven't you told what yet?"

Lily continued to worry her lip and she answered a little hesitantly, unsure of his reaction. " My parents. Well, more specifically, my dad, and 'Deon and Belle. I haven't told them about… us."

Realization dawned on him and James stared down at her, a little hurt. " Why not? Are you…ashamed of it? Of me?"

Lily's mouth dropped open in horror and she grabbed his hands, shaking her head empathically as her green eyes shone with sincerity.

" No, of course not! It's not that, James, it's really not!"

" Well what is it then?" James questioned curiously, convinced by the earnestness he saw in her eyes.

" It's just…" She paused for moment, as if gathering her thoughts. " Well, this is going to be an understatement of the century, but you and I didn't exactly get along until very recently."

James grinned wryly. " True."

" And I wrote home about you," Lily continued. " And all your, erm, escapades."

" Oh." James winced, unsure if he wanted to know what it had been she had written home to her parents about him. " I take it those letters weren't in a favourable light?"

Lily laughed. " Not exactly, no. Anyway, I have told my mother that things between us have changed, and for the better, but as far as my father knows, you're still a hellion who loves stirring up trouble."

" I wonder where he got that idea from?" He asked, mock wonderingly. His face turned serious though and he squeezed Lily's hands, which were still grasping his. " You will tell him though, won't you? Because, and I expect Sirius will tell you all about this and in more detail when we get back, the first thing I did when I got home was climb onto my roof and scream my head off and let the whole world know we were going out."

Lily laughed at the image and nodded at him reassuringly. " I promise. Of course, you realize that he'll want to meet you?"

James face froze in fear. " He will?"

Lily smirked. " Yes he will. But that will probably be later on so you don't have to worry,"

The relief was visible on his face as his shoulders relaxed. Lily bit back a giggle.

" Right. Later on. Fine."

" And I've decided that it would be better to tell 'Deon and Belle in person." Lily winced, imagining Belle's reaction to the news. " If I wrote it to them in a letter, they probably wouldn't believe me."

Good mood restored, James laughed, imagining the faces of Lily's best friends. " I can see their faces." His eyes twinkled mischievously at Lily. " You know, maybe it was a good thing you didn't tell them,"

" Oh? How so?"

" Well," James began, grinning wickedly. " This way, we can surprise them, especially when they see us snogging on the platform."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him, inwardly cringing at the thought of the chaos such an act would induce. The hoards of girls who were dedicated admirers of James would most likely revolt and call for her beheading while Gideon would be stuck by paralysis and Belle…Belle would probably burst out screaming and drag Lily away, possibly even accusing James for putting her under the imperius while she was at it.

" Keep dreaming, James," She informed him dryly.

" Ah, come on, Lily! Where's your sense of adventure?"

" It sort of starts flashing warning signs at me at the thought of public displays of affection."

James laughed and tugged on her hair, a habit he'd picked up in second year when he'd learned that it annoyed her.

" Spoilsport."

" Exhibitionist."

They grinned at each other for a few moments and burst out into laughter. Lily leaned against the back of the bench, smiling contentedly as she wished she had a camera to capture this moment where they were just two, normal teenagers enjoying each other's company. Just as she was about to voice this wish, somewhere in the city, a great clock struck four.

Lily sighed and glanced over at James, who was watching her with a look that she found difficult to place.

" Four." She stated unnecessarily. " My mum will be coming soon." She grinned. " I'm going to introduce you to her, so try to behave, all right?"

James grinned back, the look vanishing from his face. " I'm always behaved."

Lily snorted as she started separating his bags from hers. " Ha! Since when?" Green eyes sparkled as she said affectionately, " Fix your hair."

" Can't." He replied blithely. " It never stays in one place long enough."

" That's for sure," Lily agreed, eyeing the perpetually messy mop that was his crowning glory. She gazed down the street and sighed again as she recognized her mum's car weaving through the traffic. Lily stood, smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress. She glanced down to find James watching her appreciatively.

" What?"

" Nothing," He smiled cheekily at her. " Just admiring the view."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him up to stand beside her. " Here!" She thrust her bags into his arms. " Hold onto these for a moment will you?" A blue car had pulled up to the curb, and she began to walk to it, hurrying to greet the blonde haired woman who had just stepped out.  She glanced back at him over her shoulder. " I'll call you in a minute!"

James nodded, trying to prepare himself for meeting Lily's mother. In an effort to distract himself from the butterflies in his stomach, he studied mother and daughter as they hugged, trying to see if he could find any similarities between them in terms of looks. Mrs. Evans was blonde, and so, Lily had most definitely not inherited the flame haired locks James had so often dreamed about over the past few years from her. They did however share the same bone structure, delicate but strong. Lily also seemed to have gotten her fair, rose tinted complexion from her mother, as well as her heart shaped face. That was where the similarities ended. James straightened a bit when he saw Lily beckon to him, and grabbing his own bags, he made his way over to them. Mrs. Evans was attractive, he mused, and she had probably been very pretty when she had been Lily's age, but, biased as it was, James stuck to his belief that Lily was the most beautiful girl on the planet.

No question about it.

" Mum," Lily was saying, " I'd like you to meet James Potter."

James immediately deposited all their shopping onto the ground at his feet and grasped her mother's outstretched hand courteously.

" Mrs. Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you." Searching his mind frantically for something funny or witty to say, he drew a blank. "  I'm James."

As soon as he had said it, James wished he could take it back. Countless dates and embarrassing situations, even a few dangerous ones, and that was all he could come up with? Mrs. Evans blue eyes lit up in amusement, and James heard Lily snicker quietly beside him.

" Yes, I'm aware of that."

Feeling that he needed to rescue the situation before it got any worse, he blurted out, " I'm not as bad as she said I was. Really."

Mrs. Evans laughed and James cringed. Wonderful. His voice had come out sounding all desperate. She would probably think he was some kind of crazed lunatic and ban him from seeing Lily ever again.

" I'm aware of that too. My daughter has excellent judgement, and I trust her." Here, she cast a proud look at Lily. " So," She began conversationally, obviously taking pity on him, " did you two get everything you needed? I hope Lily hasn't been using you as her own personal carrier all day James."

" Mum," Lily sighed, inwardly happy that her mother was being nice to James. It was a sure sign she liked him.

" Yes, we did, Mrs. Evans," James nodded, " And yes, she did," Here, he smirked at Lily before turning back to her mother with a politer smile, " but I really didn't mind. Thank you for driving Lily here."

" Oh, it was no problem. We were in the neighbourhood," Grace smiled at him and glanced at her watch. "Lily, dear, we have to get going. It was nice to meet you James."

" And you, Mrs. Evans." James replied. She bent to get Lily's bags but James stopped her. " I'll do it."

" Why, thank you James. I'll just get in and open the boot for you. Give you both time to say goodbye."

Lily was silent as James picked up their shopping and walked beside her as they trailed her mother to the car. James glanced at her nervously.

" Er…how did I do?"

She smiled. " You were fabulous."

" Really?" Thoroughly relieved, James hefted Lily's parcels into the boot that had popped open. " I'm glad." He smiled at her. " I'm glad that you came. Thank you."

Lily laughed and smiled back. " I'm glad you waited. And thank you for asking me to come."

" So this is goodbye then," James said, gripping his bags with one hand. " Till next week that is."

" Yeah."

As if coming to a decision, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

" I'll write to you," He whispered as he pulled away. James turned to go when Lily grabbed his arm to stop him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek too.

" And I'll write back," She whispered in his ear. James closed his eyes as her breath wafted over his ear, opening them to find her smiling amusedly at him.

"See you soon?"

He nodded, still a little dazed.

" Very soon." He managed.

" Lily!"

" Coming mum!"

Lily hurried to the passenger side door and got into the car, feeling more tingly than she cared to admit after James innocent kiss.

" So," her mother began, smiling at her daughter. " That was James."

Lily nodded. " Yes."

Mrs. Evans started the car and began to ease into the traffic. " He's certainly not what I expected. The way you always went on about him being a hooligan in your letters, I see you forgot to mention a very important fact."

Forehead wrinkling in question, Lily frowned at her mother. " What's that?"

Grace Evans smiled playfully, winking at her. " He's rather good looking."

Lily laughed, turning around in her seat to catch a glimpse of James. He was still there, watching after the car with a mile wide grin on his face.

" Yes, he is, isn't he?" She smirked. " For a hooligan that is."

TBC.