-Chapter 12-

-Getting the Nerve To-

Lily and Maggie were strolling in the direction of the Three Broomsticks when they saw Peter Pettigrew storm from the doors and turn off into a nearby alley. Lily and Maggie shared a puzzled look. They soon realized what happened when they saw Sirius walk from the bar also, and search around the street for something. They guessed it was Peter. He looked at Maggie and Lily with questions in his eyes, they pointed at the alley and Sirius swallowed some air and walked in determined to apologize for being an idiot.

Sirius saw Peter sitting on a stack of moldy cardboard boxes. He was breathing heavily and tears were burning down his face.

"Hey man." Sirius called softly to Peter.

"What?"

Sirius sighed, stuffed his hands into his pockets and huffed out, "I apologize for being an idiot."

Peter stopped rocking himself and gazed at Sirius through his hot tears. He was searching for anyway this could be a joke. Sirius realized that Peter didn't believe him.

"Hey!" he threw his hands in the air. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that!"

"You promise to call me either by 'Wormtail' or 'Peter'?"

Sirius sighed an affirmative.

"Swear?" Peter stood up and stretched out his hand.

"Oh yeah!" Sirius grinned and gave Peter's fleshy hand a good shake with his well-honed muscular one; a grin grew on Peter's face, he hated being at odds with anyone.

The day passed pleasantly after the two boys returned to the Three Broomsticks, the Marauders only pulled two tricks on Madame Rosmerta, who ran the bar. She was plump and pretty, she laughed and laughed at James and Sirius when they put green dye in the butterbeer container. She giggled every time she poured a green butterbeer that day.

The Marauders stopped at Zonko's for a few "Forbidden" objects. Filch, a middle-aged greasy haired man, was Hogwart's caretaker had made up the "Forbidden Objects" list and truly disliked the foursome. For some reason he was sour to everyone. Lily tried to be as sweet as she could to him, but then again she was as sweet as she could be to most people. Maggie always stressed the 'most'.

Lily tried to be nice to the Slytherins, but in the end she was always called a Mudblood.

Severus Snape walked up to Lily after everyone had gotten back from Hogsmeade, but Severus glanced around at the boys she was walking with, shook his head in a silent 'never mind', and continued on through the hallways heading towards the dungeons. The boys glared after him and looked to Lily for some kind of explanation.

"What?" she asked, her emerald eyes wide with puzzlement.

"'What'! How could you say that?"

"Lily! How dense are you?"

"Hello! A Slytherin and a Gryffindor . . . that will frighten the first years!"

Lily gasped. "Remus!? You all don't think I LIKE him . . . do you!?"

"Uh . . ." he started.

"Lord! I can't believe you guys thought I like Severus Snape! Oh no!" Her mood changed and her manner became secretive as she beckoned he Marauders closer.

"What?" Sirius asked. "You can't start something like that and just stop!"

Lily had gotten an odd misty look in her eyes; she seemed to be staring off into the future. It was that or she had fallen asleep on her feet. James shouted her name and she popped back to reality.

"I just realized a better plan!" When the boys questioned her they couldn't get another word out of her because Maggie approached and Remus straightened up. Sirius noticed it and Sirius was curious.

"Hey Maggie." Remus said.

"Hello." She returned to him. She looked suspiciously at the others. "What's going on?"

"Lily got this plan that has something to do with Snivellus, but she won't tell us what it is!" Sirius said, whining like a child to his mother.

"I didn't know you were so interested in Severus Snape, Sirius Black!" Maggie said, placing a hand over her mouth in mock shock.

"GROSS!!!!" Sirius shouted. He threw himself to the floor of the hallway and began to bang his head on he ground. He later told them he was trying to pound that mental image out of his brain.

"Maggie," Remus's voice was barely above a loud whisper. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Maggie's eyes grew round and her heart gave a little leap. "Definitely." They headed off together down the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower leaving James, Peter, and Lily to deal with Sirius. Luckily for them Sirius straightened up almost immediately when he realized Remus and Maggie had gone off together.

"Wha . . .?" Sirius expected to be filled in on what happened while he was having his temper tantrum. He received nothing because they were standing, staring after the mismatched pair that complimented each other so well.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Remus and Maggie walked down the hallway leading to The Fat Lady portrait. Maggie halted in front of it, opening her mouth to give the password, when she noticed Remus continue on down the passage. She stood there dumbly wondering where he was going, when he finally realized Maggie was no longer with him. He turned around and flashed a smile that made Maggie's heart miss a beat.

"Come on, I want to show you something."

Maggie looked uncertainly from the Fat Lady to Remus; she shrugged and ran to catch up with Remus.

"It looked like you considered not coming with me." Remus's face portrayed the deepest hurt.

"Oh . . ." Maggie said. "Not really."

"You were?" his stormy gray eyes wide.

"What?" Maggie kept getting distracted by the little thoughts popping up in her brain.

'Where are we going?'

'I wish girls could ask the guys to this dance, because I KNOW who I would go with.'

'Oh his eyes are so gorgeous, it looks like the sky on a rainy day.'

'I wonder how many other girls have thought that exact thing . . .'

'I don't care! I'm the one with him now!'

"Shut up!" she said aloud.

"I'm sorry, what did I do?" Remus was puzzled at her outburst.

"Oh! Not you!" Maggie's face turned a deep red. "I was telling my self to shut up so I could listen to you. I know that doesn't make much sense . . ."

"Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

"Did the voices stop talking?" A wide grin was spreading across his face and the voices grew louder, they were exclaiming over how wonderful his teeth were and they were gushing about his lips . . .

Maggie shook her head clear and told him they were quiet now.

He smiled and nodded; she was so beautiful when she looked bewildered. Her deep blue eyes would widen and Remus believed he could swim in their glow forever. He shook his head and abruptly stopped in the hallway in front of a picture of a family of ladies from the 18th century.

Remus bowed to them, "Good evening ladies!"

The older girls giggled and greeted him with many a wave and wink.

"May I have the pleasure of introducing my friend to you, this is Miss Margaret Amberson."

The stylishly dressed girls curtsied and waved to Maggie. She returned their curtsies and looked at Remus, wondering if this was all he wanted to show her. He smiled mysteriously and requested permission to pass from the young women in the painting. Maggie wondered what he needed permission to pass for.

Her question was answered when the portrait swung forward to reveal a dark hall with a light at the end of it. Remus jumped into the opening and extended a hand to Maggie for her to follow, she glanced warily down into the faint light.

"I was always told not to enter tunnels with a light at the end."

Remus laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the gloom. The portrait swung closed and the tunnel became lit only by the far end. Remus began to walk confidently down the tunnel, still dragging Maggie by her hand. He was as much aware of her small, soft hand, as Maggie was aware of his strong one. The light became larger and larger until they reached a window; it overlooked the Forbidden Forest and where the lake turned at the back of the school.

Remus reached out with his wand and tapped the second pane from the left twice. The window opened and the bricks shifted, revealing a beautiful balcony, with flowers and other greenery.

Maggie stepped out from the tunnel on to the graceful balcony. The sun had just settled itself right behind the mask of trees, and the pink and purple sky was beginning to fade into black. She breathed in the fresh air of Hogwarts and turned back around to Remus. Her blue eyes were sparkling as she watched him hop from the tunnel and approach her. A funny question popped into her mind, she couldn't resist asking it.

"How many other girls have you brought here?" her white teeth were dazzling in the fading pink sunlight.

Remus laughed, his laugh sounded like low church bells resounding in the countryside, and when he laughed the tired lines that usually surrounded his eyes seemed to disappear.

"You are the first girl . . . but the boys and I come up here all the time, usually directly after a prank." He added this afterthought, "But I'm the only one the ladies in the portrait like."

Maggie giggled and breathed the cooling air again, it was so, heaven forbid she use this word . . .but it was magical out here.

"Maggie . . ."

Maggie looked up at Remus; she realized how close he was standing to her . . .

She realized how deep his eyes were . . .

She realized he might . . . and to her heart's delight he did.

"Will you go to the Queen's Ball with me?"

A smile lit up Maggie's face, "I wouldn't go with anyone else."

~-~-~-~-~-~

Lily entered the common room and scanned the room for Maggie. She wasn't there. She hadn't been in the dormitory either. That puzzled Lily and she checked her watch. It said,

'Time to hang before bed, girlie! - 8:00 PM'

Lily sighed and walked over to where Sirius and James were setting up a wizard's chess game in front of the fire. Lily sunk into an armchair behind Sirius and sighed again.

"What are you so huffy about?" James asked, placing his white pawns in their place.

"I don't know where Maggie is."

"She went out with Remus, remember?" Sirius reminded her.

"I know . . ."

"Where do you think he took her, Padfoot?"

"Maybe to meet his ladies . . ."

Lily had heard the boys call each other by strange nicknames for the past year and never got around to asking why or where they got those nicknames from. James made his first move, he moved his King's pawn forward twice and Sirius quickly blocked it with his own pawn. Only one move into the game and it's a stalemate!

James kept a poker straight face and moved his King's side bishop to F5. Sirius couldn't see any way of blocking that so he moved his B2 pawn forward two spaces. James pulled his Queen out two spaces diagonally to the left, or more specifically, he moved it to D6. Sirius couldn't see any way of blocking that move either. So he moved his right hand Knight to F3.

James began to laugh. He was laughing so hard, he rolled on the ground and Lily leaned over the back of Sirius, commanded James's Queen to C2. It quickly smashed a poor pawn and put Sirius in . . .

"Check mate!" she shouted beginning to convulse with mirth.

"What!? That can't be legal!"

"It is!" Lily was clutching her sides in pain from laughing. Sirius's face was the perfect mixture of puzzlement, anger, and frustration. His black hair was standing up at odd angles, almost challenging Lily's judgment. James breathed deeply to calm himself and sat up, smiling at Sirius.

"Oh come on, Padfoot, just because you lost . . ."

Before Sirius could protest that, Lily cut in, "Where is that nickname from?"

James was caught off guard by the seemingly random question.

"Can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because!" Sirius joined in.

A light dawned on Lily's face, "It has something to do with a prank, huh?"

"Yeah! That's it!" James shouted.

"Which one?"

James's face dropped again. "Can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because!" Sirius joined in.

A light dawned on Lily's face again, "It's illegal isn't it!"

James and Sirius exchanged glances . . . "No." they chorused.

Lily gave an unladylike snort, "I doubt it."

James looked tired and was just about to give in when Sirius held up a hand.

"No Prongs!"

"Why his nickname 'Prongs'?" she said to prod them on. She quite enjoyed playing the part of an annoying three-year-old.

Peter walked over from doing his homework to warn the three that their discussion was being broadcast to the whole common room because of the level of their voices.

"What is your nickname, Peter?" Lily nonchalantly inquired.

"Wormtail." Peter said without a second thought.

"Pete!"

"What?"

"Sometimes you need to keep your mouth shut!" James snapped.

"Oh don't be mean to him, Potter!"

"Don't call me that, Evans."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing . . . it's just that people I don't know well call me that."

Lily knew she could have fun with that comment, "And you don't want me to be one of those people, do you?" She made her large green eyes round, and inviting.

"No." He fell face first into her trap without realizing it.

"Well then what do you want me to be to you?"

James continued on without a second thought, "I already told you . . . sorta."

"Sorta?" she plastered a puzzled look on her face.

James then realized how deep he had dug himself. He was in a hole, and he didn't realize it till it was too late. It was her darn eyes! The vivid green was mesmerizing.

"Nothing . . ." he quickly muttered.

"No, no Potter. You can't do that!" Lily said, an evil grin growing on her face. "I demand to know what you want me to be to you." After Lily had spoken the words, she realized she had a hole of equal size to James's with that last comment.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds the green and dark brown searching and apprehending much more than should be allowed. Lily felt something crumble in her herself, it was . . . Lily's heart began to pound against her chest . . . Did she really want him to answer that? What did SHE want to be to him? Lily knew the answer . . .and at that moment if Sirius hadn't spoiled it with laughter, Lily would have gone crazy with realization.

The moment was lost and was Sirius was gasping for breath. Lily announced she was going to bed and not to run to the girl's dormitory stairs. Once she was on the stairs she took them two by two. She flew all the way past squealing third years and angry seventh years to her dormitory window. She scooted onto the sill and curled into a ball.

Emotion was pounding through her veins. It was a strange feeling. James Potter had looked into her eyes and seen past the barriers she had put up between her heart and boys. It was a barrier she didn't know she had until James broke it tonight. She had seen down into his heart also, and what she saw in his hazel eyes, was a yearning to be loved. There almost was a piece missing in his heart.

Lily remembered James had never really dated at all at Hogwarts; Sirius always seemed to be snatching attention from the gorgeous girls. But he was trying to get her attention last year . . . Could Lily have deepened that desire tonight by asking questions that put James's heart on parade in front of all to see?

Lily saw something in her own heart that burned quiet, but as she pulled it out of the closet, she realized . . .

James Potter wasn't as horrible as she had previously thought.

'Just a lost and learning teenager,' she thought. 'Like me . . .'

He was arrogant because for all he know he was the best thing I the world . . . which really didn't help his relationships with anyone that was not a Marauder.

James had saved Lily from being killed by Lucius Malfoy's stupidity, he had even apologized for saying she wasn't a lady and shouting at her, he made sure she was okay at Hogsmeade when she was getting nervous about her dress for the ball . . .

'Heck,' she thought. 'And those are only this year!'

He had done numerous other kind things for her. Lily couldn't even list them all, mostly because she had chosen to forget them because of the pig James is . . .was.

She smiled and something warmer than butterbeer filled her soul. She knew if all else failed, her friends from Hogwarts would always be there.

'Hopefully, all of them.' Her thoughts straying to a certain dark haired young prankster.

She passed her attention on to the darkened sky outside, and from there she let soar a silent hope that her friends and family would be safe and always loving.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Remus and Maggie walked hand-in-hand back to the common room. The room was emptied excepting a few fourth years helping some first years with their homework. Remus dropped Maggie's hand and told her goodnight. She echoed it and he watched her turn and slowly walk up until the gloom swallowed her lovely figure.

He sighed happily and stalked up the stairs to his dormitory. He passed the main window that lit the stairs, the waning moonlight passed over his skin. He watched the slightest ripple smooth over the lightly tanned arm, but tonight he felt happy because he had done something that no other werewolf could get away with.

He had felt accepted by a woman for who he was. Not what he could become late on certain nights.

It was wonderful. An excited shiver passed up his spine as he walked from the moonlight up the stairs. He grinned as he walked into the dormitory. He felt strong arms grab him and throw him to the bed. He hit the mattress with a grunt and three bright lights blinded his vision, voices spoke from the darkness the light did not penetrate.

"Where were you?" Peter.

"What did you do to her?" Sirius.

"Did you ask her to the ball?" James.

"On the balcony, nothing and . . . . . . . . . . . . .yes!"

Whoops of laughter and joy filled the room as James turned up the sconces and Sirius shot off some sparks from the tip of his wand. It was the happiest moment of their lives, or at least of their lives that worried about Remus. Peter broke out some extra butterbeer bottles he had been preserving under his bed.

The boys had a royal party since they had placed a silencing charm around the room.

(End Chapter 12)

(For MechaGotenks, he's reviewed my new stuff and put up with talking to me. That takes some nerves of steel.)