Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. The plot is slightly mine, but not entirely. Everything you recognize belongs to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the magician who created the Harry Potter series.
Summary: Once, Alice had asked Lily why she and James never got along. In answer, Lily had replied, "Potter and I are incompatible." It was the only thing she and James agreed upon.
A/N: Well, March hasn't ended yet, so here's Chapter Seven! Umm…let's see. Kudos to my beta, angelgurl121, for her wonderful beta-ing, and…oh, yes! I'd like to thank the little ideas floating around in my head that made all of this possible, and…I'll just shut up now so you can read the chapter, shall I? Lol. Enjoy!
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INCOMPATIBLE
CHAPTER SEVEN
"James Potter!" Lily's voice echoed through the Gryffindor Common Room. It was a cool, crisp Saturday evening in October, and most people were either outside enjoying the last bits of fall weather or, in the case of the Fifth and Seventh Years, working tirelessly on their mounds of homework.
"He's at Quidditch Practice, Lily," Sirius called back. Lily descended the staircases that led to the girls' dormitories and sighed.
"When's the match, again?" she asked, coming to sit next to Sirius. For once, he was sitting on his own—Remus and Peter were in the Library, where Remus was trying to help Peter with his Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Next Saturday," he answered, dipping his quill in his inkwell and biting his lip as he tried to think of what to add to the essay in front of him. "What d'you need Jamesie for, anyways?"
"He'd kill you if he heard you call him Jamesie," Lily commented, avoiding the subject. She looked down at Sirius' essay.
"Lily," Sirius said warningly. She sighed again, raising her gaze to him.
"I need his help planning the Hallowe'en Feast," she replied. "Dumbledore seems to think that we should handle all the feasts, as the staff is 'too busy right now'. When will James be back?" Sirius glanced at his watch.
"Practice should be over in about five minutes or so," he answered, "but knowing Jamesie, he'll stay out there until curfew. Nothing can get him off his broom."
"Not even the threat of my being thoroughly irritated with him for a week?" Lily asked, standing up.
"That might work," Sirius replied. "Won't hurt to give it a try."
"Thanks," she said, walking towards the portrait hole. "And Sirius?" she tossed over her shoulder.
"What?" he asked.
"Acromantulas are not fuzzy creatures resembling teddy bears."
"Ah, bugger!" he exclaimed, turning to his essay and scratching out the offending line. "Stupid essay!"
Lily laughed as she walked out of the Common Room, heading down to the Quidditch Pitch.
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James brushed his hair out of his eyes, pushing his glasses up to rest on the bridge of his nose as he surveyed the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He nodded in satisfaction.
"All right!" he called, landing on the pitch. The others followed his example, tired and sweaty. "That's enough for tonight. Go get some sleep—or catch up with your work for the O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s, whichever works for you."
"Ha ha, very funny, James," Caradoc Dearborn, one of the beaters, said as the team started trooping towards the lockers. "Doesn't help much, though."
"Of course not," James said, grinning. "But it helps to have a reminder of all the work you have, doesn't it?"
"Sure it does," Marlene, the other beater replied—she had hung back to speak to her cousin for a bit. "If you're Lily," she added. "She's so obsessed with her work I don't understand how she manages to fit Head Girl duties in."
"And she fails to realize how her friends can take such a lackadaisical attitude about their work and still achieve 'E's on their assignments," Lily said, coming up from behind them. Marlene jumped.
"You really have to stop doing that, Lily," she said.
"Why?" Lily asked. "It's fun."
"For you, maybe," Marlene replied, "but it scares us out of our skins." Lily looked around.
"You look like you're in your skin," she said. "I don't see any shed skin anywhere."
"Very funny, Lily," Marlene replied sarcastically. "I'm going to go take a shower, and then I'll finish my work—"
"You mean you'll take a shower and then go up to the dorm, pull out that photo album of yours, and sigh over it all night," Lily interjected. Marlene glared at her as James laughed.
"I have to see this photo album of yours, 'Lene," he said. "Mum would certainly love to hear about it."
"Don't you dare tell Aunt 'Lissa about it," Marlene warned, turning her glare to James. "She'll then tell Mum, who'll give me another lecture about 'paying more attention to my schoolwork than to the boys around Hogwarts'." She shuddered. "One is enough, thanks." James grinned.
"All the more reason for me to tell her—" he started, until Marlene cut him off, hitting him in the stomach with her broomstick. He clutched his middle with a loud oof.
"You won't," she said. "See you, Lily, James." She walked off, leaving the two Head Students alone.
"Just let me change out of this, and I'll be back," James said, gesturing to his Quidditch uniform.
"All right," Lily replied. She stood outside the changing rooms for a few minutes before James emerged, broom in hand.
"So," he said, shouldering his broom, "is there a specific reason you came out here? Or do you just enjoy my presence?"
"A mix of both," Lily admitted with a smile. James allowed a brief grin to flit across his face. He was making progress. James had a goal to become good friends with Lily before Christmas. After all, he was hardly going to let her attend her sister's wedding without some backup; besides, getting one up on Petunia would make Lily infinitely happy, something that brought great pleasure to James.
"And what's the specific reason?" James pressed.
"We have to organize the Hallowe'en Feast," she sighed. "Not much fun, but it's less work than planning a ball."
"What is your thing against balls, anyway?" James asked, throwing up his free hand. "You've done nothing but go on about how much you hate them ever since that Prefect meeting back in September!"
"I do hate them," Lily argued. "I see no point in primping and worrying over a night that will hold absolutely no significance in the long term of things." James sighed.
"Would it hurt you terribly to let your hair down for a little bit?" he asked, frustrated.
"It is down!" she protested, gesturing to her auburn hair, which was, for once, out of its usual tight ponytail. James nearly threw his broom down on the ground.
"It's an expression, Lily," he groaned. "A bloody expression! Why do you take everything so literally?"
"To see the expressions on everyone else's faces when they get irritated with me," she replied airily. At his frown, she continued. "Seriously, though, you're the only one I do it with."
"You just took Marlene's expression literally," James retorted, gesturing behind him. "I don't see why you can't just lighten up."
"Well, someone has to be serious in our year," she replied. "Between you and your friends being so amused by practical jokes, Marlene's unhealthy obsession with boys, Alice's easy-going nature, and Dorcas' joking nature, I'm the only one left." James stopped, turning to look at her.
"Something's wrong," he said abruptly. "You're not normally so self-deprecating. What's happened?"
"Nothing," Lily replied, avoiding his gaze. James sighed, putting his broom on the ground. He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face upwards, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"Don't lie to me, Lily," he said quietly. "You know I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Is something wrong at home?"
"Of course not!" she exclaimed. At his raised eyebrow, she sighed. "How is it that you can see right through me when no one else notices any difference?"
"Practice," James replied. "Years of arguing with you has attuned me to your little moods."
"Moods?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow. "I hope I'm not that temperamental."
"Not very," he answered with a grin. "You do have quite a temper, though."
"Tell me something I haven't heard from everyone else," she challenged.
"All right," James said, stopping. She halted as well, looking up at him. "Your eyes turn dark green when you're sad, and you play with your hair whenever you're nervous. You don't like to share your personal feelings with anyone because you're afraid that they'll betray you like Petunia did; you're consumed by a desperate feeling to prove yourself. You try to be nice to everyone, and feel awful whenever someone's mean to you." James paused before continuing. "I could go on for ages, but that's enough, I think. Satisfied?" Lily was gaping at him. He smiled, lightly pushing her chin up and closing her mouth. "The stunned look doesn't suit you, Lils."
"I hate being called 'Lils'," she replied, walking towards the castle. James hurried to catch up.
"Since when?"
"Since you just used it right now," she replied.
"Not funny," James said, although he smiled slightly. "Seriously, though, what's wrong?" Lily sighed, halting abruptly and turning to face him.
"You have to promise you won't tell anyone," she said. "Alice will just get worried, Dorcas will get violent, and Marlene will suggest I find a boy to drown my sorrows in." She shook her head. "'Lene seriously needs a steady." James grinned.
"The day she finds one, I'll stop playing pranks," he replied. "She only goes in for the flings." Lily nodded.
"That's true," she agreed. "Anyways, I might as well tell someone what's going on, so…d'you promise?"
"Of course I do," he said, looking her straight in the eye. He took her hand in his and for once, she did not lecture him about how he could not manhandle her. "Now, what's eating you?" Lily smiled.
"That's such a weird way of putting it," she said. "Sounds like I'm being devoured by some kind of spiritual monster." James frowned, and she raised her free hand in surrender. "All right, all right! I'll get on with it."
"You'd better," James said, "or I'll find some way to force it out of you."
"You wouldn't dare," Lily challenged.
"Try me," he said.
"Thanks, but I think I'll stay on this side of caution," she replied. James sighed in frustration.
"How do we always get off the topic?" he asked angrily. "No, don't answer," he said as Lily opened her mouth to reply. "Just tell me what's going on." Lily sighed, realizing that she could no longer stall.
"I got a letter today," she said, looking down at the ground.
"From whom?" Lily did not answer. "Lily?" James pressed.
"Mum and Dad," she said. "Oh, nothing's wrong at home," she added hastily at his worried look, "but they mentioned something that's been bothering me all day."
"What?"
"Two things, actually," Lily amended. "One, of course, has to deal with Petunia."
"Again?" James asked. "Are you sure you don't want me to pay a surprise visit to your house over Christmas Break and leave her with a mustache?"
"James!" Lily exclaimed, although she smiled a bit at the idea of her prim and proper sister having facial hair. "That's all right. I think I'll just stick some more frogspawn into her bureau. The last time, she nearly fainted from the shock; all her knickers were filled with the stuff." James laughed, and her smile widened ever so slightly.
"So, what did the girl with a stick up her arse have to say?" he asked, calming down. He still had not let go of Lily's hand, and was hoping that she did not notice, as she would most probably remove it from his grasp. He brightened as she laughed.
"That's a very good name for her; I should use it sometime," Lily said, grinning. "But as to what she said…let's just say that nothing's changed between us." James shook his head, becoming serious.
"That can't be it," he said. "It has to be something more; you wouldn't get so upset if it was nothing out of the ordinary." Lily sighed.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to keep secrets from you again," she said. He grinned.
"Nope," he replied cheerfully. "Now, what did your sister say?"
"The usual," she replied. "Only this time she sent her own letter, saying that I'm a freak, she'd be happy if she never saw me again, she doesn't want me coming to her wedding because I'll just ruin it for her, and she hates everything about me." Lily said this all quite calmly, but as she raised her eyes to look at James, he could see tears brimming in her eyes. "Am I really such a horrible person, James?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He squeezed her hand, cursing Petunia and her ability to make Lily feel so horrible.
"Of course not," James replied. "You had the guts to offer me a truce after we've been fighting for six years, didn't you?" Lily smiled slightly. "You're a wonderful person, Lily. Don't let anything Petunia says get to you; if she doesn't appreciate the person you are, she isn't worth your time." Lily's smile broadened and she hugged James. Caught by surprise, he stiffened and then relaxed, sliding his arms around her.
"Thank you," Lily whispered into his chest.
"No problem," James replied. He then held her away at arm's length so he could get a good view of her face. "Now, what was the other thing that was bothering you?"
"Oh, that," Lily said, her smile fading. She started to walk, and James quickly caught up, matching his stride with hers.
"Yes, that," he said. "What's the problem?"
"Well…" she started, "it's something that was in Mum and Dad's letter. They were mentioning the local news, because I like to stay on top of things in the Muggle world, and in passing, they said something about how there have been several acts of violence in the papers. You know, large fires, entire families found dead in their houses, that sort of thing. But the thing about these deaths is that…well, the Muggles can't trace any sort of source. With the fires, although they suspect arson, there's no apparent reason why they can't be put out with water; when people die, there's no evidence of any weapon."
"What about an icicle?"
"They tried that one, too," Lily said. She then grinned. "Besides, James, it isn't cold enough for icicles yet."
"I was just offering a hypothesis—"
"And it's perfectly valid," she cut in. "But I don't think it's likely. There was no sign of a struggle; nothing was out of place. The only distinctive thing about these murders is that all the people look as if they were terrified out of their minds, and while it is an expression, few people can actually die of fright." She looked piercingly at James. "Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
"Yes," he replied seriously. "It sounds like Avada Kedavra."
"That's what I was thinking, too," Lily said, with a nod of her head. "And the thing is…have you been reading the Daily Prophet lately?" James nodded.
"Mum and Dad make sure that I read it to keep up with what's going on in the world outside Hogwarts," he explained.
"Have you been reading the small columns at the back?" James shook his head.
"No," he answered. "I just read through the first few pages."
"Well, I read the whole thing," Lily said. "And there's been mention of several similar deaths in the wizarding world. Oh, of course there's nothing as big as a fire, but there's always some poor witch or wizard who's been killed with Avada Kedavra."
"My dad mentioned that," James said. "He's an Auror," he clarified as Lily looked at him curiously. "Said it's the work of some new Dark Wizard who fancies himself a Lord."
"Does he have a name?"
"Apparently calls himself 'Lord Voldemort', and his followers call themselves 'Death Eaters'," James replied. "And he always leaves a calling card; Dad said it's a green smoke thing that looks like a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth." Lily turned white.
"What?" James asked frantically, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her to a stop. "What?"
"Mum mentioned some symbol like that being found tattooed on one victim's shoulder," Lily replied. "But the police—law enforcement officials," she explained at James' questioning glance, "merely thought that it was some kind of gang attack, and were trying to track down a group with that symbol. Looks like they were searching in the wrong place."
"Looks like it," James said. "So you're worried for your family?" Lily nodded. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Lily. Besides, you can always set up wards to protect them when you go home for Christmas." She looked at him penetratingly.
"How is it that you, above all others, know exactly what to say to make me feel better?" she asked.
"Practice," he replied, grinning at her. "Observation, knowing how to push your buttons, that sort of thing." She allowed a smile to grace her face.
"You certainly do know how to push my buttons," she agreed. She then squeezed his hand. "Thanks," she said quietly. "I needed someone to tell all that to."
"Anytime, Lily," James replied, returning the gesture. "Now, aren't we supposed to plan that Hallowe'en Feast?"
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Several hours and balls of parchment later, Lily and James were seated in the middle of the Common Room, which was empty except for the two of them.
"So," Lily said, pulling her sheet of parchment towards her and setting down her quill, "we've decided that we're not going to have decorations, let alone a color scheme, there will be no form of entertainment, and the Hall is going to be pitch-black because we can't decide how to light it. The only thing we've agreed on is that there's going to be food, but we can't agree on what food we're going to have. And," she looked at her watch, "we're late for rounds. I'd say that we're utter failures as Heads." James grinned.
"Not utter failures," he argued. "We did decide that we'd have food, didn't we?" Lily shook her head, thumping her head on the table with a groan.
"That is not the point, James," she said, frustrated. "We are supposed to set an example for the school; how can we do that if we can't get along?"
"We just have differing viewpoints," he stated.
"To the extent that we can't agree on anything?" she questioned.
"Good point," he agreed.
"That isn't the half of it!" Lily exclaimed. "I have piles of homework waiting for me—"
"Knowing you, it's just one assignment," James interrupted. "Stop stressing out, Lily; everything will be fine."
"No, everything will not be fine!" she contradicted, getting slightly hysterical. "I'm failing Transfiguration—"
"Lily, an 'A' is not a failing grade!"
"If I want to become a Healer, it is!" Lily retorted. She continued, "I'm neglecting my Head duties—"
"And what do we do every night? Take a midnight stroll around the school for the fun of it?"
"James, will you just shut up for once?" she asked, exasperated. "I'm trying to rant here, and you're not helping matters."
"Lily, ranting is not the way you'll get all of this done," James sighed, reaching across the table and gripping Lily's shoulder. She stiffened at his touch, but did not push him off. "Let it be for once." Lily slumped forwards, resting her head on her hand. She slid James' hand off her shoulder, slapping it for good measure.
"I told you not to manhandle me," she started, but James laughed, cutting her off.
"And you hardly enforce that rule of yours," he pointed out. "Face it, Lils. You like it."
"Do not," she replied sulkily. "And don't call me Lils!" she added as an afterthought. James shook his head.
"Look, we're not going to get anything done tonight; just give it a rest," he said. "And you need to loosen up, Lily. Why do you take everything so seriously? Life isn't meant to be boring."
"Serious isn't boring!"
"When you're constantly stressing out because you haven't finished this or the other, it definitely is," James rejoined. "You need to take it easy for once." Lily looked up at him in surrender.
"How do you always manage to take such a light view of everything?" she asked curiously. James grinned.
"I guess I'm a 'live for the moment' kind of person," he replied. "You know, the 'live every day as if it's your last' attitude. But you, Lily, you're the kind of person whose philosophy is 'plan out every moment to squeeze every last bit of life out of it.'" James squeezed her shoulder. "You need to be impulsive once in a while."
"We need to finish this," Lily said, picking up her quill. James shook his head, removing the quill from her hand.
"We're taking a break," he said. "Give me a second; I have an idea." He dashed up the stairs to his dormitory, leaving Lily staring after him in surprise. Within two minutes, he had returned, a piece of worn parchment in one hand and a silvery bundle under his arm.
"Sirius is going to kill me for this," he said, "but you need to get out for a bit."
"What are you talking about?" Lily asked.
"This," James held up the silvery bundle, "is an Invisibility Cloak. And this," he held up the parchment, "is the secret of how we can sneak around the school at night and not get caught." Lily leaned forward, looking at the parchment.
"It's just a piece of old parchment," she said.
"A piece of old parchment?" James asked, sounding shocked and clutching his chest dramatically. "Lily, you wound me. This," he said dramatically, pausing for effect, "is the Marauder's Map." He pressed the tip of his wand to the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and thin lines began to spread from the tip of his wand, forming a map of Hogwarts. Several labeled dots were moving around, and at the top, the parchment declared:
Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
Lily gasped in awe. "Where did you get this?" she finally asked.
"We made it," James said proudly. She examined it closer, paying close attention to the heading.
"It's those nicknames again," she stated.
"What?" James asked, confused.
"'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,'" Lily clarified. "Those are the nicknames you, Peter, Sirius, and Remus use, right?"
"How did you—" James started to ask. She laughed, cutting him off.
"You aren't exactly subtle, James," she said. "The four of you use them all the time. What I don't understand is how you came up with them. Moony's Remus, for obvious reasons, but I don't know who the rest of you are."
"Sirius is Padfoot, Peter's Wormtail, and I'm Prongs," James replied. "It's a long story, though; I'll tell you some other time."
"Promise?" Lily asked, looking up at him. James gulped, knowing he would probably regret his decision—or, at the very least, his friends would make him regret it.
"Promise," he replied. He then unfolded the Invisibility Cloak. "Shall we go?" He glanced at the map. "Filch has turned in for the night and Mrs. Norris isn't anywhere near here."
"Where will we go?" she questioned, getting under the Invisibility Cloak.
"You'll see," James replied mysteriously, also draping the Cloak over him.
"This is so weird," Lily said as they exited the Common Room ("Who's there?" the Fat Lady squawked). James grinned.
"I've been using this for ages, so I'm used to it."
"Shame on you," she joked. "Head Boy and still breaking rules?"
"Did you really expect me to give that up?"
"Nah," Lily replied, "although it would have been interesting. James Potter, abiding by the rules?"
"Never going to happen," he said stoutly. "Now, we have to be quiet; we don't want to be caught by anyone."
"All right," Lily whispered. James, checking the map at regular intervals, halted in front of a large mirror on the fourth floor. He pulled out his wand and tapped it four times around its golden rim.
"What are you doing?" Lily whispered.
"Shh!" James warned, repeating his tapping. Suddenly, the mirror melted away, and he smirked in triumph. "That's what I was doing," he replied, pulling her in after him. He shed the Invisibility Cloak, bundling it under his arm again, and checked the Marauder's Map. With a wave of his wand, the mirror reformed, hiding the passage.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Lumos," James muttered, and the tip of his wand flared in the darkness. "You'll see," he said mysteriously, starting off down the passage. Lily lit her wand as well, following him.
"James Potter!" she said. "If you don't tell me where we're going right now, I'm going to go and hand you in to Filch."
"You wouldn't," James said, whirling around.
"Oh, yes, I would," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. "Now, where are we going?"
"Hogsmeade," James sighed.
"Hogsmeade?" Lily was shocked. "This—this passage goes to Hogsmeade?" James nodded, and Lily slumped down onto the floor, resting her back against the edge of the passage. "So that's how you always manage to get sweets and Butterbeer so quickly every time we have a Quidditch match." James nodded.
"Of course," he replied. "There are at least five passages that lead out of the grounds and into Hogsmeade. One even goes right into the cellar of Honeydukes." Lily stood up, brushing herself off.
"So is that where we're going?" she asked. James shook his head.
"No. The one we're in comes out closer to the Three Broomsticks."
"But that's closed!" James raised an eyebrow, starting to walk on ahead.
"You think we don't have any deals with Rosie so we can have Butterbeer at whatever hour of the night—or morning," he amended, looking at his watch, "that we choose?" Lily shook her head, following James.
"The things you four get up to…" She trailed off, smiling slightly. "What else do you have to tell me?"
"If I tell you any more, Remus, Peter, and Sirius might just find some convenient way to off me and make it look like an accident," he joked. Lily, however, did not take his comment lightly, and bit her lip with worry. He sighed. "I wasn't serious."
"But you shouldn't joke about death!" Lily protested. James shook his head.
"Lily, Lily, Lily," he said. "Haven't you realized that my preferred method of dealing with more…unfavorable things or circumstances is through humor? It's easier to think about it in that way."
"But then you don't fully acknowledge problems, and when they come back to haunt you, you regret that you ever tried to make light of them," Lily replied.
"See, that's where you and I really differ," James said. "You take everything so seriously, and can't imagine anyone having a different way of looking at the world."
"And you?"
"Me?" James appeared slightly surprised at the question. "I'm just the jokester, the one who can't be trusted farther than you can throw him."
"I wouldn't say that," Lily replied. "After all, you have kept Remus' condition a secret this long, haven't you?"
"Glad to know that someone has some faith in me," James grinned. "The boys have given me up as a lost case. Now, I brought you out here to lighten up a bit, and we're having a conversation so serious I could cut the air with a knife. Come on. It's about time you dropped that mountain you're carrying on your shoulders." With that, he started running along the passage. Lily laughed and ran to catch up, grinning widely.
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"So," James said, removing his hands from their position over Lily's eyes. "What do you think?" Lily's mouth fell open in awe.
"I think it's beautiful," she said. James grinned.
"Good."
The two were standing on a hill just outside of Hogsmeade. James' Invisibility Cloak was firmly tucked into his belt, the Marauder's Map in his pocket, and he reached into his other pocket to pull out two bottles of Butterbeer.
"Cheers," he said, handing one to Lily and clinking his against hers before opening it and taking a sip, allowing the warmth to flood through him. Lily followed his example, sighing in delight.
"I always thought Butterbeer was the most ingenious wizarding invention," she said, sitting down and looking up at the stars.
"I'd have to disagree," James said, sitting next to her. "I'd say that it's the flying broomstick and the game of Quidditch."
"You would," Lily replied, smiling. She took another sip and settled back. "So, how often do you four come here?"
"To the hill?" Lily nodded. "Well," James started, thinking, "we usually come about once every few months; it puts things in perspective." He grinned. "Even Sirius' ego is diminished whenever we come here. Of course, then he starts pointing out his namesake and how it's the brightest start in the sky, indicating how that reflects back upon his life, and how he's the brightest person in our lives." Lily laughed, James smiling along with her. "I guess, in a way, Sirius does light everything up; there's never a dull moment when he's around."
"Amen to that," Lily said, raising her Butterbeer in a toast before tilting her head back and finishing the bottle. They sat in comfortable silence, observing the scene around them for several minutes before Lily glanced at her watch. She then glanced at the sky, standing up.
"Where are you going?" James asked.
"It's a quarter to two in the morning," Lily commented. "Don't you think we should be getting back?"
"What?" James was shocked. "That means we've been out here for," he did some quick calculations, "an hour and a half!" Lily nodded.
"I think we should head back," she said again. James nodded, jumping up.
"I'll say!" he exclaimed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him as they rushed towards Hogsmeade. They stopped at the edge of the town, long enough for James to throw the Cloak over the two of them, and they then made their way to the Three Broomsticks and the secret passage nearby. They walked through the passage and up to Gryffindor Tower in silence, only speaking to give the Fat Lady the password ("finkletop", another one of James' inventions; Lily was thoroughly confused by this, but accepted it as part of James' eccentric nature). Once in the Common Room, they doffed the Cloak.
"Thank you for that," Lily said, breaking the silence. "I had a good time, even if we were breaking the rules." James shook his head, smiling slightly.
"Lily, Lily, Lily," he said, "when are you going to learn that breaking rules is fun?"
"With your bad influence, I think you'll have me corrupted before I can blink," Lily retorted. She yawned widely. "I guess I should go up to bed. G'night, James."
"'Night," he replied, waving to her as she went up the stairs to her dormitory. She turned around just before walking around the bend and returned the wave with a brilliant smile.
James rushed up to his dorm, grinning widely. If he had been Sirius, he would have whooped, but that was just…a Sirius thing, usually performed when he was on a sugar high—which, James mused, was almost permanently. James then got up, replacing his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map in his trunk before changing into his pajamas and climbing back into bed. He was unable to stop smiling, and as he fell asleep, his grin broadened until it nearly split his face in two.
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Lily sat on her bed, brushing out her hair and smiling to herself. If someone had told her at the beginning of the year that she and James would be friends, she would have told them to go have their head examined. Now, however, she was rushing off to Hogsmeade with him in the dead of the night; who would have thought it?
Definitely not me, Lily thought, placing her brush on her bedside table and pulling her drapes around her bed. She settled into the covers, closing her eyes. She then recalled how wonderful James had looked with the stars reflecting off his glasses…
With that, Lily fell asleep.
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A/N: So that's that! We get a lot more of Lily and James, along with a bit of an insight into each one's character, and the entrance of Voldemort. Well, life can't always be perfect… And now, the part where I thank the 19 wonderful people who reviewed Chapter 6!
angelgurl161: Yes, of course Lily's falling for James' charm…I must admit, I'm falling for it myself. Heh. I'd better stop doing that, or I'll just go on for ages about how good-looking James is and how Lily's an idiot for not succumbing to his charms earlier…Putting an end to it…NOW. *Grins* I'm glad you liked it; as always, thanks for beta-ing!
FrightninglyObsessed: Lol. A drinking song? *shakes finger* Naughty, naughty. Yeah, I love that song. Thanks!
child-of-scorpio: Ooh, a lovely long review! Yes, three IS the magic number…don't get me started on it, though. I'll end up giving you so many examples your head will be reeling. Yeah, I liked the "manhandling" part…Lily's such a hypocrite, isn't she? *shakes head* Bad, bad Lily. Oh, I actually like maths…but proofing is a pain in the arse. Lol. I'm blushing now…I'm an "excellent, excellent, excellent writer"? I highly doubt I'll have anything publishable anyways, so…I don't think JKR will have to worry. Oh, shucks…I guess I'll have to find another way to get you to update quickly…Yes, computers always get grammar and spelling wrong when they check it. *bashes computer, then realizes she's just destroyed her only means to retain sanity…then bashes head on the keyboard…and realizes she's an idiot* Sorry. *blushes again* "Best Fanfiction Writer"? What are you on? *Grins* If anything, that award belongs to you! Okay, I'll stop the modesty jag now. Umm…all right…I hope you aren't dead by now, because then I'll feel responsible, and punish myself horribly. Anyways, thanks for reviewing, and your review made me laugh!
J.E.A.R.K. Potter (Erin): Thanks!
LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e: Yes, I like fluff…Lol. Thanks!
sweetthing131: Yeah, I guess I do have self-esteem issues. Oh, well. Lol. Thanks!
SoulAvenger: Of course Lily keeps denying the "little things", but she's slowly falling under James' spell…who wouldn't? Even I am! I'm glad you like their inability to stop arguing…Thanks!
Elven Dagger: It's fine that it's short…hope your headache's better. Thanks!
charlene: Thanks!
Lady of Masbolle: A beta-reader is a person who checks over your story and gives you suggestions, corrects your grammar/spelling, etc. Yeah, Lily and James are the perfect match! Thanks!
Agloechen: It's all right that you're insane. So'm I…join the club! Hmm…maybe I should get you to write little advertisements for my story…Just kidding. Thanks!
ArianaEvans (Monica): Thanks! I'm glad you like Lily…I don't like her being TOO perfect, nor do I like her being your typical "bad girl"…*shudders* Ugh. I'm glad you think she's human; that is my goal, after all. Yeah…I needed that "bonding" time; I was getting a little sick of all the fighting…Of course, if Lily and James never fought, that would be deadly dull. If I made them "suddenly be together" post-the morning incident, that would have just been unrealistic; I mean, if you hated someone, and suddenly shared a "make-you-grin-inside-crush-feeling moment" with them, then that just means that you feel more romantically inclined towards that person, however slightly…I try to be logical, even though I'm everything but. I'm happy that Lily's becoming more relaxed around James (and I'm happy about all of these things because my characters direct my pen, so to speak…I'm no good at doing it on my own). Ick…all of James and Lily's friends dating? Spare me the torture, please. *Grin* Marlene and Dorcas do complement Sirius, I guess, but…no. That's another reason why I had Lily be friends with Alice, as she's dating Frank, and therefore accounted for. Oh…the Lily walking up behind her friends at lunch thing is the kind of thing I'd do. I tend to take inspiration for my characters in bits and pieces from myself and my experiences, and of course throw in bits and pieces of my friends' experiences. For example, Sirius' inability to sit still is based upon my own brother's not being able to wait for something. I'm sure that if you pulled things from your own life, whatever you write would never be boring.
And angelgurl121 thanks you profusely.
Vampchick001: Thanks!
MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus: Yeah, I want them together too, but the path of true love ne'er did run smooth. *wink* Thanks!
LiTtLe-bLaCk-sTaR: Ooh…a long review; I love long reviews! *grin* I'm sure you can find a regular thesaurus somewhere in your house; be creative! I'm glad you at least think it's great, though…Yeah, I thought the sunrise thing was sweet, too…I read it over again and sighed wistfully. Lol. I'm glad you like Lily's friends' personalities…yeah, no one can really keep track of their big fat mouths. Thanks!
Hogwarts-Drama-Queen: Well, I met your challenge. *sticks out tongue* So there! Yeah, I feel bad for Moony, too…and I'll never tell! Just kidding…you'll find out eventually, when I figure out who got in there myself. Lol. Of course I'm perfect…Okay, I'll stop. Yes, Yoda I am. Glad you remembered that I am. *Grin* Thanks!
jess131346: Lol. I think Lily can kiss James without needing a reason to do so. However, we've been given an insight into how bad she is with relationships…hint, hint. I think…7 cookies this time? Yes, that sounds about right. *Grin* Thanks!
kittygirl220: Thanks!
Sakura: Thanks!
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A/N: *Porky Pig voice* And that's all for now, folks! *end Porky Pig voice* Chapter Eight will come out whenever it does…I don't have a deadline set, so you'll just have to wait. As always, big thanks to my beta, angelgurl121! Review, please; you guys bring sunshine and happiness into my heart.
~Eos