Woo! Another chapter time! I took the easy way out and just installed AOL on my computer so I don't have to entirely re-write this again. Stupid A drive still doesn't work. Oh well. Personal thank you's at the bottom to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

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Chapter Fourteen

Into the Lair of a Slob

"Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, may I have a word with you?" Professor McGonagall asked the next morning during breakfast. Lily rose to her feet stumbling a bit with tiredness, her shoulder aching in pain from the Whomping Willow attack.

"Sure, Professor." James answered brightly.

'How can he be so bright in the morning when he was out past midnight last night?' Lily groaned to herself. Professor McGonagall lead them out of the Great Hall, down a few corridors and into her office.

"Sit." She ordered. Lily did so gladly, afraid that if she stood anymore she would fall backwards off her feet asleep. Good thing it was a Saturday. Too bad they had rounds. Lily didn't even have enough mind power to fear what they were in trouble for.

"Where were the two of you last night?" She asked, looking down the bridge of her nose at Lily and James. "You weren't at rounds."

"Wha..?" Lily asked, snapping out of her daze a bit. How did Professor McGonagall know?

"Yes, Miss Evans. It's not a matter of how I came upon this information, but I need an explanation. Now." She said sternly, glaring at Lily and James.

Lily's eyes widened a bit. What was she supposed to say?

"We were patrolling the grounds, professor." James said clearly. Lily groaned. That was his best excuse?

"And why, may I ask, were you patrolling the grounds?" She asked, her nostrils flaring.

"Well, it's gotten around to students by now that there's two prefects and two head students along with a few teachers patrolling the castle, so why not steel out to the grounds and not get caught?" James asked cheekily.

"Excuse me?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking bewildered at his response.

"As a former rule breaker," James answered, bowing his head. Lily couldn't help but laugh. Former, so that's what he thought of himself. "I know what goes through these people's minds." He smiled.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Well then, did you find anyone?"

"Only a dark figure, but by the time Evans and myself reached where that person was, they had disappeared. But trust me. I'm on to him." James responded seriously. Lily tried to hold back a fit of giggles that was ready to erupt out of her throat. It actually was a very good excuse. And it seemed to be working!

Professor McGonagall looked rather embarrassed. She took a breath, and then spoke again. "Well, you will not be patrolling the grounds any longer, do you understand?"

"Perfectly, professor." Lily finally piped.

"Good. You may go." Lily and James stood to their feet and left her office together. Once a ways down the corridor, Lily burst out laughing.

"What?" James asked, grinning.

"That was the best excuse I have ever heard." She said between laughs. "I can't believe we got away with no punishment." She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Which leads me to another question." James said, stopping to look at Lily. "Why weren't you at rounds last night?" He asked.

"What, am I supposed to go when I know you won't be there?" She snapped, the smile on her face disappearing.

"Well, it's not like you to just ditch because I did. Where did you go?"

Lily sighed. How far would she get lying to him? She wasn't as good of a liar as he was, and he would most likely be able to see right through her since he was such a pro at it himself.

"Lily?" He asked curiously, breaking her out of her thought.

"Can we go up to my room and talk?" She asked meekly, feeling the best way to stifle his possible outburst was in solitude.

"Nah, my room's closer." James said, starting down the corridor.

'She's coming in my room? She wants to talk to me in private?' James mind reeled. 'Ten galleons it's about Remus.' He sulked silently.

"Godric Gryffindor." He said loudly when they approached a large whitewash stone lion. The lion roared to life, stepped aside and a large door invisible to the eyes opened revealing a long narrow corridor. Lily followed James down the corridor which finally opened up into his dormitory which, Lily was disgusted to see, was an entire mess. Clothing, not only uniforms but muggle clothing as well was scattered all over the floor and looked as if it hadn't been washed since the beginning of the year. The curtains on his bed were falling off, the wardrobe doors were wide open, and towels were scattered all over the floor.

"Jesus, Potter!" Lily gasped. "Don't you ever clean?"

"Not unless someone breaks my arm to make me." He grinned. "So, back to my question." He said quickly, not wanting to wander too much.

"Look, I know you didn't want me to," Lily started, forcing herself to look anywhere but the floor. "but I was worried last night. I followed you to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

James was silent for a moment. "You did what?" He finally asked.

"Followed you." Lily responded meekly.

"Holy shit, Lily! Why did you follow me when I told you not to! You could have been hurt!"

"By what?" Lily asked, raising her voice a bit. "And why would you put yourself in that jeopardy if you weren't willing to put me in it? You insulted me last night and I was angry enough to try to find out what you were up to! But another part of me was worried you would go and get yourself expelled!"

"What about yourself? You could have been expelled too!" James growled.

"Why would I get expelled, huh? What was going on out there?"

"No, we are not going down that path." James responded.

"Why not?" Lily yelled angrily. "What do you have to hide, James Potter?"

"It's not for me to hide! It's for Remus to hide!" He yelled angrily, then jumped slightly realizing he had said too much.

"What?" Lily asked quietly. "What's wrong with Remus? Is he in danger?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing is wrong with him, OK?" James snapped.

"You're lying to me, James Potter." Lily growled.

"So what if I am? It's none of your business anyways!" He yelled in response.

"If he's in danger and needs help, then it should be my business since no one seems to be helping him!"

"Who're you to say no one helps him?" James asked, his face growing red in anger. "Sirius, Peter and I do all that we can and there's nothing else ANYONE can do! So get over it!"

"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked, her voice low and slow so James would understand every word.

James collapsed on one of the seats that surrounded his table, took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Only then did Lily really notice the big purple and blue mark on the bridge of his nose.

"James! Oh my god, are you hurt?" She asked, moving quickly to his side, bending down to look at the mark on his face.

"Oh, that." James grunted. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" She asked quickly, running her finger along the bruise.

"It...it's nothing, Lily." He responded, pushing her hand away from his face.

"Seriously, James, what did you do?" She said putting light pressure on the bruise.

"I got in a fight, ok?" James asked, trying to swat her hand away. "Ow! Watch it!" He growled. Though he hated to admit it to himself, he loved how she was fawning over him for a small little bruise.

"James!" Lily puffed. "With whom?" She asked sternly, knowing the answer.

"Snape, who else?" He sighed.

"What was it about this time?" She asked taking a seat next to him at the table.

"It doesn't matter." James snapped.

"Yes it does. Please, James. It didn't have to do with Remus, did it?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, it did." James sighed. "Look, since you seem to be so nosy... ("Am not!" Lily snapped defensively.) You have to understand this. If people knew about Remus's condition, they wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts anymore."

"Why not?" Lily asked in confusion.

"You have to swear to keep your silence. To Candace, to Alice, Harmony especially, and to Bianca."

"Of course." Lily agreed, nodding her head once.

"Two months before school started in our first year, Remus was bitten by a werewolf." James sighed.

"No!" Lily gasped. "That...that can't be true!"

"It can't?" James smiled slightly, pleased that Remus's lies tricked someone who was the smartest of their year. It only hadn't fooled James because he knew everything there was to know about lies. "Didn't he have an odd habit of disappearing for a couple days once a month? One month he was sick, the next he had to go home to visit his sick grandmother. Poor guy, seems to have a crisis once a month." James laughed slightly.

Lily's eyes were wide in shock. Now that James mentioned it, Remus did manage to disappear once a month. But why had he never told her in the year and a half that they were going out?

"I know what you're thinking." James responded.

"Really, now?" Lily asked, in a daze.

"Why didn't he ever tell you. It's a valid question with a plain answer. He was afraid he would lose you if he told you. He wanted to, he really did. But he feared your response."

"He shouldn't have." Lily sighed, looking at her feet.

"Oh well, it's over. It was in the past." James added.

"I...I know." Lily stuttered. "How do you Sirius, and Peter try to help him?"

"That's another story that I don't care to tell." James snapped firmly, and Lily knew there was no budging him. "Let's just say we make it so we can stay with him. It makes him less like a werewolf and more like an animal. It makes things less painful."

Lily's eyes widened. "James, that's dangerous. You shouldn't be around him! What would Dumbledore say?"

"Firstly, you swore to your silence." James growled. "Secondly, he can't hurt us and thirdly we do the best we can to make things easier for him!"

"Of course he can hurt you, don't be stupid!" Lily snapped.

"No, he can't. Not the way we help him."

"James, that is ridiculous! I think I might just tell Dumbledore to make sure you're safe!" She huffed.

"No!" James yelled. "You do it I'll hex you so bad you won't even know your own name!" He realized he shouldn't threaten her, but the words tumbled out of his mouth too quickly for him to hold them back.

"James Potter!" Lily yelled angrily. "Don't you dare threaten me!" She yelled angrily. "You would do it too! Even if you heard just a rumor that I told. Just to get the pleasure out of it!" Lily growled.

"No, I wouldn't Lily. I didn't mean to say it!"

"Instantaneous response can always be relied on to tell what you're really thinking!"

"Screw instantaneous response!" James yelled.

"I'm out of here." Lily said angrily, standing up and making towards the door.

"Lily, respect Remus and don't tell anyone. You care about him, I know you do. So don't do anything stupid." James called to her back.

Lily stopped yet didn't turn to face him. "You don't have to worry about me doing anything stupid. Worry about yourself." She snapped, making out the door.

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Want to say a super thanks to everyone for reading this! It really means a lot to me. Super thanks for everyone who reviews too! And thanks to those who read but don't review...ahem. Personal thank you's:

xxGinnyxx: Hmm...does Lily still like Remus? That's a fact that could be compromised later in the story, so I hold my silence. :-) Thanks so much for reviewing!

KakashisNo1Fangirl: No fair! No going and changing your pen name without telling me! I was going to make these personal thank you's and I was like, whoa! Who the heck was that, then I read the review and it all became clear. Wonder why. Lol. Thanks for reviewing, which leads me to wonder...WHEN THE HECK ARE YOU GOING TO UPDATE FOR YOUR LOVE????

The-Anime-chick-wit-style: You're welcome! Thanks so much for reviewing. Hope you liked this chappie!

oosha66: Hey! Funner is the best word in the world, in the dictionary or not! :-) James' head was so swollen it's going to be hard to make all that big-headedness go away. No fears. :-)

Gryffindor620: Glad you liked my chapter! Thanks a bunch for reviewing!

JoyaSagrada: Thanks for your review! Hope you liked this chapter!

J.E.A.R.KPotter: Hmm...I see you've added another name as your pen name changed from JEAR Potter to JEARK Potter. Meh, don't mind me. Thanks for reviewing!

MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus: Muahahaha....ahem. Sorry, feeling very evil. Wow, that was random. Thanks for reviewing!

Agloechen: Ah, but Lily will never be with Remus again *cackles evilly* Ahem. They were only together to cause conflict and make it harder for James to win the girl anyways. The sole purpose. :-) Thanks so much for the review!

WhiteLiliesWithAScar: -That's a really neat pen name. Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this chappie!

Goddess of Gorgeousness: Hehehe...poke him harder! Lol. Jamesie boys poor little nosie got a good deal of attention from Lily. :-) Thanks for reviewing!

unperfection: Yes, don't you just want to hug them? Lol. Thanks for the review!

firehottie: Thanks so much for reviewing all this time for me! You truly are a faithful reviewer. Thank you much!

Phoebe-H: Thanks for the review! Glad you liked my chapter!

Jessie xxx: Glad you like my story! Thanks so much for reviewing! It really helps inspire me to keep writing!

And that's all for the personal thank-you's. One last thank you to EVERYONE for reviewing! I'll try to update as soon as possible!