A/N: I know it's been awhile, but here's your next chapter!!! Thanks for all the reviews!!!

Holly_evans & Imagine: Just letting you know, though this chapter is not Easter, hopefully next chapter will be! If not, definitely within the next two chapters~

Star: lol that's a great idea, I'll keep it in mind, thanks

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I usually don't do individual reviewer comments, but if you'd like me to, I could start.

This chapter is dedicated to Penguin'N'Tales, I don't think I ever gave you the chapter I promised, I hope this one's good enough!!!

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"My Grandmother's ill and my father won't be back 'till this weekend, so my mother really needs my help around the house."

Sirius and James watched in amused fixation as a somber Remus talked with Maren.

"Hey," Lily plopped down on the couch beside them, "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Sirius replied, not taking his eyes off Remus, "just watching Lupin trying to explain to Maren why he won't be here this week."

"Oh," Lily strained her ears, trying to catch whispers of the hushed conversation, "Well, I'm glad his grandmother's sick, she must have made quite an improvement."

The two boys wrenched their eyes away from the couple, staring blankly at Lily. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when he disappeared last month it was to attend his grandmother's funeral." She replied simply.

They exchanged nervous glances, "Erm, it must be his other grandmother."

"Can't be, she passed away in our third year."

"Erm . . . well," James searched for some excuse, some way to cover up fro Remus.

"You know," Lily lowered her voice conspiratorially, "he could have saved me the trouble of looking up lycanthropy and just told me he was a werewolf."

"How . . .?"

"Oh, c'mon, James! I'm not daft! Always sick once a month, his endless excuses, and, remember in our third year? When we had to face the Boggart? Well, it turned into a moon for him," Lily shrugged, "I did some research, just to make sure, but personally, I don't see what the big deal is."

"Lil," James started weakly, looking at a loss for words, "You don't understand, this is the Wizarding World. Werewolves have been feared for centuries, parents wouldn't send their kids here if they knew there was a chance that the might be bitten by a werewolf!"

"Yes, well, that just shows the world how discriminatory Wizards are, doesn't it?"

James shook his head disbelievingly while Sirius mouthed wordlessly behind him.

Lily waved her hand dismissively and her tone became serious, "Anyways, James, do you think I could have a word with you?"

"Yeah, alright," both turned to Sirius who was waiting expectantly for Lily to continue. "She means 'alone', Sirius."

"Hm?" he searched the faces of the two glaring teens. "Fine, then, I'd absolutely hate to intrude on one of your snogging fests," he scowled, making to leave, "But don't' forget, Prongs, 7 pm sharp." And with that he stormed off out of the common room.

James shook his head at the departing Sirius before turning back to Lily. Noting the anxiety that had spread across Lily's face, James' arm snaked around her back, pulling her close. "Hey," he whispered softly, his breath tickling her ear, "What's up?"

Lily drew back, trying to resist the intoxication of his charms, and looked deep into his hazel eyes as though searching for the truth within him. "I just returned from talking to Dumbledore. He told me what happened that night with Snape." She didn't know what kind of reaction she was expecting; maybe a shameless smirk, fury and rage, proclamation that Dumbledore was lying, an excuse . . . but what Lily had never expected was to see a guilt-ridden James Potter sitting across from her, face lined with regret, and eyes filled with sorrow.

"So," his voice cracked as he tried to find the words to speak, "I guess this is it then, huh?"

Confusion etched its way across Lily's face, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I suppose you think I'm a, what was it? Oh, right, 'an arrogant, bullying toerag'". Lily cringed as James spat out each word. She knew she had been out of line in their fifth year, but she never imagined the pain of which the sting of words caused.

"No, James, I don-"

"You sure? Because I thought you said that I made you sick? That between going out with me or the giant squid, you'd pick the squid?" James had never known he carried such bitter resentment inside him, he didn't even know why he was ranting, but now that he had started, he couldn't stop.

"James, please, stop it!" Tears shimmered in the corners of Lily's eyes.

"Stop what? Telling the truth? That's all you've ever seen me as, Lil! What made you change your mind?"

"You did, James. You showed me that assumptions weren't everything. I've made some mistakes in my life, and I'm sorry, but I thought we were past all that. Besides," she added, eyes averted, not able to look at him, "Professor Dumbledore said you didn't start the fight, Snape did. He said you walked away until Snape attacked me, and that you were only fighting to protect me. The only reason I brought it up was to thank you." Tears were streaming freely down Lily's cheeks now. Her eyes grazed over James' startled face and a sob caught in her throat. Quickly jumping from her seat, she fled to the girls' dormitory, not bothering to give James a second glance.

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"Lils, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Maren cooed soothingly, deftly dividing Lily's thick hair into three fat strands.

"But he just blew up at me! Without even giving me a chance to speak! He just assumed that I assumed that he attacked Snape! Ow!" Lily blinked back threatening tears as Maren yanked hard on her hair, trying to tightly braid Lily's sleek hair.

"That could be because he's had all this bottled up inside him ever since you first turned him down." Maren murmured gently, not relenting on her strenuous task of styling Lily's hair.

"I reckon you're one of the few to have witnessed James' dark side," Andromeda Black, a slender, dark haired witch took her place on the floor beside Lily, closely followed by her friend, Dorcas Meadowes. The four girls had shared the same dorm for seven years now, and though they weren't the closest of friends – Maren and Lily having bonded together and Andromeda and Dorcas having known each other for the entirety of their lives – the girls all got along fairly well. "It's a side he doesn't show often, but it's right horrid, being on the receiving end of his wrath." She shook her dark curls knowingly.

Maren smirked, "Should we assume we're listening to a voice of experience?"

"Aye, Andy's felt the wrath of James Potter on more than a few occasions," Dorcas quipped, before hastily adding, "her being Sirius' cousin and all."

Lily attempted an idyllic smile, but a pained expression was still clouding her startlingly green eyes.

"Ah, Lils," Andromeda slipped her arm around Lily's waist, embracing her friend. "Don't worry about it! What with Sirius and I being so close and all, I've gotten to know Potter fairly well, and, as we all know, he's been through his fair share of girls, but he has never. Ever. Liked a girl the way he loves you."

"Loves?" Lily whispered hoarsely, unable to remover her quivering eyes from the grasp of Andromeda's crystal blue ones.

"Yes, Lily," she pulled away, taking Lily's trembling hands in her own, "Loves."

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"You messed up, so what? Everyone makes mistakes."

"You don't understand, Padfoot, I yelled at her."

"So? How many times has she yelled at you these past seven years? You need to get over yourself, mate, Evans is turning you soft."

A strong gust of wind swirled around the two boys, carefully hidden by James' invisibility cloak, as they strolled across the castle grounds, making their way towards the Whomping Willow. James had just opened his mouth to speak when a dark figure, striding towards the violent tree, caught his eye.

"Padfoot," James started hesitantly, "I thought you said Peter couldn't come tonight."

"He can't."

"Then who is that?" he rose a shaky finger, pointing in the shrouded figure's direction.

Sirius peered into the darkness, freezing mid-step as realization dawned on him. "Snape," he whispered hoarsely.

"And what," James began tentatively, as though he knew he wouldn't like the answer he was about to receive, "is Snape doing, prodding the willow with a stick?"

"Ah, well, you see, you were spending so much time with Evans, and I was getting bored, and then Snape attacked you and, well, I . . ." he wilted beneath James' cold stare, "I told Snape if he wanted to find out the truth about where Remus goes every month all he had to do was prod the knot at the base of the tree . . ." he trailed off meekly.

"Padfoot, you prat!" James roared. "Do you realize what you've done? What if Remus bites Snape? That's all he's ever been afraid of since he's come here!"

"You think I don't know that? I made a mistake, James, I didn't mean for it to go this far . . ." Sirius began, but James was not there to hear the rest of his apology. Slipping out from beneath the cloak, James sprinted across the frozen grounds in pursuit of Snape.

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Severus Snape was nearing the end of the tunnel, 'And about time, too,' he thought bitterly to himself. Fresh air was filtering in, along with thin strands of moonlight. He had to be close. The thought of discovering Lupin's secret, turning him over to the Headmaster, filled Snape with irrepressible glee. Black had been so lonely, what with his too friends so wrapped up in their girlfriends, he had been almost to eager to leak the information to Snape, and now, if things worked out his way, Snape would have all the Marauders expelled.

"Snape! Stop!" a voice echoed down the dark tunnel, followed by the sound of pounding footsteps. Whirling around, Snape caught sight of James' face, flushed from his sudden sprint. 'No!' The thought rang through his mind, he couldn't let Potter prevent him from his moment of glory. Spinning on his heel, Snape began to run down the tunnel, hoping to reach Remus Lupin before Potter could stop him, but he was no match for James' speed. Within seconds the boy was upon, trying to force Snape back through the tunnel towards Hogwarts.

"Potter! Let me go! What do you think you're doing? Protecting your friend? Well, I'll have you know that the minute I discover your friend's secret, I'll have you all expelled!" With that, he jabbed his wand in James' gut, causing the chaser to let him go in surprise.

"Snape! You don't know what's down there!"

"Oh? Don't I? It's your friend Lupin wa-" but Snape was cut off by a harsh growl. Slowly turning, Snape saw the wide, snapping jaws of a wolf coming from the entrance to the tunnel. "A werewolf," the word was whispered in awed silence. Snape knew enough about the dark arts to recognize the snout of a werewolf from that of your common wolf.

"Snape, we have to get out of here!" James hooked his arm through the scrawny boy's, dragging him down the tunnel.

Knowing the danger a werewolf could present to him, Snape allowed himself to be dragged off, trying hard to conceal the excitement spreading across his face. "I'll get you for this, Potter, you and that friend of yours, Black. Mark my words, you'll be on the next train out of Hogwarts tomorrow morning."

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And that's all for now! There you go, a nice long chapter to start of your May. Oooh, and Happy Cinco de Mayo to those who celebrate it!

You know what to do, make my day and review! ^_^