A/N: Sorry it's taken awhile for this chapter to go up, the fanfic website was doing weird things and wouldn't let me upload this or any other documents. I'm not to sure I like this chapter, but I felt I needed something more before they arrived back at school so here it is. I hope it's not too disappointing.

vickiicky - haha and I've been so careful!! I keep writing Potter and then going back and changing it to Evans shakes head Anyways, thanks for the correction!

htebazile9851 – Thanks for pointing that out! When I had originally began the story I had decided that I wasn't going to mess with the whole James saving Snape's life thing, but when I noticed Sirius was beginning to feel left out (I had forgotten I'd mentioned the life saving thing earlier in the story) I decided I'd go ahead and give it a shot. Thanks for the correction!

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"They've been gone for thirteen hours," James murmured for the twelfth time that evening as he paced back and forth across the room.

"James," Lily whispered reassuringly for the twelfth time, "I'm sure they're fine."

James paused momentarily, looking at Lily as if contemplating what she'd said, before shaking his head and resuming his pacing. Lily and Sirius looked on helplessly, unsure of what to say to calm their friend.

"Sirius," Lily whispered, inching closer to him on the plush carpet, "we've got to do something."

"I'm working on it," he muttered, rubbing is temple in thought.

"Well, work faster," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"If you're so worried why don't you do something?" he retorted sharply.

"Like what?"

"I dunno, why don't you try and seduce him or something?" Sirius muttered, knowing well how the comment would set Lily off.

Lily opened her mouth angrily, then closed it and, much to Sirius' surprise, rose to her feet with a determined glint in her eyes. Slipping up behind James, Lily slid her arms around his neck, placing her palms flat against his chest. Her hair veiled her face, tickling James' neck as she leaned in closer, whispering in his ear, "James, I'm sure your parents are all right, it's late, why don't you come sit with us?" She finished her act by softly kissing his cheek.

When Lily received no reaction, she threw her boyfriend a disgusted look before surrendering and returning to her spot on the floor. "A lot of good that did," she muttered, "Got any more brilliant ideas?"

Sirius' eyes slid sideways, shifting his gaze to Lily, "Just one." He rose to his feet, nervously patting his pockets, and from the look on his face Lily could tell Sirius would do this for no one other than James. Screwing up his face in determination, Sirius slipped up behind James, sliding his arms around James' neck in the same fashion as Lily. Shaking his shaggy black hair, Sirius whispered seductively, "Hey, James," when he received little reaction, Sirius impulsively whirled his friend around, kissing him full on the lips. James' eyes widened in horror, spluttering as he threw Sirius' arms off of him.

"Ugh, Sirius, what gives?" James spit between each word, trying to wipe the memory of Sirius' kiss from his mind.

Sirius looked equally revolted, "Don't think for a minute that I enjoyed that any more than you did. But we had to jar you out of that misery somehow."

Lily rolled along the carpet, sides aching as she laughed at the two boys staring daggers at each other.

"Couldn't you have found another way to do it?" James hissed angrily.

"You weren't responding to anything else," Lily giggled uncontrollably. "Besides, it certainly was enlightening, I wasn't aware you and Sirius were so fond of each other!"

"Don't forget," Sirius retorted haughtily, "You're the one who couldn't' seduce your own boyfriend."

Lily froze mid-laugh, sinking deeper into the carpet, glaring at Sirius with eyes brimming temporary hatred. Thinking of no better come back, she childishly stuck her tongue out at Sirius, sending the group into a fresh peal of laughter.

"I was really that far gone?" James questioned incredulously.

"Lily, the girl you've dreamed about kissing for 7 years couldn't even reach you? Yeah, you were long gone." Sirius smirked.

A slow blush crept up James' cheeks as he glanced at Lily, burning humiliation rising within him.

All anger within Lily quickly subsided as she watched James struggling with the words to apologize. "It's all right James," she murmured quietly, "You're going through a hard time, I know, but worrying about your parents isn't going to do anything to help them. You've got to relax."

James nodded, "Yeah, you're right." He glanced at the clock, chiming 2 a.m., then glanced at his friends' tired faces. "C'mon, we're leaving for school tomorrow, let's go get some sleep."

= = =

Sleep drifted lazily above Lily's eyes, slowly beginning to shadow her tired mind, when soft sniffling shifted her from her reverie. Lying still against her bed, holding her breath, she waited silently, straining her ears for the sound. Silence filled the near empty manor, ringing her ears with its haunting chords, and just as Lily was about to give in to sleep, the sound came again. Gently extracting herself from her bed, Lily padded barefooted down the hall, past James' open door, and slowly nudged Sirius' open. "Siir?" she questioned hesitantly, "Sirius?" The bare-chested boy grunted in response, muttering sleepily something about Quidditch fouls, and rolled over, his hollow snoring filling the room. Satisfied, Lily traipsed back down the hall to James' room and nervously stepped inside. "James?"

The sniffling abruptly stopped, followed by a heavy swallow and the shaky reply of someone who'd been caught in an act forbidden to them, "Li-lily?"

Lily's heart swelled as the dark form of James' arms quickly wiped tears from his cheeks. "James," she whispered, "there's nothing to be ashamed of; it's all right to cry."

"I wasn't crying," he stubbornly whispered back, "I just can't get to sleep."

Lily padded across the room, cautiously feeling her way through the dark. "James Potter," she climbed atop his bed, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug, "don't you ever lie to me."

James sniffled in reply, a hot tear falling from his burning eyes and onto Lily's pale cheek.

A soothing sigh of sympathy caught in Lily's throat as she pulled James close to her, holding him as a mother would hold her child. Her hand moved rhythmically up and down his back, relaxing his muscles and lulling him closer to the sleep he'd been so afraid of. "James," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear, "You know I'm always here to listen if you ever need to talk."

He nodded into her shoulder, searching out her hand with trembling fingers. "I'm just so scared for them, Lily, I don't want to lose them."

"I know, James, I know." She sighed heavily, rocking her boyfriend back and forth until he fell asleep in her arms.

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Mari

How's Easter been with the other half of the Marauders? Everything going well with Remus? Things are all right there, I suppose. James' parents were called in by the aurors so he's worried himself into a state of insomnia. I can't wait to return to Hogwarts. I know you think I'm crazy, what with NEWTs coming up and all, but I miss you! Though James and Sirius are great, I'm seriously lacking in the area of girl talk and someone to confide in. I'll see you tomorrow!

All My Love Lily

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A/N: I'm sorry this was so short, I suppose I could have continued onto the next day, but I thought it best to end here and actually get a chapter posted. The next one should be much longer, as long as I get around to writing it . . . I have it started, I promise! Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! The more reviews I receive, the sooner the next chapter gets up!