A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated, and I am so sorry . . . but school's started and it's proving to be a lot more stressful than the past year, so I haven't really had all that much free time on my hands. 5 minutes here or there to check my e-mail, but never long enough to write, type, or post. But I AM back!!!

I've gone over this chapter thousands of times . . . and I'm still not satisfied with it. It's another transition chapter, and I know it's not that great, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

Lils

Hey girl! I'm going crazy being cooped in this castle without you! You think it's hard being stuck with James and Sirius, try a week alone with Remus and Peter! You know I love Remus, but he's been really down lately and quite curt whenever I try to talk to him, and you know as well as I do how dull Peter is. I tried meeting up with Kelly but she's been avoiding Gryffindors like a plague. I saw her walking around the lake hand-in-hand with Davies! What's up with that? I thought she was with Sirius! I would have asked Remus but he's been really tetchy whenever someone mentions Sirius' name, and when I asked Peter he nearly burst in to tears claiming that no one ever tells him anything. So, you see, no matter how bad it is there, it's a lot worse here. Just thought you should know what you're getting into!

The One & Only Maren

Sunlight streamed through shafts in the window, dancing across Lily's eyelids. Turning her head away from the light, she buried her face deeper into James' chest. Lying there, entwined in her boyfriend's arms, Lily realized that she'd never felt so completely safe in the entirety of her life. The billowing comforter was tucked protectively around them, encasing them like a shield, and the spicy scent of James' soap filled Lily with each breath she took. Briefly, Lily realized she'd be content to spend the rest of her life in this moment, completely enveloped in James' arms.

Shaking sleep from her eyes, Lily rolled over, her sleep-blurred vision adjusting to her surroundings as she gazed at the blinking alarm clock. 10:15. The time barely registered in her mind before she shot up, tumbling out of James' arms and onto the floor. Panicked, she hastily shook her boyfriend, yelling, "James! We've overslept! We're going to miss the train!"

"Sirius!" Lily yelled from the entrance of King's Crossing Station, "C'mon, we're going to miss the train!"

After oversleeping, missing the knight bus, scrambling to write a note to the still missing Potters, and catching a Muggle taxi cab, Lily, James, and Sirius had made it to the station with five minutes to spare. The bustling post-holiday crowd of Muggles stared bewilderedly at the strange assortment of wizarding objects piled high in the teens' carts, giving the three a wide berth as they passed.

"Anyone else not looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?" Sirius grumbled as he wheeled his trolley towards the frustrated Lily and impassive James.

"Not especially," James agreed with a shrug of his shoulders, running a free hand through his hair, "but it is our last year so we might as well, only a month and a half left."

Lily shook her head at the two of them, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Don't," Sirius began, staring at her incredulously, "tell me that you are actually looking forward to going back there, to taking hours worth of NEWTs, spending our last day cramming for exams!"

"No, contrary to your belief I'm not looking forward to all that, but this is our last year, and these tests determine our futures for us, so unless you'd rather have Filch's job, I suggest you two join me on the train." With that, Lily spun on her heel, leaving the two boys staring at her retreating back.

"So, Padfoot," James murmured beneath his breath, "you game?"

Sirius wrinkled his nose in disgust, "NEWTs or Filch? Give me NEWTs any day."

Grabbing Lily's forgotten trolley, the two boys ran to catch up with her. The trio had just approached the barrier between platforms 9 ¾ when a resounding crack from behind them caused them to freeze in their tracks. "Please, let that be some stupid sixth year who just passed their apparition test and is just showing off." James muttered through gritted teeth as the three of them slowly turned around.

For James, what happened next felt like the world was spinning in its slowest motion. Lily's hair whipped him across the face, yet he barely felt the sting, Sirius drew his wand inch by inch from his jacket pocket, glancing at James uncertainly. James' eyes widened in horror as black robe-clad figures suddenly appeared in the Muggle station, their eyes darting towards the screaming Muggles, white masks hiding their visage. "Death Eaters," James murmured, the words stinging his tongue like poison as he gripped his wand defensively.

Glancing at his two closest friends, James gave an affirmative nod before raising his wand towards the nearest Death Eater and shouting "Stupefy!" All at once, chaos broke out within the station: Muggles screamed in terror, trying to force their ways onto a train or near the exits as they were picked off one by one. Some were sent flying into the air, only to be spun near the ceiling like hundreds of children's tops, others cowered in fear as wizards advanced, muttering curses beneath their breath. James sidestepped a particularly shaky woman who'd been a recipient of the jelly-legs curse as he made his way towards the Death Eater responsible.

"Incarcerous!" Coils of rope shot from James' wand, entangling the Death Eater. Holding his wand against the nape of the man's neck, James' hissed menacingly into his ear, "Who sent you?"

A coarse laugh rumbled from the man's throat, "Who do you think?" he growled.

James jammed his wand against the man's throat in frustration, "What are you doing here?" He shouted with such force that sparks flew from his wand, stinging the man's face as they fell.

"I wouldn't be so concerned about what I'm doing here," the man muttered, as what's happening to your friends right now."

James whirled around in time to see Sirius fall to the ground, his body-bound by a curse. A group of five fuming Death Eaters advanced upon his friend, their wands drawn and ready. James swore beneath his breath; trust Padfoot to take on five of them at once. "Mobilicorpus," he muttered, flicking his wrist and sending the Death Eater soaring into a corner.

Sprinting towards his friend's aid, James lunged on the back of one of the sturdier looking Death Eaters, attempting to stun the others in turn as he half-strangled the one in his grasp. He had succeeded in stunning his Death Eater's four accomplices, when the one managed to throw him off, sending him tumbling to the ground. The Death Eater turned on James, boiling with rage as he advanced, preparing to tear the boy in two with his bare hands. He was sure the man would have succeeded, if Lily had not appeared behind him, using a well-placed body-bind curse.

"Thanks," he gave a strained smile as Lily gave him her hand, raising him to his feet.

"The Aurors are here," Lily murmured, "so are your parents. They said they'll handle the situation, but that they want us on the train now."

Blood boiled in James' eyes at her words, "I can't leave my parents!"

"James," she pleaded, placing her quivering hand on his arms, restraining him, "Your parents wouldn't have told you to go if they weren't worried about you. Please, listen to them. Look at Sirius, he needs help . . ."

James' eyes scanned the unconscious, bruised Sirius, overwhelming pity filling his heart. "You're right," he sighed, "Let's go."

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