A/N: Woo! Posting again..let's all dance. So I found most people think that part of the magic is the anticipation of the HP books, and I have to admit, I agree, although I still think they'll be just enjoyable a hundred years from now. A classic. I did have one reviewer who thought the wait was just annoying and the magic was in the books, not the wait. So I commend you, although I don't agree…but you may be right. So everybody, read review, and be merry. I think I'll post again today, because I'm in a good mood….it's thunder storming! I love thunderstorms.

Chapter Forty-Three: Just Some Friendly Conversation

"Ms. Evans, you are doing surprisingly well, I must say." Professor McGonagall complimented as she finished up her lesson with Lily.

"Did you practice over the holidays?" she asked.

Lily shook her head. "No, I was too busy with my sister's wedding and N.E.W.T.s studying…I did go over my notes for it though, maybe that's it."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "That could very well be the case. Now, please transfigure this glass into a candelabrum and then you may be dismissed."

Lily nodded and began to concentrate.

"Excellent today, Mr. Potter." Professor Latham noted as their lesson wrapped up on that Wednesday evening.

James smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You did well on your project with Nott, too." he commented.

James nodded. "Thank you; we put a lot of effort into it."

"I especially liked the part about vampires being given a chance in society, that they aren't evil, it's more of a curse they have. Very insightful." he continued.

"Well, it's the truth." James replied as he packed his things. "Many of those kinds of creatures…vampires…werewolves…they're cursed. They didn't go out and try to get attacked."

Professor Latham. "You've got a good mind, Mr. Potter. I'll see you at our next lesson, we'll probably have one more before N.E.W.T.s, I don't want to distract you from those tests. They are very important."

James nodded. "I know, Professor. I'll wait for your owl."

"I am going to Quidditch practice a little later tonight." James told Lily after dinner. "Slytherin's bloody booked the Pitch for every afternoon so we have nights. It'll probably longer than usual too…bastards."

"Alright, but when you get back, you should probably crack open a book. N.E.W.T.s are only five weeks away." Lily replied as they sat in the Head's common room, going over notes.

James nodded. "Yeah, that's what the schedule says." he replied with just a tad bit of sarcasm.

Lily rolled her eyes. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Hey, I wasn't complaining, love." he replied before kissing her and then jumping up to go change into his Quidditch robes.

Lily just laughed at him and continued to read over her Muggle Studies notes.

Thirty minutes later, Lily got tired of looking over notes and decided to head to the library for some extra background reading on the subjects she was going to have to know.

It was on the library that Lily was bombarded by a very energetic Allison.

"Lily, I was just coming to find you, I've been trying to get you by yourself since we returned from holidays!" she exclaimed.

Lily looked at her in a shocked way. "What's wrong?"

Allison shook her head. "Nothing, I just really need to talk to you."

Lily nodded; she and Allison really hadn't had a good long chat with just the two of them for the longest time.

"Want to go back to the Head's Quarters?" Lily asked.

"Is James there?"

Lily shook her head. "No, he's gone to Quidditch practice…he'll be gone for another hour at least."

"Alright, then." Allison replied, smiling as Lily led her back to her room.

"So what's up?" Lily asked as they took a seat in the common room.

"I just wanted you to be the first person I told…you're my best friend, and I've known you for so long." Allison started.

Lily's eyes had caught the excitement now; Allison had big news.

"Jacob and I…over Easter Holidays…we…we had…sex." Allison spat out, in excitement, yet anxiousness in Lily's reaction all the same.

Lily didn't even try and keep her jaw from dropping.

"What?"

Allison giggled. "I know, it's shocking, isn't it? But I don't know…we've dated for almost two years…and we love each other, and it just seemed so right."

Lily nodded, at loss for words.

"We were safe and everything." Allison continued, we made an anti-conception potion and all."

"So, what was it like?" Lily asked, it seemed only polite, after all.

Allison's eyes fluttered.

"It was so amazing, yet weird too, you know? To be that close to someone, that intimate. It's almost scary at how vulnerable you are…but it's so magical all the same."

"I take it Ellie doesn't know?" Lily said after a while.

Allison shook her head. "No, I don't really want to tell her, it would just be weird…Jacob and all."

"Yeah, that's probably best." Lily said quietly.

"Are you okay, I mean, I did the right thing, in telling you, right?" Allison asked.

Lily smiled at her and gave her a reassuring hug. "Yes, it's fine, it's just a little…shocking, you know."

"I know." Allison replied. "We'd been thinking about if for a while though. I mean, we love each other."

Lily nodded. "I know, you two are very much in love with each other."

Allison smiled. "Yeah, it's not like…it's not like I just met him and slept with him or anything. I'm not a slut."

"Of course not!" Lily protested. "You and Jacob have been dating for almost two years, it's almost expected, I guess."

"Thanks for listening to me, Lily. I really needed to tell someone…I felt like I'd been walking around with the best secret and that I would explode if I didn't get it out." she giggled. "Could you imagine me just blurting that out in the middle of class or something. You saved me from potential embarrassment, Lily." she grinned.

Lily smiled back at her. "All in a job well done."

Allison beamed. "Well, I better go…you probably had something to do before I interrupted you…and Jacob's waiting for me. See you in the morning!"

Allison left with the same bubbly air that she had arrived in, and Lily felt like her mood had been completely drained.

She laid down on the couch, pushing her notes and books to the floor and she kicked her shoes off and let out a sigh.

Her whole life seemed to have altered. It was almost disturbing to know that your friend had made love, had felt something as intimate as being with another person. It seemed to change her from child, adolescent, to an adult. She had always thought of sex being something adults did, older people, not little kids, not her. But she wasn't a little kid anymore, and the subject still seemed to foreign for her to grasp it, it simply bewildered her that Allison, a girl her own age, had been with a boy, their same age. It was baffling, remarkable, thrilling, and frightening all at once. Lily was uncertain, was everyone doing it? Allison sure didn't look any different. It was quite possible that every one of her classmates had been with somebody, but Lily shook the thought from her head. It was simply improbable, yet possible all the same. She took a breath and let out a long sigh. She wasn't dumb, she knew that's what Emerson had wanted from her, and she hadn't been ready. She didn't really think she was ready now either, now that she thought about it. Did James want it? Was he waiting for it? What was he expecting of her?

Lily was so entranced by her thoughts that she didn't notice that James had returned. He seemed to realize she was absorbed by something, as he cupped his hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?" he asked childishly.

Lily jumped up as she felt his cold, wet hands on her warm face.

"James!" she exclaimed, more from surprise than trying to answer the question.

"Right." James replied as he removed his hands and took a seat by moving her legs and then placing them on his lap.

"What are you thinking about?" James asked, as Lily still hadn't said anything after a few minutes.

Lily looked at James and then sat up.

"I think we need to talk." she said.

James nodded. "Alright, what about?"

Lily took a breath. This was a topic they hadn't even come close to discussing yet. "Allison was in here earlier, she needed someone to talk to."

James raised his eyebrow, clueless to where this was going. "Is everything alright with her, what about her and Jacob?"

Lily almost laughed. "Things are more than fine between them, but it is sort of what she wanted to talk about."

James looked at Lily's eyes, still trying to figure out what was on her mind.

"Allison told me that during Easter break, she and Jacob had…sex." Lily said plainly.

"Oh." was all James could say. "Was it the first time or something?" he asked.

Lily nodded. "Of course! Why would she tell me if it wasn't the first time?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, I thought maybe girls shared stuff like that."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Do guys?"

James sighed. This was beginning to become an awkward conversation.

"Well, yeah. I mean, Sirius tells about all of his escapades and what not…and Peter and even Remus goes into some detail."

Lily's face strickened. "They've all done it?"

James shook his head. "No, only Sirius has."

James watched Lily's face relax. "So you haven't?"

"No." James replied. "What's bothering you, Lily?"

Lily sighed again. "It's just…this is the first friend I've had really tell me this sort of thing, and now I have so many things on my mind."

James nodded, he understood. He had felt similar when Sirius had first told him at the end of sixth year. It was like they had grown up somehow.

"So what is on your mind now?" James asked as he played with Lily's feet.

"I was just wondering, er, what you…how you…felt about sex."

James sighed. "Well, I think about it. I think everyone thinks about it."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, but are you ready for it?"

James looked at her, searching for something he couldn't describe, an answer maybe.

"I really don't know, Lily, I can wait as long as you can. It's sort of an, I'm ready when you are thing, I guess." James replied.

Lily nodded. "Well, I don't know how I feel about it."

"That's quite alright." James assured her.

"I mean, growing up I was always told about white weddings, I'm pretty sure that's what Petunia had. But I'm not sure if I really agree with it or not. I think I'm really not ready yet."

James moved over and kissed her. "That's fine." he murmured. "I'm not trying to pressure you into anything; I just want to be with you."

Lily grinned. "I'm glad we talked about this."

James smiled back at her. "I suppose it was good to get it out of the way, to let us know where we stand with each other and all."

"Yeah, that and I'm worried Lola is going to start wondering where she came from." Lily replied, giggling.

"I doubt the stork story would satisfy her." James grinned.

"She's much too brilliant for that." Lily agreed.

"She could have killed the stork, after all." James added.

Lily laughed as she stood up. "I think I'm going to call it a night, I'm dreadfully tired."

"No more studying with me?" James pouted.

Lily smiled at him. "You don't need to be studying, you need to be showering; you're filthy."

"Sorry, the Pitch was terribly muddy today."

"It's alright." Lily replied easily. "As long as you beat Slytherin."

James beamed and puffed out his chest with confidence. "Oh, we will."

2005girl, May Olivia, PhyscoLeopard, chikichiki, X.Little.Black.Cat.X, Prongs1, HGshipper, hoolihoopgirl131, laJardiniere, Zippy-Wings, MissMrprk, Saiyan-of-the-Seas: THANKS FOR REVIEWING! HUGS FOR ALL! EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIKE HUGGING. INTERNET HUG!

Thanks to me beta, hcgolfinfool, who found this chapter quite amusing.