APOLOGIES…WAIT, WHAT?

Back to detention.

It was almost time to leave the trophy room. Of course, Snape had to come back the next day and then get back to his common room to finish his homework, which would probably take hours. James smiled inwardly.

As James, Lily, Sirius and Snape started packing to leave, James said in a falsely sweet voice-

"See you tomorrow Sniv -Snape." James hastily corrected himself as he caught Lily's eye.

Snape didn't say anything, apparently controlling himself with all his might. Lily leaned over Snape to pick up one of her brushes and accidentally brush against him. She felt Snape shudder and he completely lost control.

"Watch it," he hissed "don't want my robes to bear filthy mudblood scent…and your muggle loving boy friends' disgusting snitch underwear's stinking …"

James and Sirius stopped scrambling for their things and looked at Lily. Lily just stared at him and then an insane smile lit her lips.

"Awww… Sevy-Mevy!" she sang throwing her arms around Snape's neck and hugging him tightly. She (to her delight) felt Snape shudder but James saw him turning bright red. Was it with rage? He wondered, because what James was feeling then sure seemed to feel like rage.

"I love you too!" she continued. She pulled back and gave him a wide smile and batted her eyelashes.

Snape was in a state of shock throughout her trilling and couldn't seem to pull himself together as she smiled at him. Then with a stifled cry of rage, he stormed out of the room leaving James, Lily and Sirius to stare at each other.

Lily and Sirius kept silent for a moment and burst out laughing. James forced himself to laugh heartily though he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"See you boys!" Lily said brightly. She slung her bag on her shoulders and left.

Sirius caught the look on James's face and said with a note of resignation in his voice-

"Why don't you walk Lily back? I'll clear up here." He waved his hand over the mess they had created. James's face broke into a grin-"Thanks mate!"

He slung his own bag on his shoulder and ran out of the trophy room. He saw Lily start up the stairs and ran harder. Lily heard his approach and looked back. Then, amazingly- she stopped at the stairs and waited for him to catch up. He got to her gasping and panting. Lily waited for him to catch his breath with a reluctant smile on her face. They started up the stairs.

"Hey! Interesting detention huh?"

"Very!" said Lily smiling broadly in spite of her self.

"Looking forward to more then?"

"Not in the near future, no." They grinned at each other. They had reached the fat lady's portrait. "Adolescents-be-damned". The fat lady swung open with a smirk.

"So, there's a Hogsmead visit next Saturday…" trailed off James looking at Lily uncertainly. Lily's face remained blank, she knew what was coming and for the first time her heart beat hard against her ribs. I'm just annoyed, Lily told herself. It's not what people think…

"So… umm…. Do you fancy going to the Three Broomsticks… together I mean… I could buy you a butterbeer or something…"

Lily stopped walking and slowly looked at him.

"James, look I-" she stopped, then the same insane smile spread across her face that had appeared in the trophy room. James looked alarmed and looked at her with some amount of apprehension.

"Sure, yes I guess we could do that."

James looked even more shocked, even a little scared.

"Er… " he cleared his throat, "I sense a 'but' coming on."

"Butt?" asked Lily quizzically.

"Yeah… I mean no… b-u-t but."

Lily smiled again. "But on one condition."

"And what would that be?" asked James slowly.

I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I

"So how was detention?"

Alice was waiting for Lily in the dorm. Lily was silent as she changed into her night clothes. Then she sat on her bed an said- "Umm… eventful!"

Alice raised her eyebrows with a curious look on her face.

"So, did Potter ask you out again?" she knew the answer even before Lily said it.

"Ah… yes."

"So did you use any new excuse to turn him down again?"

"O it was new alright! I asked him to do something that would guarantee that he'll avoid me for the rest of my life!"

"What did you tell him to do? Drown himself? Although I think he probably will do that…" Alice added thoughtfully.

"No" said Lily biting back a grin- "Apologize to Snape!"

Alice took a sharp breath in-"That's BRILLIANT!"

"I KNOW!"

Lily was so loud that one of her room mates woke up with a start looked around groggily and went back to sleep, muttering something incomprehensible.

I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I

The next morning the marauders were under the birch tree again, but James looked strangely distracted. Remus was listening resignedly to Sirius plan a way to destroy Snape (as usual) and Peter was looking at James curiously. Sirius then turned to James and said- "That'll completely get him wet with sick right mate!"

"Huh? O yes yes… very smart…"

Sirius looked at James closely and continued- "And then I'm going to marry him and go to Godric's Hollow for our honeymoon"

"Uh- huh?" murmured James staring at the lake as a giant tentacle emerged from it.

"But of course that would be a problem, seeing as Lily loves him and all…"

"Hmm…WHAT?" exclaimed James snapping out of his reverie "Lily?... Snape?... you?"

Remus shook his head but Sirius kept looking at James. James hadn't told them what he had to do. He was sure Sirius would use words like- pride, Snape, insane...

"What happened? Usually talks of torturing Snape used to bring you around, don't tell me that's stopped working too!" said Sirius frowning. He looked a little put off.

"Nothing" said James quickly. Luckily a fellow Gryffindor of the Alex McGilchristallencolinmeandersmith had walked up to them and plopped himself on the grass with them. "Hey! The Hogsmead visit's nearing, I can't wait to get out of this ruddy school" he said wistfully looking into the lake.

"Incoming distraction" said Remus looking at the grounds. James looked up to see lily and Alice once again approaching the lake. Alex looked at Lily and then at James.

"So have you asked Lily to go with you?" he asked James. James nodded not taking his eyes off her.

"And…?"

James looked at Alex with a pained look- "She as good as told me that she wouldn't… again"

"As good as?" asked Remus suspiciously, Sirius looked bored.

"I better get going then" said Alex getting to his feet. James not wanting to explain himself quickly followed Alex who didn't notice him.

"Oi Lily!" called out Alex. Lily stopped and looked around to see Alex running up to her. He was in Lily's class but she didn't know his name very well, all she knew was that his name started with a McGilcrustalten-something. She smiled and waved. James was curious, what was he going to tell Lily about him? The rest of the marauders followed James and Alex clearly curious as well.

"Lily, will you go with me to the Three Broomsticks? You know during the Hogsmead visit… I could buy you a butterbeer or something…"

James let out a sound that sounded like a cross between a yelp and a growl. Sirius was running up to them. Before Lily could reply Sirius said astonished- "Mate, what are you doing?"

Alex looked defensive and a little puzzled- "What? She's not going with James is she?"

He looked from James to Sirius to Lily. Lily looked at James for a second- "No, I don't think so, no."

"See?" said Alex triumphantly. Alice looked incredulous.

"But we don't ask your friend's girl out! It's an unwritten rule!" screamed James who looked so furious that he was breathing heavily.

"Yeah!" agreed Sirius equally angry, "She's James's territory!"

"Um… excuse me… James's territory?" Lily suddenly went from looking embarrassed to just as angry as James and Sirius, "I don't belong to anyone. I am my own person, is that clear?"

James looked mortified. "I didn't say that!.. I don't think that… you-"

"I" said Lily cutting James off "will go out with whoever I want to!"

She turned to Alex "Sure Mcgilcr- Alex, I'll go with you to Hogsmead!" she said as she heard as Alice muttered "Alex" to her. With that she gave Alex another smile and stalked off with Alice. Alex smiled at them triumphantly and walked away.

"That filthy scum" said Sirius angrily "That backstabbing git…"

But James wasn't listening, he was looking at Snape sitting a few paces away, oblivious to the world, hurriedly doing his homework.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I

Thanks to AlexisHaliwell89(glad you like it!), Kels(Thanx!)Hazelocean(There you go!), Sasukeblade(Detention...ooh exciting, you like!), Rayvn-Amre(Thanx!)Hapi-Djus(Awww!You're too kind!), Eva Angel(There you go, tried my best!) and wishingbutterfly(your name'safter the and again, just for you!)

For reviewing. Love you guys for enjoying this fic! Don't forget to R & R!

Sorry about the length of the last two chapters. I was up to my armpits in work, and to me that's a lot- I'm 5'7.

Hope this satisfies you( daleia, tell me if I've improved in the fields you pointed out). Yeah, about the tenses, I have seen many authors do it, I guess I'm not professional enough to pull THAT off!

and to littleblackdove- NO its not because of the bewitched song. Sure i liked them 10 years ago but now, not so much! Whats up with them anyway? Glad you like the title though! And thanks for the review!