Disclaimer: I only own Malika and Jane, everything else belongs to J. K. Rowling…

A/N: I know there is a terrible cliché somewhere in this chapter, but I just couldn't resist.

Chapter 11

December 1994

Auror headquarters was in quite an uproar when Malika arrived ten minutes later. Aurors were getting themselves ready to go on their assignment, orders were shouted over the noise, people were hurrying to and fro the office of the Head Auror, it was almost as bad the day they heard Sirius had escaped from prison.

Through this mess, Malika managed to find her own desk, Jane was waiting for her with a troubled look on her face.

"Are you going to tell me now what is going on here? It must be something big to have everyone in such a state and to make you look so anxious."

Jane shook her head. "It is something rather big, but they're making it more of a deal with the way they are handling it."

Malika stared bemusedly towards her friend.

"What are you talking about, Jane, who do you mean by 'they'. And why are you trying to get out of telling me what is happening here?"

Malika started to get worried, she had never seen Jane acting like this, her friend seemed to be afraid to tell her what was going on.

"You're not going to like this, Malika."

"Tell me now, Jane."

Jane glanced around her quickly, before returning her gaze back to Malika with a sigh.

"Alright. Listen, something happened last night…", she hesitated, but continued upon seeing her friend's annoyed look.

"You know it was a full moon last night…"

The Auror received an 'of-course-and-you-know-that-don't-be-obvious'-look from Malika. Jane was in fact one of the few people who knew about Malika's relationship with known werewolf Remus Lupin.

She took a breath and continued quickly, as if she wanted to have everything said and done as soon as possible.

"There have been quite a number of werewolf-attacks last night, more than there have ever been in one night at once. If this knowledge reaches the public, it will cause a mass-panic, according to some people who work closely with the minister, and of course, Fudge can't have that now, it could cost him his job. Therefore, Fudge has given orders to 'make sure this never happens again', which has been translated by our superiors as 'arrest every werewolf who was possibly running free last night, and send them straight off to Azkaban'. That is what they expect us to do too, they want us to hunt down werewolves."

Malika's face had become deathly pale by the time Jane had finished and she was trembling all over her body, partially from anger and partially from fear for Remus' well-being, because it started to look like the Ministry wanted to get rid off every single werewolf in the country.

It took Malika a few moments before she was able to speak, and Jane was watching her worriedly. When Malika finally found her voice, she talked in a very quiet and menacing tone that made Jane hope to never get her friend this angry towards her.

"How dare they do this, bastards. It's their own fault something like this happened. I'm going to have a word with whoever is after this stunt."

"Malika, don't do anything stupid…" Jane tried to hold her friend back, but Malika pushed her away and headed towards the office of the Head Auror.

After a heated argument with the Head Auror and a few high-placed Ministry officials, Malika returned to her cubicle and started to pack her things. Jane immediately hurried towards her friend.

"How did it go?"

"Those idiots didn't even listen to a word I said." She was furiously shrinking her stuff and putting them away in her backpack, barely even looking what she was putting away.

"What are you doing?"

Malika didn't even answer this time, she merely ignored the other woman.

"Malika, what's going on? Why are you packing your stuff?"

By now, Malika had packed all her stuff and she finally faced her friend, Jane was startled by the cold look in her eyes.

"I'm not working for people who willingly make murderers of other people, just to have a reason to lock them up because in fact they just can't get over the fact that they are a bit different. And frankly, I can't believe you can stand here and do nothing about it but bow at their wishes. I'm out of here. Goodbye, Jane."

And with that, she headed out of headquarters, leaving Jane stunned with only her friend's last words to think about.

December 1976 (Marauders 7th year)

After Malika had left the classroom, Sirius stood a few moments staring at the place where she had been, before cursing himself for his stupidity and dejectedly returning to the Gryffindor common room.

His friends were sitting in their usual chairs near the fire, but he didn't feel like joining them, instead he sulkily climbed the stairs to the dormitory. He launched himself on his bed and looked around for something to occupy his mind. His eyes fell on the pillow that was lying on Peter's bed, Sirius summoned the pillow and started charming it in several ways and transfiguring it accordingly.

The pillow had taken the form of a small, very white and fluffy flying dog that was somehow barking the Hogwarts song, when James entered the room. With a flick of his wand he silenced the dog and also removed its wings when it tried to bite him. The pillow-dog scurried away from James and disappeared under one of the beds as Sirius looked up to glare at his friend. James stared back unfazed for a moment, before speaking.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"Right, you're upset over nothing. Happens all the time. Are you going to tell me yet what's bothering you?"

A short silence fell between them, before Sirius finally answered with a sigh.

"I did something stupid."

"That's nothing new."

"Prongs." Sirius voice took a warning tone.

"Alright, sorry. What did you do then?" James took a seat on the bed next to Sirius' bed.

Sirius explained what had happened with Malika. When he finished talking, James was watching him with raised eyebrows.

"That was indeed a pretty stupid thing to do."

"It's been the umpteenth time she has rejected me and I probably ruined all my chances with her now."

"Possibly."

"You're not really helping here Prongs."

"Listen Padfoot, I can't really help you with this, but there is one thing I know. If you want another chance with her, you have to respect her wishes. Give her the space she needs, don't put so much pressure on her, but just be her friend for now."

Sirius stared at James for a few moments.

"Right. Since when do you know how to win over a girl who has been rejecting you all the time? It's not like you succeeded in it yourself."

James raised an eyebrow at the last statement, but ignored it and answered with one word.

"Experience." Then he burst out laughing at the dumbfounded look on Sirius' face.

"Tell me you're kidding."

"While you and Moony were constantly drooling over Malika these last weeks, I've taken the chance to get closer to Lily."

"Are you two…?"

"No, not yet, but she doesn't mind anymore having me around and we can actually have a real conversation without her getting irritated. I think that's a big improvement, seeing as a year ago, she couldn't even stand to be in the same room I was in."

Sirius laughed. "True, Prongs, I think she's falling for you."

James grinned in response. "I always knew she would."

000

Lily had left the library quietly when she had noticed Malika and Remus were sitting closely together, bent over his charms book. For Lily, this looked like her cue to leave them alone, who knows what could come out of it if they had more chances to be alone together.

Lily had noticed a long time ago the sparks that flew between her two friends and she had always thought they would make a cute couple, if only Malika would realize it.

Soon, Lily arrived in the common room and she was surprised to see James sitting alone on the couch near the fire, looking a bit bored. She contemplated for a moment if she should go talk to him or not, and it struck her how strange that sounded, seeing as a year ago, she would have totally ignored him.

Making up her mind, she approached him and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Hey, it doesn't happen often, you sitting here all by yourself. Where is everyone?"

James looked up a bit surprised; true she did hang out with the Marauders on a regular basis for the last months, but it was still the first time she came to talk to him out of her own accord, except when it was about their duties as Headboy and Headgirl. Automatically, his hand went to his hair, followed by Lily rolling her eyes, the next moment they were both laughing, without really knowing why. When their laughter had subdued, James answered Lily's question.

"Sirius and Peter are in detention for some prank they pulled while we had a meeting with all the prefects, they figured it would be safer then, but McGonnagal caught them. I suppose Remus and Malika are still in the library?"

Lily nodded. "They were working together on something, didn't even notice when I left."

"They seem to be getting closer these days."

"Yes, I think they would make a great couple, but Malika is still trying to figure everything out I guess."

"They seem to be suited to each other, and Remus certainly deserves her. But Sirius still loves her too, and I don't think he will let her go that easily."

A sigh escaped Lily's lips. "I know. I wish he would let her go though, and realize Malika isn't for him. I'm sorry James, I know Sirius is your best friend, but sometimes he really gets on my nerves."

James chuckled. "I know."

Lily smiled too, then another thought crossed her mind. "Why does he want Malika so badly? Is it because she is the only girl in this school that has rejected him?"

James shook his head. "No, I know when he means what he says or when he is playing, and I've never seen him so sincere about something as he is about his feelings for her. I'm pretty sure he does love her."

"It's kind of tragic, two friends falling for the same girl."

"Yeah, I hope she makes up her mind soon, she's hurting them both with the way she is handling it. Besides, she's taking a lot of their time, I'm starting to feel like I'm losing my friends."

Lily laughed. "Poor James, jealous because his friends left him for a girl."

"It's not funny, and I'm not jealous," answered James in an annoyed voice.

Lily only started laughing harder and soon James joined her.

After they had caught their breath, Lily said, "I know how you feel actually, I barely have the chance to catch Malika alone lately."

James grinned crookedly. "Ha, I knew it, perfect Lily Evans is jealous too. What do you say about making them jealous by running off together."

Lily gave him a playful slap on the arm. "Shut it. You never change do you? Still as cocky."

"Of course, but I was joking anyway."

"I know." A silence fell, before Lily continued, "I never said I was perfect."

James' voice turned suddenly soft when he replied. "No, I always said that, because you are perfect to me."

Lily looked up quickly, and met James' gaze. They gazed in each other's eyes for a moment, before Lily turned away, blushing. She couldn't really comprehend what was happening, but she knew she had never felt like this before. Was this what love felt like? She was perplexed by her own feelings. When did she start falling for, of all people, James Potter?

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments.

James cursed himself inwardly. Why did he have to say that, they were having a nice conversation and he had to go and spoil it. He had to say something to break the awkwardness. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

"We should go over the tasks we have to give to the prefects for the preparations for the Yule Ball."

Lily agreed gladly and grabbed for her bag. She pulled out a pile of parchments with notes about the coming ball.

Unfortunately, some parchments slid from her hands and fell to the floor. Before she could pick them up however, James had already done so and handed her the notes with a smile. As she took them from him, their hands touched for a moment, sending a wave of electricity up from their hands through their bodies, at the same time their eyes locked once more.

Again, Lily turned away quickly, blushing and heart racing in her chest. She made a fuss of neatly stacking her parchments for a moment, before turning back to James.

Moments later they were discussing the details for the Yule Ball and that was what they were still doing when Malika and Remus returned from the library.

Lily looked up just in time to see Malika looking at her, beckoning her over with her eyes, before disappearing up the stairs. Lily understood Malika needed to talk, so she packed her notes away and said goodnight to James. Before she could leave the common, James called her back.

"Lily, wait a second." She turned back to him with a questioning gaze.

For a moment, James lost his nerve, she had been rejecting him for more than four years, and they had been getting along pretty well lately, was it wise to jinx that by asking her out again?

Of course, that moment of doubt disappeared quickly and he approached Lily with his usual confidence.

"Would you do me the honor to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

For a moment, time seem to stop, Lily was torn between two opposite feelings. On the one hand, a part of her wanted to hold on to the habit to reject James, but on the other hand…

She had to admit to herself that she actually wanted to go with him.

When Lily looked up to James, she could see the sincerity in his eyes and she realized there was only one right answer to this question.

"Yes, I would love to go with you." She gave him a smile and quickly ascended the stairs.

James stared after her and stayed for a long time standing on the same place, staring at the spot where Lily stood when she gave her answer.

Had she really said what he thought she said? He kept repeating her words over and over in his head. Yes…She said yes. He could barely believe it, Lily Evans had agreed to go on a date with him, to the Yule Ball none the less. A big grin appeared on his face and it felt like it would stay there for the next few days. James felt like it was one of the best days of his life, and with the prospect of the Yule Ball, things could only get better.

000

Please review…

Thanks to Celi and Ashley for your reviews…