Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! (See, it worked, I'm updating WAY fast!--- lol, don't count on it in the future though...) So... NOW I understand what a Mary-Sue is... thanks for that! Um... yeah, I just put her in to be annoying, she's not going to be in any more of it really... I was just feeling kind of annoyed at all of my perfect friends at the time, lol... so, yeah...) And here's the next chapter... to the lovely reviewer who said (oh so eloquently) "they really need to fuck!" I COMPLETELY agree... I'm working on that... lol, as great as it would be, I don't think Lily would just jump James the second she saw him, after 7 years... but, of course, that's what my story essentially is... ah, well...not much I can do about that... you all don't really want them to actually get to know each other and all that junk, do you? Yeah, me neither... lol. Oh, and one last thing: a couple people said they were expecting a mansion for James' flat...I was imagining something that's, like, REALLY big, and REALLY nice, but, really, can you imagine the marauders actually cleaning? Yeah, me neither. I could give them a house elf, butI put them in a muggle apartment, so... it's incredibly messy!

Anyway, here is the next chappie!

Chapter 4

In his flat

The flat was nice inside. It was gigantic for one thing, with lots of expensive furniture, and quidditch posters on the walls. And it was cozy. Lived in. Aka a huge mess.

James grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about this. I forgot it was so messy."

Lily laughed, and assured him that it didn't bother her in the least. It was another example that some things will never change.

Lily couldn't help but feel relieved when James led her into the living room. She hadn't been expecting his bedroom, but...still. But she also felt a pang of disappointment for which she mentally scolded herself. Where did that come from, anyway?

James plopped himself down on a large red sofa on one side of the room. Lily looked around, nervously. Every other piece of furniture in the room was completely covered with junk-- clothes, shoes, magazines, stacks of paper, books... After a moment's hesitation, she joined James on the couch. Their legs were only a few inches apart. Not that Lily noticed, of course…

"So," Lily said in and attempt to distract herself from the unwanted thoughts that kept popping into her brain, "Do you live here alone?" Or with a woman? her mind screamed. She wondered if he knew that that was what she was really asking.

He shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. He knew! "No! Do you think I could make all this mess by myself?" Oh. So that's what he was smiling about. But who was it then? Did she know her? "Sirius, Remus and Peter live here too." Oh! Lily breathed an almost audible sigh of relief. "You remember them, don't you?"

Lily giggled. "Of course. How could I forget the famous Marauders?"

James smiled back.

"So, I know where Sirius is," Lily raised her eyebrows suggestively, and James laughed appreciatively. "But where are Remus and Peter?"

"Peter is out with his girlfriend –" Lily snorted, unbelieving, and he took the opportunity to elaborate. "Yeah, I know. But he's with this girl who's actually really pretty…but just as stupid as he is. She went to Hogwarts, actually. Do you remember Marginette Browpott? She was 4 years below us, a Hufflepuff." Lily shook her head, but grinned at James' description.

Then she asked, "And what about Remus?" She smiled fondly, remembering the kind, shy boy. Of all the marauders, she had known him the best. They had even been good friends, for all that he was almost inseparable from James and Sirius. But, really, James and Sirius were such good friends with each other that they could sometimes be rather exclusive. So Remus and Lily became relatively good friends over the years – though their relationship was always simply platonic.

James looked a bit uncomfortable at the question. "Well… he's, um…sick. Yeah, really sick…So he had to, um… go to –"

Lily remembered something then, and cut through James' ramblings.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," she said. "It's the full moon, isn't it? I forgot." Then she laughed. "You're a really bad liar, you know that?"

James gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like that of a fish. Finally, he managed, "But…how'd you…I mean, when did…?"

She giggled at how ridiculous he looked. "He told me."

James, who seemed to have recovered from his shock, asked, "When?"

"The very end of first year." Seeing James' expression, she added, "He would have told you all then too, but he was more scared of your reactions. He knew I'd be okay with it because my uncle was a werewolf. But he finally told you during second year, right?" James nodded. He seemed happier, now, though still a bit jealous. So Lily said, "I never thought to transform with him, though. He was just ecstatic when he found out!" James smiled genuinely at that.

"So," he said, changing the subject completely, "How's life?'

"Well… seven years is a long time…I don't know…I'm a muggle lawyer now; I haven't really used magic for a while now. But…" She paused, suddenly shy.

"What?" James prodded.

"Well…I was kind of thinking of going back, and…and maybe studying to be and Auror or something." She didn't know why she was even telling him this. "What about you?"

"You should!" James exclaimed, ignoring the question. "You'd be a fantastic Auror. I'd rather work with you than a lot of those nitwits out there!" Noticing her questioning glance, he added, "I'm an Auror -- in the strategy department. But there's not much to do now – it's mostly paper work…So I work a few muggle jobs on the side – hence the muggle flat. I've been everything from an ice cream scooper to a clerk at a grocery store. And once Sirius and I worked in a chocolate shop…It wasn't Honeydukes, but it was still wonderful!"

Lily giggled, imagining the two men "working" in a sweetshop… Then she thought of something – but how could she ask? She said, hesitantly, "So, um…do you have a, you know, girlfriend or anything?" She tried to sound flippant, as if she didn't really care, but she wasn't sure whether it worked or not.

James chuckled. "Nope…I've been saving myself for you, my fair lady," he said in his best knight-in-shining-armor voice.

Lily giggled, and then blushed deeply when he added, "I'm guessing form the way you asked that that you don't either?" She nodded. "But I remember vividly that you said something about having a crush on a certain James Potter…" he grinned wickedly when she blushed even redder (fuck her too-light complexion that showed every hint of embarrassment!) and opened her mouth to reply. Bu he reached out and put his forefinger to her lips, shushing her. "No—don't try to deny it. I bet…hmmm, let's try a little experiment."

And, before she knew what was happening, his soft lips were pressed against hers.