Chapter 9

Day 6- Thursday

"Where are Remus and Black?" Lily walked into the living room, looking around as if hoping to see them... maybe standing in a corner, enjoying watching her walk around the house looking for them.

She had found James. He was sitting in the armchair near the books, and when she walked further into the room, watching him enquiringly, needing an answer to her question; he looked up, his hazel eyes serious.

"I told them to leave for a bit."

Ignoring the sudden thrill she felt in her stomach, and the fast pace her heart just took up; not knowing if it was because she was nervous or... the more terrifying thought, happy that her and James were now alone together, she managed a glare. "Why?"

He was silent, just watching her, and that thrill only increased. She had to look away, suddenly very aware of the fact she was blushing... nervous that he could see into her soul, into her imagination which suddenly began going wild. Just with that one look! What was wrong with her!

"I wanted to talk to you." His voice was silky smooth in a way she hadn't heard from him before. Calm... was it? Or perhaps a better word would be confident.

She moved to the couch, feeling she might collapse under his gaze at any moment. "Oh?" She still didn't look at him, only picked some lint off her blouse. "What about, Potter?"

He flinched at the sudden use of surname, but she pretended not to notice. It was safer... it was safer to stay away from him.

"I wanted to talk to you about animagi."

She looked up now, her mouth forming an 'o' of surprise. For a moment, she forgot about being nervous... edgy, and curiosity took over completely. "Really?"

He nodded, clearly happy to see her so curious. She knew what he was going to say... but she was happy to finally hear it from someone else. Hear it from James.

No... that couldn't be right. It would be just the same coming from Sirius or Remus... wouldn't it?

She held her breath as he looked away for a moment, then back to her. It seemed he already knew what to say. "I'm sure it won't be much of a surprise for you." He laughed slightly. "Your much to clever for your own good sometimes."

She ignored him, unconscious to the fact she was on the edge of her seat.

"Sirius, Peter and I..." He paused, watching her, only her, his eyes dancing. Her heart was pounding... she was sure he would hear it.

"We're animagi... we learned how to do it so we could leave the castle whenever we wanted."

She felt a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth. He was covering for Remus... as a true friend would.

"Thank you for telling me." She whispered it, not sure if her voice would work properly. He was watching her again.

His gaze suddenly took on a worried expression. "You won't tell will you?"

She shook her head, a smile coming completely now. "No... I won't." She looked down at her hands which were planted firmly on her knees. "Your doing it for Remus... I won't tell."

He opened his mouth to say something, but when she shook her head, he stopped. She knew what they were... and he now knew that she knew the Marauder's secrets. The deep dark one... and she excepted it.

He smiled at her now, then stood up, putting the book she hadn't even realized he was holding into her lap. "You can read more about it if you want."

Curiously she looked down to find herself staring at the cover his dad's animagi book.

Smiling, she handed it back to him. "I don't need to." No... she didn't need to. For some reason, James' words were enough.

She returned to her room when the two boys returned, smiling to both Remus and Sirius well making her way upstairs, ignoring the curious glances that the taller boy was passing to his best friend and herself.

She was on top of the landing when she heard James speaking to them, and she found herself pausing, listening despite the fact she knew she shouldn't.

"It's all right now."

They were silent now... but she could visualize Remus' smile; Sirius giving James a pat on the back... and she found herself smiling again as she returned to her room.

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James was doing the dishes when she came up to him later. Or rather, sitting at the table overseeing his magic.

Dinner was over and this was the first time since their conversation earlier that they had been alone together.

He felt her there before she said anything.

"So... what are you?"

He turned to watch her approach. She looked timid... but curious. Her beautiful emerald eyes flashing the way they did when listening in class. Standing beside him now, she took out her wand from what appeared thin air, took up a plate from the pile of dishes that had just magically been rinsed, muttered a spell under her breath and proceeded to blow dry the plates.

"What do you mean?" He found himself smiling. Just being in her presence was intoxicating.

"I mean," she turned to him, both wand and dish still in her hand. "What do you turn into, when you change?" She turned back to the cupboards with the plates. "Where do these go?"

He gave his wand a small flick and a cupboard door opened up to her right. She deposited the plate in it then turned to start on another.

"A stag." She made a small noise that sounded like a snort and he grinned. "What? Is that so strange?"

She laughed now, turning to look at him, her eyes dancing now with mirth. "No, not at all. It's very typical actually."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at her, absolutely delighted that he had made her laugh, even if it was at his own expense. "It's normal for a young man to turn into a stag and prance around is it?"

"Prance?" Now she was absolutely giggling, something he found very un-Lily like but found he was enjoying it completely and hoping she would do more of it. "I can see strut maybe, but I never thought you were one for prancing."

He ignored the blush that had surface on his face. "Is it unmanly to say prance?" He was on the verge of giggling himself it seemed.

She had to put the plate back on the counter to steady herself before talking. "That's why they call you Prongs." She laughed again. "That makes Sirius sound like a elephant a bit doesn't it? Or a dinosaur..."

"What? Padfoot?" He was silent a moment before laughing. "He's a dog."

"Ah... another one I definitely should have seen coming... and Wormtail? Do I want to know?"

"A rat."

She placed one hand on the chair, and placed the other delicately against her hips, wand held in her fist. She had no clue how perfect she looked, and James suddenly felt all his breath leave him.

"Well that's not very becoming is it?" She scrunched up her nose, something that James felt quite cute. "A mean... why a rat?"

He shrugged, "I don't know... the animals come to you, you know... you don't really choose."

"I know... I did read the book, remember?" She was smiling slyly now, and turned away from him, reaching for another plate. "A rat?" she whispered as she began pouring hot air out of her wand again.

"We should talk more often like this." It was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he found himself holding his breath again as she turned to regard him, a strange look on her face now. Fear? Nervousness?

But slowly, the look turned to one of shy happiness, her smile reaching her eyes as always when she replied, "I think so too."

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AN: Thank you to all reviewers from last chapter.

This chapter was fun to write, but I'll enjoy the next one even more.

Reviews please!