Step 4- Um…no one planned for this!

The next few days proved to be the most jam packed and strenuous. The two heads where supposedly in charge of entertainment for at the Halloween feast (and as Lily kept muttering- McGonagall honestly could have told them sooner), the first Gryffindor match against Hufflepuff was upcoming with extra enthusiasm from Captain Potter, with doubled homework, and Lily's request about her best friend and a girl James never even thought Frank recognized in any other then the most general acquaintance like ways.

During a patrol James asked her why she was so interested in getting the two together- I mean Alice was quite nice looking and all- since recently (that being two years or so- the same amount of time James stopped looking…) but still… Lily seemed passionate about this.

Lily looked at him earnestly and said softly,

"Do you know that they where best friends James? I mean the type of friends that could practically make out friendships put to shame. But, you know from the time they were in like diapers- but um… since they came to Hogwarts they kinda drifted away- but they- oh, but it's so obvious they like each other so much- but there happens to be a lot of… I don't know stress about it…"

"But Lily aren't you the one who's always stressing about not dating me- you don't like other people telling you who to date- you do realize that's a bit hypocritical love?"

"I know- but they are too darn stubborn! What could I do- I mean "Allie"- yah that's what Byrne's calls her- it kinda stuck since- but anyways, do I go- 'Guys you were meant for one another'- I mean they've both been trying to put me with you forever…"

"Really?"

"Yah- I think Alice does it because she thinks I might have a thing for Frank."

"Do you?" asked James slightly alarmed- he always thought they had no more then a friendship- it never seemed like anything else- okay he was more force to in his forth year.

"Darn it," James muttered. "Sometime I envy Longbottom."

"Why mate?" Sirius answered with a mouth full of food. "You do realize you both are shoe ins for being aurors…"

"Nah- not because of that, all that time with Evans…"

"Your out of your head mate- they're friends and besides- don't envy him- pity him!"

"Why?"

"Now even if he ever changes his feelings- he's stuck in "friend" zone- and once your there there's no turning back…"

Ah…. and look where he was now- definite friend zone, crap.

" Course not- I mean he's like a brother- and yah, you get the gist of things…"

"Now why do they belong together again?"

"Well Frank'll never mention it- but James you have some really close best friends- don't you just sometimes- well know? It's hard to explain…"'

He put his arm around her shoulders, "I never said I wasn't going to help, I just wanted to know that you where sure- you are sure, right?"

"Positive! Well- I mean wouldn't be horribly nice if your friends tried to help you because they honestly care…?"

I doubt you'd like it Lils, James smiled, but just said, "So what's the plan?"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You can't be serious?"

"I am completely James!"

"Is that legal…"?

"Legal… yes I'm sure, maybe against a rule though…"

"Lily Evans prepared to break a rule, alas, I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Well you have! Now you're ready, aren't you?"

"Course… You do realize it's a really uncreative, cheap, oldest-trick-in- the-books one?"

"Yah, sadly I do."

---

"Alice?" Frank yelled walking into the common room later at night, when there weren't many people around.

"Yah Frank?"

"What's this all about?"

"What?"

"I can't believe you!"

"What is it Longbottom?"

"Follow me."

"Whatever," Alice muttered as he led her into a deserted corner. He then blew up.

"I can't believe you would spread a rumor about me!"

"I did not- anyways- what about?"

"About…."

"Me and…"

"And…"

"Lily!"

"So it's not true?" she answered slightly amused.

"No!"

"And why do you think that I started it?"

"Because you were who I was told did!"

"No need to use and accuser-like tone with me Frank! I didn't big deal- people spread rumors all the time… why do you care?"

"Because it isn't true!"

"So it isn't true? Really I thought Evans gets all the guys, oh except that Black who likes anyone if you know what I mean, but di Silva isn't it recently, interesting," she answered haughtily.

"Those are my friends Alice! You can stop acting like that!"

"Well if I remember correctly I was once your friend too!"

"Really- I do, if you still remember you could have fooled me!" he shouted back, arguing quite like Lily and James- only no one had ever seen them argue (not that any one was watching, they were to busy finishing their potion's homework).

"Huh?"

"Oh- come one Alice, we're in the same house- we see each other everyday and barely say more than a 'hi' and 'bye' to each other! Face it- you don't care!"

"Don't ever say that Frank!"

"Why? You don't remember…not that it matters!"

"Well it does to me!" Alice yelled back.

"What the heck do you mean?"

"It matters to me that all you've done for the past 6 years was ignore me and spend all your time with some other girls, and forget all about the 11 years we spent together before that! We were practically inseparable- do you even slightly remember any of that? No you don't, because it doesn't even matter to you that I really like you!" She gasped and covered her mouth.

"What? But you're the one who's always ignoring me…"

"It not like it matters now…"

"…unless you…" Frank started.

---

"James we did it!" Lily squealed in delight. Both were hiding behind a couch in the common room and Frank and Alice had just kissed.

"Heck yah- I think we did," James murmured. "I had my doubts but you where right…" That was too simple- not fair!

"Course I was!" Lily replied laughing. "WE DID IT!"

---

"Well Amelia De Silva, happy doing business with you,"

"Black, I gotta say you are an evil genius, a jerk, delusional, but a genius in some way through it all…"

"Now all we have to do is sit back and watch them work out all the other details, and wait for them to name their kids after us,"

"Amelia and umm Amid…? We set the mood- they'll work it out. I do think they're meant for each other…"

"I was thinking more like Sirius and Serena… How'd ya get Lily to agree to that plan and what was with that interesting father-like speech De Silva?"

"Well Black just mentioned that they where meant for each other, how'd I wished we could do something, but you needed a Marauder or a miracle for something that extreme… She was able to connect the dots…"

"And the speech?"

"Came genuinely from the heart Black- her poor parents are Muggles, never heard of the capability of a Potter."

"Yah, they should send home wanted posters home with every girl when they send them their letter…" Sirius smirked. "On that note, what about you Mia…"

"Dream on Black."

"Righteo…"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"How's the team captain?" Lily called as a soaking wet James cam out from the portrait hole dripping wet and muddy.

He flashed her another one of those smiles, "Well the team's good- enough for Hufflepuff anyways- but it's the weather we'll have to worry about- even if their buldgers don't get us down- the rain just might!"

"Oh well it's been a long day- and you have a game tomorrow… don't worry about the patrol- I'll be fine, go, shoo, the potion essay's calling you- you can't finish it tomorrow if there's going to be a party!"

"Oh- Lils I'll be fine, just give me a minute to change."

"No, it's fine, besides it's really only a one person job stretched for two mostly likely to be fair to the male population…" she laughed.

"Really? You're the best!"

"Uh-huh, I know, and don't forget it! Now go before you get mud over everyone! Is said march!"

She smiled to herself as he marched upstairs, and walked out of the portrait hole. Patrol duty wasn't really hard, there wasn't usually too much going on- it was just, well boring. She couldn't believe that, a year ago she would never believe it if any one suggested that she would actually prefer James' company to none… and now she quite enjoyed it- more then she probably should she kept telling herself.

After walking around- she still taught these daily patrols were quite stupid- for an hour or more with little action except a couple of lost first years and a third year who lost their pet toad… She heard some older voices now- sickly familiar ones at that seventh years- Slytherins, great- now I have to do this by myself- not cool, remember not to tell James that… "What are you doing here- curfew was over a long while ago!"

"Oh mudblood didn't expect to see you here- oh and without that useless head boy!" Severus Snape laughed.

"Yesss- that's a good thing," Bellatrix Black laughed, "Now we can practice that "charm" I was telling you about."

"Yes Bellatrix love, I think you're right." Her boyfriend Lestrange laughed.

Together the three Slytherins together pointed their wands at Lily, who searched herself for a wand, but it was nowhere to be found. "Crucio!"

Lily felt a surge of pain go through her body like she'd never felt before. It felt as if her bones where on fire- her head was starting to split open- it felt like her eyes where rolling in her head… She wished it would end, no matter what it would take, whatever, but no matter what she wouldn't scream and let the laughs become louder…whatever…

Suddenly the pain stopped and James stood next to her, angrier then she had ever seen him, and something to the Slytherins who suddenly fled- but Lily couldn't hear him- or what he said.

"Lily? Lily? Can you hear me?" James asked her in an urgent, worried but coaxing voice.

Lily just realized that she was now sitting on the cold Hogwarts' floor, and James was kneeling next to her.

"James?"

"Lily? Are you okay… um, can you sit up?"

"What happened."?

"Let's get you to the nurse first."

"James?" she bit her lip. "What did they say?"

James sighed and bent down near her with anger once again in his eyes, "Crucio- do you know what that is? Spineless oily cowards, without you armed –even if you where- they couldn't do it well enough on their own to hurt you- they had to say it together…"

"James…"

"I'm sorry Lily, I know you don't want me to but in but…" neither James nor Lily herself knew how she would react now. She suddenly flung her arms around James and started to cry- not knowing why leaving James perplexed, worried, and confused…

"What did you say?"

"Well… I um … cursed them. We'll have to tell Dumbledore, are you sure you're all right?"
"Uh huh," she said still not letting go, not that James minded in the least. He almost felt guilty that he was even in the slightest enjoying that fact…

He led her into the empty Gryffindor common room, and after he made sure she sat down on a couch near the fire place- he handed her back her wand, only causing her to cry again.

"I'm so stupid! I should have had it with me!"

"Lily! It's okay we all forget…"

"No James, it's not that- but if you weren't there! What if it was for real?"

"What Lily?"

"James- I always thought I could protect my family- they're Muggles… but… I can't, and it was just some stupid seventh years…."

After a few minutes she stopped, "I'm sorry James- I completely over reacted…"

"Of course you didn't! That was an amazingly horrid curse Lils! Remember my parents are aurors; any wizard's vulnerable to it! I mean you reacted better then most!"

"I just wish I could've… Thanks James."

"Huh?"

"James you just happen to be my hero…"

"I don't mean to be championing your cause… you get that- I know you're like the most capable witch in our year…"

"And I mean what I said Potter! You were really amazing, I can't believe how I treated you like crap for so many years, and you still aren't angry at me…"

"Don't cry Lils! I don't blame you a bit! I deserve every once of ignoring and yelling you give me…"

"…and your so nice…" she sputtered.

"Lily Flower? Are you feeling okay? You know if you want we don't have to tell- we can just deal with the our own way… I really think you need some sleep, and don't beat yourself over it, it'll be fine- it wasn't your fault!"

"Yah sure… don't worry James I'll go up in a minute."

"I don't believe you for a second! I'm sitting right here- until you go up!"

"James!" she sighed groggily. She sat down stubbornly across from him folding her arms.

Ten minutes later she was fast asleep, and James smiled to himself.

"Night Lily Flower."

'Night James," she answered half subconsciously.

As he summoned a blanket for her, he made a conscientious decision and sat in the chair across from her with his wand out with so much anger- like he never felt before- that someone could dare harm her… and now he had a strange feeling he knew why he was so enraged. And sat there staying awake not just to protect and watch over her for the night, but no matter if she let him or not, forever.

OOoOoOoOoOoOo

THANKS TO THESE AMAZING PEOPLE- AND SORRY FOR THE SHORT REPLY! TRULY I AM! THANK YOU…. Hazeled eye marauder, Mae-Gene, Spy Girl 4747, Rimmal (you read! I'm so proud) and THE GENERALS!

Dedicated to those HMS Marauders… (so since I'm one is it dedicated to me as well- freaky…)

A/N- OMG- this note is at the end how weirdo major is that…. Yay- don't expect it to last… or maybe it will! EVIL LAUGH! Okay I hate this chapter honestly- I think it was way to cliché, too fast- I mean it's not even Halloween- and there have been NO arguments (major) so far! What the heck am I thinking! I don't think it belongs, at least it doesn't now! But, in the broader out look of things it just might belong! MUTTERING TO MYSELF "Oh please let it belong!" Frank and Alice- Was that too soon? You didn't even get to meet Alice enough to like her… maybe that was a bad idea… I don't know- I say I don't like a chapter- and still kinda like it- but this time I'm dead serious… please review and tell me what you think guys! I REALLY LOVE REVIEWS SO MUCH IT'S NOTE EVEN FUNNY! PLEASE GUYS! OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE! There is so much left to go! Please keep reviewing! Do you like it? Oh please I'm so confused- I want to bring in more plot lines… (Remember that stag- yah I do!)…. Next chapter coming to a computer near you soon with Quiditch and Halloween and fights (?)

Like always, TajM

Lyrics are now removed for the common wealth of this story! Pity I know but I do what I must….