Dumbledore had decided to tell Lupin and his three friends exactly what they needed to know and no more. When the four boys entered his office he spoke directly to them and they listened obediently. They had no real respect for any adults but Albus Dumbledore was so grand and powerful that they could easily be scared by him.

"Remus, I am deeply disappointed by you, the headmaster began, I have put all my trust in you. I have even given you the post of a prefect hoping you could some control over your rather troublesome friends."

James and Sirius looked very uncomfortable.

"I see you have ignored my indirect order. I do not want to know what your friends were doing in the night when you're transformed. Remus, you have attacked a student. Alice Rivers may be in the same misery as you in a few weeks because of your childish act. I thought that you knew so well what a nightmare it was to be a werewolf that you would be very careful. You have not."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and tried not to laugh. If he laughed he knew the four boys would not take him seriously. And he needn't them to. Dumbledore really loved his job. It reminded him of his own childhood. He saw students when they first came in Hogwarts. They always seemed so shy and innocent. Except Sirius Black. That boy had never felt shy in his whole life. And then the students grew into teenagers and into adults. They learned magic, life, made friends, made enemies.

"Please, James Potter interrupted the headmaster's thoughts, Remus wouldn't have acted like this if it wasn't because of us."

Dumbledore opened his eyes again and looked at James Potter with a lot of interest.

"What do you mean, Mister Potter?"

James turned his big hazel eyes and stared into Dumbledore's blue ones.

"What I mean is that it was all my idea. Remus would never have done it if we wouldn't have forced him. And he does try to keep up his prefect duties but we just never listen to him."

Behind James, Sirius was nodding vigorously.

"Right then," Dumbledore said.

He pulled out a book from his desk.

"Then you will do this, the four of you, together."

James smiled. He knew that once the marauders were reunited they could manage anything.

"Alice Rivers can yet be saved."

Remus's mouth fell open. Peter gave a squeal of excitement.

"I have seen her this morning, Dumbledore said, and there's something you can do for her to prevent her becoming a werewolf. It is a very dangerous potion but you are now in your sixth year at Hogwarts. I think you can do it."

Padfoot and Prongs tried to suppress a groan. They were rubbish at potion!

"Are you ready to hold such a big responsibility?"

They nodded.

"Yes, but please professor, James broke in again, I don't understand. Wouldn't it be much safer if you'd do it?"

Dumbledore tilted his head to one side.

"I can't Mister Potter. This potion has to be made by the persons who feel most guilty."

Dumbledore couldn't have come up with a better excuse. He was amazed that Potter and Black, the Kings of untruth, believed him!

The four boys climbed to their feet.

"I'm counting on you," Dumbledore said before they left.

When they were out of sight, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. How he would like to be young again and naïve as they were!

--

Lily was walking down a dark corridor. She snapped at a few stupid first years who were jinxing each other, she confiscated a few trick wands from the famous Marauders, and all together she did not enjoy being a prefect for the first time.

Lily Evans was in a very bad mood.

Alice, her best friend, still hadn't woken up or showed any sign of doing so. Lily was scared for her friend and she dreaded visiting her. She feared she would see Alice dead. That was ridiculous of course; Madam Pomfrey would never let anyone die in her Hospital Wing. However Lily kept having nightmares about werewolves and all sorts of monstrous creatures. But then the stag appeared and chased all her fears away. She longed to touch it, to feel it, to assure herself it was real. She knew she loved the stag even if he came only from her imagination. Lily entered the Hospital Wing, breathing slowly. She saw Frank Longbottom beside Alice's bed. He was holding her hand tightly as small tears dripped from his eyes. It was incredible how he had attached himself to Alice so tightly. It was clear their love was pure. Lily decided to leave them alone, just the two of them together, so she backed out of the Hospital Wing. She walked down back to the common-room thinking of Frank and Alice. She was quite jealous of them! How she longed to have someone to love and who loved her back! Somehow Lily's mind drifted back to the stag. She never seemed to be able to get it out of her mind …

--

The four Marauders sat in the common-room. Sirius Black was sprawled across the floor reading the potion's ingredients.

"It's so complicated! How could Dumbledore give us something like that?"

James sighed.

"What can we do? I mean it's clear we're deep in the mud! Even Remus doesn't understand a single thing of that potion!"

Sirius laughed.

"Deep in the mud? Since when did you talk like that?"

James poked his friend and soon they were fighting playfully like small kids. Remus looked exasperated.

"Look, guys, this is serious, you have to help me! How can we do this damn potion? Is Dumbledore crazy or what?"

Sirius cocked his eyebrows.

"Crazy, I'd say."

James grinned and messed up hair again.

"Moony is right, Padfoot, how can we do this potion? I mean Remus here is the best in our year and he doesn't even know how to begin!"

Remus frowned.

"Wait a minute, Prongs, you're wrong there. I'm not the best in potions. There's someone far better than I am!"

James said nothing. He had hoped they wouldn't think of that. Sirius noticed his face.

"Hey, Prongs, mate, I know it'll hurt your pride very much but we have to do it."

James scowled. Sirius laughed.

"Come on, he said patting Prongs on the shoulder, it's time you admit it."

…

"We need Lily Evans."

--

Author's note: Thanks for all your reviews! I was really surprised and pleased! I'm sorry if things don't exactly match with what JKRowling said, like for example Molly's name, the fact that James Potter is a seeker (really? I always thought he was a chaser!) and that Dumbledore was not yet headmaster when Lily and James were at Hogwarts. I can't always check on the book or I won't be able to update so quickly.

Also this fiction is called "A kiss of Evans" because since the beginning of this fiction I already know the end, if you see what I mean …

-dopey smile-

News ideas just keep coming in my head but don't worry the end you're all waiting for is coming …