Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters below, except for Jamie Kincaid, though I got the name from a book.

In the previous chapter…

"Take good care of the cute stag, all right? See that it's placed back where it came from." Then she put a questioning finger to her chin and added, "Wherever it came from." With that, she smiled and ran all the way back.

James saw that the coast was finally clear and transformed back into his human self. He looked down at the slightly shorted Sirius, who was looking up and grinning mischievously. "Well, Jamsie-poo? How about a game of exploding snap?"

James was more than surprised at Sirius's easy acceptance of it. But he should have known better.

"Come on, you've delayed me long enough, Jamsie-poo. I bet Remus would love to hear all about the new story."

James, curious, asked Sirius what in the world was he talking about. Sirius shrugged, outwardly indifference. Inwardly, he was just excited enough to fly without a broomstick. He finally had a chance to bait James.

"Oh, nothing, just the story called 'Beauty and the Stag'". James glared at him and when Sirius said, "What?" innocently. He couldn't help but mutter a blasphemy under his breath.

"I hate you, Sirius."

"I know that. It doesn't make a difference, does it?" James sighed as he followed the laughing Sirius back to their room. He was right, there wasn't any difference. None at all. God's truth, his life was about to come to its miserable terms soon.

Game Over

"You sure you're not going, Prongs?" Sirius yelled over his shoulder. When James shook his head firmly, Sirius shrugged, showing his indifference, as he turned his attention to Remus. "You, too, Moony?" he yelled once again, leading people along the hallway to look in their direction. Seeing all the attention they were getting due to Sirius's shouting, Remus's face flushed. He had put a finger to his own lips to silence Sirius, but once again, Sirius shrugged his problems away.

Remus and James both said 'no' and shook their heads firmly to emphasize their point for about the fifth time, until Sirius finally decided to let them off and pull Peter off to Hogsmeade.

That weekend was Hogsmeade weekend. Everyone was rushing out to meet some other people to go out to the joke shop or the robe shop. Although it was only in the month of June then, there were some people, girls, to be specific, that had already planned what to wear to the year end sort of prom. It was a graduation ball, to be certain, but prom for short form. All of the four Marauders had thought it vain to be thinking about it so early in the year, all, except of course, Sirius. Sirius had merely praised the ideas and said that the girls were probably dressing up for them, if not for him. Sometimes, James would just like to clout Sirius on the head for being such an insufferable git. And more that ever would James like to do that now.

Last night was the worst night James had ever suffered in the half year he had been at Hogwarts. Remus and Peter had teased him the most, and though Sirius hadn't told other people about it because of their Animagus forms, the three of them were practically the worst. Worse than Rita Skeeter, if James might say so himself. They kept probing and asking and had finally, only shut up when James threatened to turn them into toads. That, actually, made them laugh harder, as Transfiguration was actually James's most hated subject. He could actually accidentally turn himself into one hideous toad.

When most of the students had already left, James and Remus both looked at each other, as if wondering what they were supposed to do now. Then, James mumbled something about being in one of the classrooms as one of the teachers had summoned him. Following that excuse was Remus saying that he himself had to go to the library to do some research on the newest Charms project they had been bestowed upon.

James nodded and started walking in the opposite direction from Remus when he suddenly turned around in his footsteps, only to find Remus already gone around the bend of the corridor.

Since when did they have a new Charms project?

Ten minutes later, James met Remus again. Neither at the library nor at one of the classrooms. And when they met once again, all of James's thoughts about asking Remus about the Charms project flew out of an imaginary window, as two pairs of blue eyes silently mused in wonder and mocked at each other.

"A Charms project?" James said incredulously.

"One of the teachers?" Remus said at exactly the same time.


Then the both of them looked at each other and smiled lopsidedly, as two arms, one of each, reached forward to knock the wooden door in front of them.

Lily sighed as she heard a knock on the wooden door. She stood up from her original position, which was knees crossed and palms on kneecaps, just the position for meditation, and sighed once more. That knock must have come from Melissa or Cheryl. Couldn't have been Jamie. For one, Jamie was sick that day, and had proclaimed that she would stay in her room for the whole day if it was possible. Moreover, Jamie wouldn't be so irresponsible that she would forget to bring something to Hogsmeade.

She walked slowly to the door, wondering what it was that the two gits didn't bring. Passing by the mirror, it gave Lily a derisive snort, just to show what she thought about Lily's appearance right now. Tightly tied ponytails at the sides of her head, less than skimpy clothes on her, and thick black framed glasses to be specific.

Lily stopped for a while and wondered if she should change into a more appropriate outfit. Just in case. But the rapid knocking on the door was prompting her to open the door so much, that Lily was sure that it would be either Cheryl or Melissa.

It was neither Cheryl nor Melissa. Lily felt her jaw stiffen as she took in the sight presented before her. The shock she felt wasn't just one-sided; it was fairly mutual. The look was passed through all three of them.

James felt himself stare at Lily and although he knew that it was rude to be pinning people down with glances or stares like that, he simply didn't give a hoot about the lack of politeness of it right now. He was just too shocked.

Remus raised one of his well-defined eyebrows in disbelief. Was this unruly and rogue looking girl the same sophisticated and mature lady who had escorted all four of them around Hogwarts on their first day? Apparently so. But Remus couldn't really believe that in such short notice. Yet he was the first to react.

"I – ah – do believe that we have the wrong room," he muttered, after clearing his throat.

Lily knew that Remus was lying when he said that they had come to the wrong room, and she was thankful for that distraction, for she simply couldn't take the weird and funny glances tossed her way anymore, especially by James.

She quickly nodded and tried closing the door to end this humiliation being dumped onto her when James outstretched one of his hands and stopped the door from being slammed into his face. He then turned to face Remus with a glare.

"What do you mean we have the wrong room?" James all but shouted.


Lucky for Remus, he had already known James's temper by heart and didn't take notice of James flaring up in front of him. "I mean that we have come to the wrong room. Unless you happen to be Lily Evans?"

That was the end, Lily knew. The end to everything. The end to whatever act she had been playing in as an important role and character. The end to her seven years of successful façade.

She was still wondering, panicking, about whether she should tell the truth or not. For the truth seemed to be the most obvious thing lying blatantly in front of all of them; yet the lies seemed to be more welcoming than whatever challenges or punishments she knew she was about to face in due time.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, another voice traveled from behind her, sending her train of thoughts to a place named Timbuktu, which promptly didn't exist, as we all know.

It was this same voice that made Remus's knees buckle, which then led to him remembering what his business was, before he came upon this strange encounter.

"Lily?" a weak voice echoed from behind her.


Lily could have sworn that she would clout Jamie on the head for calling her name out loud. Then again, Jamie was not to blame whatsoever. It was mainly her fault for thinking so stupidly that it was either one of her other two close friends that had come a knocking on the stupid dumb door.

Lily sighed and realized that she had absolutely no way out as she turned to face Jamie, whose right now, violet eyes were wide open, and had traces of red, proving her tiredness due to the nasty cold. Jamie hugged this huge red and gold coverlet closer to her, as if it was some kind of reassurance which Lily could somehow do without.

Another sighed followed as Lily walked back to her own room, feeling that all hopes of hers had been destroyed, now that her secret wasn't known to only four people in the entire school. And what could be more worse, to let the two most popular guys in the whole of Hogwarts know her true self? Having her petite body flung across her bedding, Lily tried to ransack her body for what little tears she had left. Unfortunately, she found them.

James was too shocked by all this to notice the blush that had crept slowly unto Jamie's cheeks when she saw Remus and his bouquet and realized what Remus had truly come for. James would also have noticed that Jamie was still clinging onto her coverlet even when she walked out of the room to accept the bouquet of flowers from a blushing Remus and give him a peck on his cheek, only to elevate his level of redness.


James would have also noticed the glare that Jamie gave him, instead of the soft glance towards Remus, as if all this was his fault. He gritted his teeth and walked into Lily's room boldly, as if he had some serious business to get down to. Once again, the mirror clicked its tongue rapidly as it silently watched the scenario taking place.

He slammed the door and nearly took its hinges off. He was about to shout into Lily's ears for being the deceitful person that she was and slap the senses out of her when he noticed her tiny body shaking uncontrollably. Was she crying now? James couldn't tell. And a moment ago, James could have sworn that he wouldn't have cared. Now, faced with such reality and truth of it all, James couldn't help but feel sorry and sadness for her. He hated himself for giving in to her sobs so easily, hated himself for the weak personality he had in him, but absolutely loved himself that minute as he took the shaking Lily into his warm arms and soothing her by rubbing her lower back slowly. By then, he had noticed that Lily had already worn her 'mask', and that nearly had him flaring up once again. Nearly, but not quite, as he slowly and gently wiped the tears from her already tear-streaked cheeks.

James sighed inwardly, but after a while, smiled at the thought of what all this meant. All it meant was… game over.

Remus couldn't get his blush to stop even when the both of them had already walked halfway along the long and winding corridor. Jamie couldn't help but sneeze a few times as she caught the unexpected breeze. Remus, of course, noticed her slight discomfort and hesitated not once as he pulled her closer to him. What he thought was little warmth from him turned out to be the warmest hearth with the most soothing fire Jamie had ever seen.


The both of them stayed in their positions for God knows how long. Not that it was unpleasant, though. For two strangers huddled in that position, maybe. But for two people who felt the same way for each other, not so. Their backs were leaned against the wall which supported both their weights and Remus's arms were around Jamie's waist and Jamie was all but sitting on Remus's lap. It was heartwarming, no doubt.

Then Jamie suddenly turned around and faced Remus with their faces only inches apart. Remus was so glad and delighted that Jamie was going to initiate the kiss when Jamie suddenly spoke.

"Please don't tell anyone about what you saw today," she whispered softly.

Remus was quite disappointed about the kiss he expected to get but didn't get, but he nodded and promised anyway. Satisfied with that promise of Remus, Jamie started to turn back around when Remus stopped her from moving.

"Oh, no you don't," he whispered, his breath sending tingling shivers down Jamie's spine as it blew upon her parted lips.

The kiss was thorough and satisfying. By the time they were done, Remus couldn't say that he was glad and delighted, though.

He was elated.

A/N: So how was it? Please read and review!! And maybe it would help that tinge of writer's block I'm about to get. Thanks!