Author's Note: Hello, all! I know I left you with a little bit of a cliffhanger--but it's not going to be resolved in this chapter, unfortunately! I think I'll let you have one more happy chapter before I lay all that misery on you. But on a lighter note, this is the Quidditch chapter (or at least, it's the first Quidditch chapter…more on that later in the story). Just so we all know, James is going to be Chaser. I've never really thought of him as a Chaser before, but I'm going to try it out this time. What's life without a little challenge? And, so you know, PLEASE READ THIS!!! I'm going on a trip to Canada starting tomorrow and until July 3rd, which means my next update will be around July 10th or something. I knew I really needed to update before then or you would probably make some list of ff.net authors to never read a story from and put my on it. So, here's a nice, VERY LONG, chapter to satisfy you until then! I'm not going to be able to write anything when I'm gone, but I might be able to have time to read your reviews, like the ones from people who reviewed last time:

Manny2003: Yes, they would all go into shock. And they probably still will when they eventually do tell them. Thanks!

Kita: Let's just say if it were Snape or a Professor, that'd be the least of their worries…oh no, it's something much worse. Thanks!

Lady of Masbolle: I'm so glad you're glad! And, yeah, Evanescence is pretty cool. They're not exactly my favorite band, but I do listen to them quite a bit! Thanks!

Windowseat Wonderer: Phew! I'm glad things are still going smoothly. I was struggling with writing that lovey stuff. James is just not telling Sirius because he'd worried about what people would think--silly boys and their images and whatnot. We all know what a mouth Sirius has on him, so he'd probably tell just about everyone in a few minute's time. And Remus, as we all know, is a pretty smart cookie, so he's got some idea of what's going on. As for how they went unseen in the Common Room…well, maybe no one else was awake…or maybe they stopped holding hands just as they entered. Anyhow, feel free to make up the reason why. Thanks!

Modesty and Madison Twins: I know your review wasn't really for the story, but I feel it's my duty to at least mention everyone who reviews. I'm glad you think it's a good story, so thanks!

slytherin fan: Haha, yes, I know, I'm just so clever. Just kidding, but I was trying to persuade you to vote without begging. And it worked, didn't it! Anyhow, I hope you read this chapter, and like it too. Thanks!

Chapter Ten

By the time the weekend rolled around, just about everyone in the whole castle was excited about the upcoming Quidditch match. As could only be expected, most of the Slytherins were trying to put anyone on the Gryffindor team out of action--not to say that the feeling wasn't mutual, since the Gryffindor Keeper had actually punched the Slytherins' Keeper right in the nose. Sirius protested that the only reason he'd done it was because one of Slytherin Beaters had tried to pour some Swelling Solution right on one of the Gryffindor Chasers--but all the same, Professor McGonagall had given her own team's Keeper a week's worth of detentions (after the game was over, of course).

Meanwhile, both Lily and James had managed to not let anyone know about their relationship, not to say there hadn't been any close calls. One morning at breakfast, Sirius had asked where James had been the previous night. James had thoughtlessly said he'd been with Lily--which made Sirius spit out all of his orange juice. Quickly, James had covered by telling him he'd only been dreaming about being with Lily. Sirius had looked a little suspicious, but then spotted an enormous plate of sausages, and quickly forgot it.

Lily hadn't exactly been without fault either. Anna was…well, she was a bit cleverer than Sirius, not to mention that she had what Lily called her "sixth sense"--she could always tell when something had happened to her friends, and this time was no exception. She'd been throwing questions at Lily left and right, hoping to catch her off guard at some moment. It had almost worked one time, when Lily had replied a little more panicked than normal. So far, however, if Anna knew anything, she wasn't talking about it.

Of course, it wasn't like it had been easy keeping it from the rest of the school either. They both had tried to be careful about everything they did, everywhere they went--but there had been some times where they were sure they would be caught. For example, Lily and James were supposed to be patrolling the corridors one night, but seeing that they didn't get to be together at all during the day, it was the one of the only times they could be alone together. They had been getting along fine until Professor McGonagall's footsteps started ringing through the hall. The two had only pulled apart just as she came rounding the corner.

And if it wasn't enough that the two were torn apart during the daytime, Voldemort's attacks had been getting worse and worse by the day. People had being going into hiding, or at least that's what the rumors were. Everyone in Hogwarts, students and teachers alike were sad when they heard about a new attack--or at least, almost everyone was. The Slytherins had been gleeful lately, for no specific reason, so they said. However, almost all the rest of the school (though they didn't say it), knew that it was because "Voldemort had been ridding the Wizarding community of all the filth", as one brave Slytherin had said early on. He was expelled from Hogwarts, and now the rest of the Slytherins had kept their mouths shut.

So, all in all, it was a nice change when everyone got to go out and watch the Quidditch game.

"…and it's Potter with the Quaffle, he's racing down the pitch--come on--and…YES! He scores! That's fifty for Gryffindor, and fourty for Slytherin…"

A great mix of noise erupted from the stadium; filled with cheers from the Gryffindor side & groans from the Slytherin side. As James zoomed back down the pitch getting high-fives from his teammates, Lily felt a surge of pride inside.

"He's great, don't you think?" Anna yelled from beside her, amidst people still cheering madly. Lily jumped--she couldn't mean what she thought…could she? "As a Quidditch player, I mean," She added, and Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lily replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Anna was quiet for a minute.

"Of course, he's great outside of Quidditch, too," She said, this time at much quieter volume, "Not that you'd ever think so. I mean, it's just an observation."

By this time, thought she was embarrassed, Lily could see right through her friend. Anna was, simply put, much too straightforward to be hedging a conversation like this. It was obvious she could tell something had been going on between her and James--and, if Lily hadn't promised not to tell anyone, she would have probably just admitted it right there.

"I suppose he's not so bad after all," She said, looking at Anna and grinning slightly. After this long of being best friends, both understood each other perfectly at that point: Anna knew that Lily had come to really like James, and Lily knew that Anna could tell what was happening. And, just like a good friend, Anna didn't say a word about it for the rest of the time.

Much later in the game, the seconds were ticking away until the end. Neither team had caught the Snitch yet, and the score was tied. The chasers were scrambling for the Quaffle; the two Seekers were zooming around frantically for the Snitch. The commentary was barely keeping up with the game.

"Fithe, Fithe of Slytherin, zooming towards the Gryffindor goal, Quaffle in hand…and…what's this? Fithe hit by a Bludger from a Gryffindor Beater, and he's dropped the Quaffle--looks like it's going to hit the ground--"

But it didn't hit the ground, though it very near did. A scarlet & gold blur had swooped in at the last moment and grabbed the Quaffle. They (whoever it was) were now flying full force up the pitch, towards the Slytherin goal. Everyone in the stands was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen.

"And whoever that is will surely give the Slytherins' Keeper a run for their money, the goals are left almost completely unguarded. He's getting dangerously close to those hoops, it looks like he's about ready to--"

Nobody heard what the commentator said next, because within a few seconds, the player holding the Quaffle took their shot. It was pelting toward the hoop farthest to the right, and so was the Slytherin Keeper. He dove to try and save it--but it was too late. The Quaffle glided effortlessly through the golden hoop. It was just in time, too, because the whistle signaling the end of the game sounded at that moment. The stadium exploded with cheers; not only from the Gryffindor side but also from Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff, who were both glad to see Slytherin defeated.

It was only at this point that everyone got a good look at the player who'd just won the game. The whole time everyone had been calling out random theories on who it had been--someone had even yelled the name of the Gryffindors' Seeker. Now, however, it was clear who had scored that game-winning shot, and nobody was too surprised to see that it was James Potter.

Crowds of students were now flooding onto the field--Sirius, Remus, and Peter reached James first. Sirius clapped James so hard on the back he nearly fell over, and Peter was looking like he was about to explode with excitement. Lily wanted more than anything to run over to him, to congratulate him and hug him--but, of course, she knew she couldn't. At that moment, she knew she couldn't stand it all anymore: being away from him for so long everyday, not being able to enjoy her time with him, and worrying about what everyone else would think. She watched everyone else crowd around him, wishing she could be one of them, and she also watched him as he walked up to the castle.

She and Anna walked up to the castle with everyone else. It was nightfall by the time they finally got into the Entrance Hall. Voices were coming from head of the staircase in front of them, and Lily turned bright red as she saw James standing there. Anna grinned slightly.

"I've just remembered--I've got to finish…er…well, I've got to go to the library," She said, walking away from Lily, "But I'll see you later."

"…Oh, James, that last goal was just incredible!"

"You're, like, the greatest Quidditch player ever!"

"The Gryffindor team would be nothing without you!"

"You should play professional Quidditch one day, really, you should!"

James was surrounded by a group of girls, who were all gushing over the game (for the thousandth time). He'd been keeping an eye out for Lily, which was the only reason he was actually staying in the Entrance Hall. Sirius, as could only be expected, had organized some huge party to celebrate the win. He had been enthusiastically describing the food they'd have to these same girls, who asked him--all in wonder at the time--how in the world he was going to get 50 pounds of Honeyduke's chocolate so quickly. In fact, even James had been a little confused as to how Sirius would manage that. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and out of the corner of his eye saw that it was Lily. He quickly excused himself from the girls, who looked disappointed.

"…He is so hung up on her…"

"Still? Hasn't he got a clue yet?"

"I'd've thought he'd realize by now that there was no chance…"

"Honestly, he's got a better chance of making the giant squid fall in love with him than her…"

James quickly fell into step beside Lily, who looked very glad indeed.

"Sorry about that," He said, "I was just waiting for you, and then they came along, so…"

"Don't worry about it," She replied, "I'm not going to kill you for talking to other girls. After all, I'm still your girlfriend."

"Yeah," James said, rather giddily. He was still getting used to the fact that Lily Evans was his girlfriend. If I'm having a hard time getting used to it, I wonder what everyone else is going to think? He thought to himself. Truth was, he was sick of everybody not knowing. Six years he'd waited, and while he had gotten what he wanted now, he couldn't let anyone else see him revel in his happiness.

"Congratulations on the game," Lily said, "You really were amazing."

"Thanks. I was going to wait for you afterwards, but at this point I suppose it's not an option. Sorry," James said to her. She shrugged, obviously unconcerned.

"No big deal. At least we're together now," She said, just as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"I know we're together now," James said, "But I wish we could be together more." Lily looked at him with what looked like a mixture of sympathy and misery. She leaned over and hugged him.

"Well, we will. Eventually," She said, still wrapped in his arms. James sighed.

"Do you feel like hanging out with me in Hogsmeade tomorrow?" He asked, waiting for her reply, desperately hoping she too was ready to get out of their "secret relationship" phase.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Lily asked sarcastically.

"Well, I'm allowed to now, aren't I?" James replied. Lily laughed.

"I suppose you are. What a scary thought that is," She said, "And you know something even scarier? I'm feeling compelled to accept."

"So are you saying yes?"

"I am saying yes."

It was oddly coincidental that the first Quidditch match, Hogsmeade trip, and the Halloween feast had all fallen upon the same weekend. Usually, Quidditch hadn't started until mid-November. However, there was no hesitation or confusion about why exactly this was. Everyone was too excited about everything, and they had been enjoying it fully.

James had decided today was the day he had to throw away all his inhibitions about being with Lily. He didn't want to push her into anything, certainly, but he knew that this all had to end. There was no way he was going to be a secret forever, no matter if she was going to be embarrassed by it or not.

By midday, over half of the castle was eagerly waiting to be released into Hogsmeade, while Lily looked around the Entrance Hall for James. She and Anna were waiting patiently (unlike everyone else) at the top of the stairs, leaning against the banisters. Anna was being extremely helpful trying to find him for Lily.

"Oh, is that him? The one closest to the door down there?" She asked, peering across the hall.

"No Anna, that's a third year."

"Really? Ah, you're right, it is! Well, let's see here…hey, hey, I think I see him! Smack in the middle of the crowd, you see there?"

"Wha…that's a girl." Perhaps she was being a little too helpful.

"Ohhh…"

"Listen, just don't worry about it. We'll find him eventually. It's not like he's going to leave without me," Lily said. I hope, she thought quickly, biting her lip.

Of course, barely minutes later, James appeared in the Entrance Hall, surprisingly alone. His timing was so perfect that, just as he greeted Lily & Anna, Filch opened the doors and everyone started queuing up to get their names checked off. Anna departed the group to join Sirius, Remus, and Peter into Hogsmeade after learning that they were still in the Common Room combining all of their money. So, after saying goodbye to Anna, James and Lily joined everyone else in line.

"I swear the three of them have enough money to buy one of everything in Zonko's," James muttered, shaking his head. Lily laughed.

"So what's taking them so long, then?" She asked.

"Well, Remus has about 200 galleons saved up from past years, and Sirius is trying to convince him to pitch that in too. And, you know Remus, he's all sensible and whatnot, so he's said he's absolutely not giving in more than he has," James said, "Sirius is horrible about using other peoples' money. Before I left he practically attacked me trying to get some of mine."

"Maybe it's better he doesn't have all that money. Knowing him, he'd make the whole school…explode, or flood, or something," Lily said.

The two passed the time in line by predicting what kinds of things Sirius could manage to do to the castle with a well-stocked supply of Zonko's merchandise. By the time they finally reached Filch, he was in an even more terrible mood than usual, and seeing James certainly didn't improve his demeanor.

"Potter," He growled viciously, scanning the sheet for James' name. When he'd apparently reached it, he checked it off very violently indeed. "If you come back with so much as one Dungbomb, you're going to wish you'd never been born." He hissed, before moving on to Lily. Luckily, he had nothing to say to her, and let the two of them go, glaring at James as he walked away.

"What a nutter…" James mumbled as they walked down the road, "He honestly blames me or Sirius for just about everything bad that happens around here. One time, he blamed us for knocking a cabinet over in the Transfiguration department at midnight!"

The topic of Filch and how disgusting, unfair, and loathsome he was lasted the two of the down all the way to Hogsmeade. Lily had expected things to be slightly awkward between the two of them; after all, it was the first time they'd been out together. Of course, it didn't exactly look like they were dating or anything--it just seemed like they'd put differences behind and become good friends.

However, the last thing she could have called their experience was awkward. They visited just about everywhere in Hogsmeade, beginning with Zonko's, where James showed Lily his expertise in every field of trouble making. Lily, who'd only been in there once or twice before, found herself intrigued quite a few times by the complexity of every little trinket in the store.

Next they stopped in at Honeyduke's, which was filled with excited, noisy, Hogwarts students. They browsed through all the different containers of candy until they reached the section of the store filled with obscure treats. Lily dared James to buy a blood lollipop and taste it. James agreed, saying he only would if Lily in turn bought a full bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and ate only the most disgustingly colored ones. After purchasing the items (and receiving strange looks from the man at the cash register), they went outside and sampled each one. James gagged a few times after tasting the lollipop, which he bravely stuck right in his mouth. He then made Lily try a sickly rainbow colored jellybean, which nearly made her throw up. They never really did figure out what flavor it might have been.

After visiting a few more small shops, they two climbed the hill to the Shrieking Shack. Both of them had been there before many times, but after Lily had wondered aloud whether there really was a way to get in, they spent a good hour pulling, pushing, prodding, banging, and exploring every inch of the outside, looking for the smallest opening. In the end, they came to the conclusion that they were never going to find the way in, if there even was one.

"Well, there is a way in," James said matter-of-factly, as they walked back down the hill.

"Oh, right," Lily said, "And pigs can fly."

"What do you mean? Pigs can fly! I mean, if you put a Levitating charm or strap them to a broomstick…" James said, utterly confused.

"Never mind. It's a Muggle saying," Lily said, "What I meant was that it's highly doubtful that there's a way into the Shrieking Shack."

"There is," James said, "I'm not kidding. I've been in there before." His tone of voice was so sincere that Lily couldn't help but be curious.

"You have? How? Where is it? How did we miss it?" Lily asked. James grinned and winked at her.

"I'll tell you eventually," He said, "But for now it's going to be my secret."

"You are such a prat," Lily said, sighing.

"I know," James said, "But at least now I know you like me anyway."

Gusts of wind had started picking up, making it particularly icy outside. Lily suggested going back to Hogwarts, but James protested that there could be no real trip to Hogsmeade without going to the Three Broomsticks.

The Three Broomsticks was glowing with warmth, as always, and filled with the chatter of about a hundred people. They walked up to the counter and James asked for two butterbeers, which he also gallantly paid for. They went and sat down, and several people gave them quizzical looks. However, more people were interested in coming up and congratulating James on the Quidditch game. Not quite as many girls came over to talk to him, which Lily guessed was mainly because of her--in fact, she was getting a few stares from girls sitting in other places around the room.

After what seemed like the last of the people coming to talk about the game with James had left, he asked what a "muggle saying" was. Lily laughed at him for a few minutes, which made him rather indignant, before explaining what exactly a "muggle saying" was.

"… and you know how some people say 'Merlin's Beard!' when they're surprised or something? Well, some Muggles have taken to saying things like 'Holy Smokes!' or 'Holey Moley!'…James…are you getting any of this?" Lily asked, after she was finished her long story about Muggles.

"Er…why would they say 'holy'? Smoke isn't holy--and moley isn't even a word! You people sure are weird…" He said. This caused Lily to break out in hysterical laughter again.

"Just…nevermind. From now on, I'll refrain from using any type of saying."

"Oh, wait--Muggles don't have Quidditch, do they?" James said, looking rather awestruck.

"Er…no. I think if you introduced merely the concept of being able to fly on a broomstick they'd ship you off to a mental institution."

"How do you LIVE without Quidditch? It's the best sport in the world!!!" James practically shouted, and then launched into a discussion of all his favorite teams, and who was the best in the league. Lily actually found herself mildly interested.

"…and the World Cup's going to be in Italy next summer! You've got to come and see it with me, it's going to be absolutely amazing, and you'd have such a great time," He finished excitedly, and Lily felt herself smile as she thought about going to the World Cup with James. Before she could reply, Sirius, Anna, and Remus all descended upon the two, squeezing into the booth.

"How rude! Lily and James are sitting here, having a lovely time, and they didn't even invite us," Sirius said, sitting down beside James, who scooted over to make room for Remus, who sat next to Sirius.

"Well, I wouldn't blame them for not wanting you tagging along," Anna said sarcastically, sitting beside Lily, who also moved over so Peter could have some room when he came back with everyone's drinks.

Because of all the shifting and making room, Lily and James ended up sitting considerably closer together than they had been before. As everyone else started talking energetically about everything they'd purchased at Zonko's, Lily rested her head on James' shoulder. Oddly enough, not Sirius, Remus, or Peter looked at the two with any type of surprise. Lily didn't know what was going on--until she caught Anna's eye. Anna smiled at her, before returning to the conversation.

Things had always been very easy between Anna & Lily--they always seemed to know what the other was thinking. And it was no exception in this occurrence, because Lily knew that Anna had saved her from a lot of discomfort & awkwardness by informing Sirius, Remus, and Peter beforehand. She made a mental note to thank Anna for things a lot more, and to buy her a huge gift next time she was in Hogsmeade.

As the six of them sat there, Lily felt a real feeling of friendship and togetherness with all of them for the first time. She realized that it was a pretty nice feeling after all, and she could probably get used to it for a very long time.

Author's Note: Yay! Finally a chapter without a cliffhanger! And it's happy! I'm not even going to tempt you with hints of what's coming next, because if I do you'll probably die in the time I'm gone. Even though I'm leaving, I would still love it if you reviewed, and didn't forget about me in the next while. So, mon amis, au revoir for now, and I will see you when I return!