Author's Note: Hey! First, I'd just like to say thank you to all of my readers and reviewers. :D I luff you! Pats on the back for ye! And sorry this chapter took a while, I couldn't log on the past few days.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any items/names/characters, etc. If I did, Lily would be an animagus and Snape would DIE.

Lily bit her lip, her fingers itching for her wand. It would be so much easier..

James smiled and nudged her with his elbow, holding up a small, flat rock. "Here. I'll show you." He placed the rock into Lily's palm, his fingers entwined around hers. He curled her wrist gently, warm breaths of air pouring from his mouth onto Lily's ear.

She shivered.

Slowly, he pulled her arm back. "Just like this," he murmured. "Just shoot your arm forwards.."

Lily felt her shoulders droop in utter relaxation under James's voice and his grip. She watched the lake ahead of them with half-closed eyes, feeling the warm light of the setting sun upon her red hair.

Sure, skipping rocks seemed completely pointless. Maybe she only looked at it that way because she never learned as a child, always watching her sister, Petunia, and her boyfriend Vernon doing things she could never accomplish.

Like eating six hotdogs in ten minutes flat.

Now, however, it didn't matter how much time she wasted skipping the flat stones. As long as James was here, helping her, instructing her..

Pressing up against her..

Oh god.

"You can do it, Lily."

Tightening her grip onto the rock, she took a small step forwards, performed some sort of strange throwing gesture-

The rock lifted from her grasp, seemingly vanishing from mid air. It certainly didn't skip along the lake, let alone go anywhere near it..

Then where-

She gasped and turned around at the sound of a dull thunk and a loud curse from James.

"Bloody-" James clutched his forehead, growling in pain. The rock lay by his feet.

"I'm sorry!" Lily cried. "It slipped! Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay," he said between cussing. "Doesn't this look like the type of man who is perfectly okay?"

Lily slowly peeled James's hands from his head, revealing a large bump. She giggled softly.

"How does it look?" he asked, trying to see the mark. Of course, the many people who have tried this know it is impossible to see their forehead.

Even Sirius, who had a terrible grudge against the fact for two days.

"Like a golf ball," Lily said with a laugh. The bump seemed to grow larger by the second.

James raised an eyebrow.

"Muggle thing," she replied, running a finger along the 'golf ball' glued to James's head.

"..Lily?"

"Yes?"

She looked down, finally having realized she continued to hold one of James's hands, after pulling them free from his forehead.. while the other hand had now settled from the bump to the back of his neck.

James gave her a I hope you didn't do this by accident look. She smiled wryly, sending him the Why would I ever do a thing like that? type of look.

James's eyes lowered to the lily necklace around her neck. It glimmered in the dim light like the few stars that began to crawl out from above.

They both moved at the same time, James wrapping his arms around Lily, Lily around him.

"I've liked you since the moment I saw you, up till now," said James softly, watching her green eyes happily.

Lily blinked in confusion. "Up till now?" Thoughts of him leaving her at this moment seemed terrible and.. well, unlikely.

He nodded, leaning closer towards her. "Because now I think I love you."

Lily felt hot tears gathering in her eyes. "I think I love you too," she whispered, gladly allowing James to pull her forwards and catch her in a long, deep and long-awaited kiss.

-------

"Marco."

"Polo."

"..Marco?"

"Polo."

"..Sirius! It's so easy if you just keep sniggering whenever I say 'Polo'!"

Sirius snorted with laughter at the mention of the name. "Polo," he mumbled.

Peter and sat down in the armchair by the common room fire, opening his eyes to send a brief glare to Sirius.

"It's not my fault!" he cried, raising his hands in defense. "You made me laugh!"

"It's a name, Sirius. What's so funny about Polo?"

He giggled again. "What kind of a muggle game is this, anyway? You're calling someone's name. What if we make it interesting?" Closing his eyes, he called, "Remus!"

"Lupin!" cried Peter.

Remus sighed, looking up from his book towards the two. "Really, you call this inter-"

"Remus!"

"Lupin!"

"Remus!"

"Lupin!"

"Remus!"

"Lupin!"

---approximately thirty-two minutes later..---

"Remus!"

"Lupin!"

"Re-"

Remus snapped, shutting his book. "Alright! How is this any different from Marco-"

Sirius giggled.

"-Polo?"

"Because we're using your name," Peter stated plainly. "Very different."

Just as Remus was about to speak, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung inward, allowing entrance to a very flustered- and red- James. He wandered over to the group, after tripping over several things (carpets, chairs, his own feet) and collapsed onto the couch.

"You okay, Prongs?" asked Peter.

Sirius leaned over him with an intent gaze. "Hmm.. This looks like Just Snogged Red Head syndrome. Is this true?"

James nodded, his mouth hanging open. He still seemed rather shocked by what had just happened.

Sirius waved a finger in front of James's eyes, who watched it wag back and forth. "Can you hear me?" asked Sirius clearly.

James nodded again.

"He might be in a bit of shock for the rest of the night," stated Sirius in a very official tone. "Give him some wizard crackers and a bottle of Butterbeer, and he'll be right as pain."

"Don't you mean rain?"

"Don't correct me, Moony."

"So," said Remus, leaning forwards slightly, "You caught up to Lily, I see."

A dopy smile crossed James's face.

"And I guess it's no use talking to you, seeing as you are now incapable of human intellect.."

"Was he ever?" Sirius joked.

The portrait swung open again to admit a very happy- and red- Lily. She stopped at the sight of the Marauders, letting herself ease into a smile as James turned around.

"Goodnight James," she muttered as she walked by, kissing him on the cheek as she passed, then leaving them through the girl's dormitory.

James let out an odd squeal and keeled over.

-------

"James and Lily, sitting in the Whomping Willow, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the speeding branch of the tree as it smacks the two flat!" Sirius grinned triumphantly. "Bet you didn't see that coming."

"To be perfectly honest, no," Remus confessed flatly. "James?" he called, watching the messy-haired boy ahead. "Where're you taking us, exactly?"

James gave a creepy laugh. The other three looked uneasily at one another. "Today," he declared, turning around and stopping, "we are witnessing the greatest moment known to mankind." He nodded, as if to say, Yes, you know what I'm talking about.

The others had no idea. And truth be told, they weren't so eager to know. Because when James gets that maniac look in his eye, something's haywire..

He sighed. "The McGonagall payback prank is in full swing. And now, all we have to do is watch." James started walking again, talking as he went. "I sent a messenger to bring Dumbledore into McGonagall's classroom.. Of course, our lovely trap mistletoe is hanging right near her door."

Remus froze. "Professor Dumbledore?" he squeaked. "Why did you get him, of all people, into this? Do you realize the trouble we'll get in?"

"Yeah!" cried Sirius. "Plus, I was thinking of using Snivellus. Or Peter."

"Hey!"

"Well, these two have had it coming," said James crossly, finally stopping by a corner, which turns into the corridor of their Transfiguration teacher's room.

James peeked around the corner. A few students stood the hallway, talking or trading chocolate frog cards. No one seemed to notice the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling four feet from McGonagall's classroom.

"Alright. Are you lot ready to witness the begin of the ultimate prank?"

"No," said Remus.

"Well, too bad! And it begins.. Right when I return from the loo." With a wink James strolled down the corridor they had come from, away from the waiting prank. With a nod, Peter joined him.

"Well."

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"I think this is just about to get interesting."

Remus lifted an eyebrow questioningly, following Sirius' gaze down the mistletoe corridor, his eyes falling on..

Lily.

Right. Under. The mistletoe.

Both of their eyes widened in fear. "Unless we want Lily smooching Dumbledore," said Sirius, "I suggest we get her out of the way." He looked over at Remus. "Unless that sort of stuff turns you on?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "To be perfectly frank, n-"

"Here we go again. Have you got some fling with Longbottom?"

Before Remus could speak, a solo of merry whistling erupted from behind them.

Only Dumbledore would honestly whistle that loudly in the middle of the hall.

The two sprinted towards Lily, tripping over one another, calling for her attention. She gave them a confused look.

Remus reached her first.

It was then that he realized what a terrible mistake he had made.

"Come on, Lovey-dovey, begin the snog-a-thon!"

Students looked over to the pair, then towards the ceiling. The mistletoe bore a pair of gruesome teeth- or fangs, rather- that barked towards Lily and Remus.

"Let's go, hut-to, kiss, kiss, kiss!"

The two slowly looked down from the talking plant to each other.

This was all too very familiar.

"We don't have to," said Lily quickly. "We're just friends."

Remus nodded, glad that she saw it the situation the same way.

The two turned around, walking opposite directions.

If only fate were so kind.

An invisible force stuck to their feet like glue, holding them to the ground. The only way was backwards, towards each other, as they soon deciphered after several minutes of struggling. Even with Sirius pulling on his arms, Remus' legs would not pull free of the ground.

Remus and Lily turned towards one another, standing near one another so none of the nearby students, who watched intently, would overhear.

"I'm with James," said Lily quickly, nervously eyeing the people around. "And nothing's going to change that. You and I are friends, and it will never, ever happen."

"I'm rather glad you said that first," said Remus, "because it's hard to talk at all with all of these people staring-"

"Come on, lass and laddie! The day's not getting any younger, and neither am I!"

Mental note to self: Kill James the second he comes back from the lavatories.

They both sighed at the same time. "Remus!" Sirius hissed from behind. "Just get it over with, before James comes!"

Remus could feel the sweat beads dripping from his fingertips. The ground now seemed so much more interesting.. away from Lily's gaze. "I've- I've never-"

"Don't worry," said Lily. "Here-"

She leaned forwards, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"Call that a kiss? What are you, English? Get a little French in there!"

Lily closed her eyes, clenching her fists. "Fine," she whispered. Raising again onto her toes, she grabbed Remus around the neck, giving the most tender kiss she could. She only had to believe he was James.

Finally breaking off, Lily couldn't help but feel annoyed at the whooping from the students. But truthfully..

That wasn't so bad, Lily thought, restraining herself from cupping her hands around her ears as she thought it. It was terrible! she told herself.

It was pretty good.

Meanwhile, Remus stood in a state of utter shock. Yes, it was his first kiss. Yes, it was incredibly embarrassing with all the people nearby.

..Yes, that was James' fallen face in the crowd. That is, before he trudged through the crowd and out of sight.

Lily noticed this too, looking guiltily at Remus. "We'd better go talk to him. He doesn't know we didn't mean to."

Remus nodded. But that didn't keep him from knowing that James would never forgive him, not for all of the excuses in the world.