"…attacks are picking up; he'd be right to do it soon—"

"Good Evening, Snivellus. Rosier. Travers," James pronounced imperiously. Lily saw three Slytherin boys sitting the hallway, evidently discussing something secretive. They were huddled together; it looked as though Rosier and Snape were having an argument. At the arrival of James and Lily, Rosier and Snape leapt to their feet. Lily caught sight of the pale, unaffected Travers sitting back against the wall, watching them with his ponderous fair eyes…

"Potter," hissed Snape, immediately drawing his wand. James disarmed him nonverbally, casually watching the wooden instrument fly across the hallway. Snape let out a noise of anger and Rosier raised his own wand. Lily quickly lifted her own.

"Doing something, Evan?" she asked narrowly. Rosier stopped, an ugly articulation wrinkling his lips. Lily frowned. How could James have possibly known about them being here…?

Evan Rosier was a tall boy with thick dark hair and eyes, and extremely pallid skin. He was practically handsome yet rather cruel-looking. His sharp nostrils flared when he sneered down at Lily in a way that wasn't completely of dislike. James seemed to notice this and Lily felt him tense up beside her. His voice strained as he said,

"A lovely little jaunt after dark? We won't hex you this time, but I think that'll be about ten points each from Slytherin. Or maybe twenty…Yes, that's quite in order…at least."

Snape was almost spitting with fury but stood still, knowing he was in no position to fight. Travers remained seated, gazing unblinkingly at the Head Boy and Girl from under his skeletal eyebrows. Lily felt prickles reaching down her arms, the thought of having that look turned on you for an hour… between him and Rosier she felt unclean…

"You're wasting your time," spurted Snape with a gleam in his eye. "You think you're so important, docking points like—"

"And getting ready to hand out detentions, Snape," cut in James with a clipped voice. "So move along. And, Rosier, what the hell d'you think you're doing?"

Rosier slowly turned away from Lily, a conquering leer fading into a look of contempt that he cast upon James.

"Just ogling your Mudblood girlfriend, Potter. I—" BAM. James had flung himself at Rosier and the two went tumbling headfirst into the wall. Lily cried out and Snape lunged for his wand.

"Stupefy!" shouted Lily reflexively, aiming a red beam of light that caught Snape on the chest. He staggered and fell over while Travers wrestled into the heap that was James and Rosier. Rosier appeared to have the upper hand now; he was uppermost in the fight with his knee in James' chest, but James kicked out savagely and they went down once more. Furious, Lily ran right over the prone Severus and grabbed Rosier by the shoulders, wrenching him upwards with all her might. Travers leapt out on her left side from nowhere; Lily disarmed him and he went spinning into the wall. Lily tried to wedge herself between the warring boys.

"No James, James stop it! Stop—Rosier, no! No!"

Eventually they broke apart, breathing heavily. Lily automatically moved towards James, whose lip was cut and bloodied. Rosier glared hatefully and a yellowish-purple mark was forming on his high cheekbones. His white face blotched with anger and his breath came in icy sheets. He looked as though he would attack again at any moment until he saw the wands of both Lily and James pointing at his heart.

"Fine, Potter, we're off," he snarled furiously, picking up his own wand and Travers' from the floor. A low groan from somewhere in the dim meant that Snape was awakening. "But if you think you've got something on us, you're wrong. We're in on things you couldn't even dream up, you pathetic—"

"Enough."

Travers laid a claw-like hand on Rosier's shoulder. His face was impassive but his wide eyes bulged ominously. A red welt cruised under his ear.

"We're going now. Get Severus." With barely another glance, the shorter boy turned around and slowly waltzed to the stairs. Rosier speared James with one last look of hatred and turned on his heels, his robes smacking Snape in the face as he pulled himself to his feet. After a few tense moments, they were gone.

Lily whirled around to face James, who was staring the direction they had gone departed to with a very dangerous look.

"What on earth was that James? Are you alright? They could have done anything you know, anything at all! Dangerous! And how did you know they were—"

"You can't let them get away with things like that, Lily," James replied heatedly, pushing his hand through his hair in nervous habit. "I tried, you know, to be considerate of the rules and of you and of that prefect shit, but with—"

"He had wand, James and two friends!" cried Lily. "You can't just start rows in—"

"He started it, Lily, when he called you—"

"A Mudblood?"

James stopped and stared. He seemed to be trying to control his temper.

"Yes, that. A very offensive—"

"James, it doesn't matter! It doesn't matter to me! I know it's supposed to be vile and evil and offensive, but it's just a word, James! And not even a magic word! Please don't tackle everyone who says those things. You never know what they might be getting at and some…some people might be up to things…"

James paused in his fuming and looked down at Lily. She was biting her lip now, still white as a ghost but with the blood returning to her cheeks. He noticed the hand that held her wand trembled. Her green gaze was nonetheless ferocious and demanding and she stared him right in the eye, defiant for him to say anything else. A softening melt reached James' heart and his anger ebbed away.

"Scared for me, Lily?" he asked quietly, with a small smile which only increased as red rose in her face.

"Just of your manners, James," she replied tartly, pocketing her wand. She seemed to be recovering from the shock of the attack.

"And now do you understand how good it feels to stupefy Snivellus when he's creeping around like a rat?" James was fully aware that this would probably push her patience, which it did.

"It was a mistake!" Lily burst out, eyes flashing. "I just reacted to—"

"Saving me," he interrupted, smiling broadly now. James cupped her cheek and kissed her once, his throbbing lips meeting hers tenderly.

"You're all bloodied," Lily mumbled, reaching up to wipe James' blood off his face. James laughed.

"You are too." She shot him a venomous look and swiped her face with her sleeve.

"Let's just finish this patrol…"

"Oh I have a feeling it's over now," he said airily, mentally resolving to check the Map as soon as Lily went to bed. Lily scowled but relented as they began their journey to the Gryffindor common room, avoiding a skulking Mrs. Norris who was creeping around an empty classroom.

They talked idly, about this and that, not quite ready to address what had just happened. Lily privately thought that telling tales on the Slytherins would do no good and so she didn't suggest further punishment aloud. James said nothing as well. They parted with a kiss at the foot of the stairs.

Lily slid between her covers that night dead tired. She dozed just as a small thought entered her head. How did James know… Then she slept.

I liked that chapter much better; gives a good idea of what the early Death Eaters were like I hope…

MINOR SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK SIX

Marlene, Dorcas, and Emmeline are only named briefly mentioned in the books, although Emmeline had a speaking part. Marlene McKinnon's entire family and herself were killed by Death Eaters (including Travers). Dorcas Meadowes was killed personally by Voldemort. Emmeline Vance survived the downfall and was part of the advance guard that flew with Harry to Grimmauld Place, but was "murdered nastily" in the sixth book. That's really all I know about any of them, so…er…yes )

(donkeykong27)

And once more, the usual stuff to the usual readers about reviewing and commenting and my gratefulness