Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.

A/N: Hello, there! Look how fast I updated :D

Anyways, I want to once again thank all who read and all who reviewed; big thanks to: mercutio-rane, Tanya J Potter, elsie77, zippyfox, Little-kei, Captain Oz (I'm secretly in love with your fic Seeing...love it!), kathaania, bets, Kitty94, slayer faith2, Kurai Shinigami, duckster2, Jessa L'Rynn, Slashykitty, Mauraders Chick (THANK YOU soooo much! I really appreciate your comments and your criticisms. I am going to explore Lily's obbsession soon and I glad you've picked up on my idea of who Peter was! Thank you, again!), Cassandra, HealerAriel, StarCat13, Loreien Lupin, mabeuf, and Rhya Stormbringer!

I was going to write little individual thank yous to everyone, but I was told that wasn't allowed...so, I'm very sorry and that doesn't mean I don't appreciate everyone equally! I'm so glad that you all like this story! LOL!

Ok, one more thing: I wanted to address the whole tense confusion that some people mentioned. Thank you for pointing it out to me. What happened was, while writing the last chaperts, I was also writing a non-fanfiction story that was in present tense and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop all the slip ups when I went back to this. I'm so sorry! I tried to catch them all, but I guess there were just that many. Lol! This time I don't think I made that mistake. And if I did...please let me know! Thank you again!-Nikki

Lily Evans wasn't dumb. She was top of her year. A prefect. Almost positive that in a week when the school list would arrive, she would receive a better badge; one with the letters 'H' and 'G' emblazoned on it. All her professors loved her. She got straight O's on her O.W.L.s. Professor Slughorn tucked a tiny 'w' on either side of her grade because she just did that good.

So, given all of that, why on this life-giving, spinning planet was she wasting her time on James Potter?

Lily sat, alone, at the dining room table of Sirius Black. Her fingers were threaded through her thick, fiery hair, pulling the mess of it back so tightly that the veins around her roots were popping out. Her right leg was crossed over her left, and by the slight buzzing feeling in her knee caps, she knew that blood was no longer making its journey down to her legs. And that was bad, because any second now she was going to get up and get the hell out of there.

She could hear them whispering in the kitchen. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the hissing and lip smacking were all too obvious.

On a short coffee table in the area off to the side that was designated by Sirius as the sitting room, Lily saw the letter she had sent James that morning. It was crumpled up in places, and there was a tear in the center. She wanted to make the letter disappear. She couldn't use magic, but she was a muggle born; she knew that paper could just as easily be tossed into a fire.

Those letters were the cause of her being at Sirius's apartment. She was too curious for her own good. Look at the trouble it got her into.

James's behavior around Sirius and Remus sparked her interest, changed her mind. James's letters to her cemented her brain and made her fall. But what happened moments ago, was making her mind reactive itself into James Potter Is A Berk mode.

After literally spewing out rambles about joking and Sirius and Remus and love, James scrambled into the kitchen and left Lily by herself confused, embarrassed and pissed…at him.

Lily could have left five times since James joined the rest of the idiot brigade (minus Remus, of course; that boy was just bad at choosing friends) in the kitchen. She could have left, but she didn't. She didn't because when she arrived at Sirius's she had an idea in her head, and she hugged James because he looked inviting, and his body was the right mix of bones and muscles and hard and soft. Lily hugged her arms around her own body. She wasn't stupid.

"I'll name my first born child after you," James said, straight faced. He was kneeling on the cold tiled floor, hands mashed together, looking up with slick eyes at Sirius and Remus.

"What if it's a girl?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Sirius!" James dropped his hands

"What if it's a boy?" Peter spoke up, shaking his head.

"Got issues with my name, Wormtail?"

Peter rightly squeaked and stepped farther away from Sirius, but careful not to leave the kitchen area and be seen by the vulture in the other room.

"James, get up," Remus commanded as best he could in his hushed tones. James instantly sprang to his feet, tipping his glasses back up his nose. "Short of promising me a cure for lycanthropy-"

"Remus," James interrupted. He placed each of his hands on Remus's shoulders. "If you do this for me, I promise I'll find a cure for that furry little problem you've got."

Remus stared hard at James. "You have to be able to deliver what you promise."

"Hands off my boyfriend," Sirius barked, flicking at James's fingers. He giggled insanely. James tore his hands away from Remus, who turned his deadly glare to Sirius. "Did I go too far with that one?" Sirius asked.

James rolled his eyes. "Please be serious," he implored. "This is my life we're talking about. My life! My life with Lily."

"You don't have a-"

"Wormtail, you don't want to finish that."

"But, you don't," Peter said.

"And I never will!" James threw his hands in the air. He was angry. He was mostly angry because he couldn't actually scream because Lily was in the next room. He had to whisper-scream everything, and it just wasn't the same.

"Prongs," Remus said, in his best authoritative voice. "I am not snogging Sirius!"

Sirius quirked an eyebrow; he was getting pretty sick of all this blabby gabby nonsense arguing and was aching for their usual bouncy rhetoric. "Prongsy, just let it go," Sirius said, keeping his face as normal as possible. "Moony is never going to give in because he's never kissed anyone before and he doesn't want to show how bad he is at it."

"That's not true at all," Remus groaned.

"Oh yeah, Moony?" Sirius smirked. "Lay us a name then."

Remus's cheeks became unattractively blotchy in the middle. "No," he practically mumbled.

James started laughing, and Peter moved in closer. "Come on, Moony," James said. "Who was it?"

"No one."

"Her name was no one or you kissed no one?" Peter asked, making James double back and high five him.

"Her name was no one," Remus said, pursing his lips at Peter. "Weren't we discussing your nonexistent life with Lily, Prongs?"

"That's right," Sirius answered instead. "I think Lily…tell us! Tell us! Tell us!" Sirius chanted and poked Remus in the belly, squashing him against the counter.

Remus's smile was wide across his face, and he squirmed under Sirius's fingers. "All right," he managed. Peter and James were holding their hands over their mouths. "It was Bellatrix."

Sirius froze. His eyes grew as wide as they would go. Remus looked at him with a grave expression. The two burst into a fury of laughter.

James sighed. "Stop messing around," he exclaimed.

Lily's foot was beating against the table. It was getting late, and her father really made her promise to be home by midnight. There was no hope of sneaking in. Petunia, her sister, was no doubt hiding in that place by the staircase where you could see everything and nothing could see you. She'd have her watch at the ready, and Lily would never be able to leave the house again.

There was the option of phoning home and telling her parents that she was staying at her friend Alice's that night. But then Lily would either have to actually go stay over Alice's or-shudder-stay at Sirius's over night.

Those boys had five more minutes…then she was coming for them.

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Remus asked of James, even though he knew the answer.

"Because," James sighed, his hand plowing a field in his hair. "Because when I did she immediately had to leave and was red faced and I knew she would never even ask me to pass the salt…if she even let herself sit that close to me." James cast his eyes to the ground.

Peter shuffled closer to James, placing a reassuring, chubby hand on his shoulder. "There's got to be a way to tell Lily the truth and not ruin your life in the process," Peter said. "And if anyone could think of what to do, it's you." Peter nodded vigorously.

Sirius blanched. "Why don't you just make out with him, Wormtail?"

"Why don't you just make out with him?" Peter retorted, pointing a firm finger at Remus. "And then you could have a spectacular fight and break up and Prongs will still have Lily."

"Good plan," Sirius said, much to Remus's openmouthed staring. "Except that I'll have to pretend to hate Moony whenever we're in public together-which is always- and I'll have to explain how I relapsed into liking woman. Too. Much. Effort."

"Moony?" James asked, ignoring Peter and Sirius completely. James fixed Remus with his four-eyes, glinting under the kitchen lamp and unfocused. Remus had never seen anything more heart wrenching. "I know pranks. And no one in this room can fly better than me; or play Quidditch better. I'm good at sneaking past teachers, and saving Sirius's ass and transfiguration." Normally during a speech like that, Sirius would yawn and walk away, Peter would most likely be nodding in agreement, and Remus would be two seconds from retching all over the place. Normally James gave a speech like that to just remind his friends about how great he is. There was something about the look on James's face though, that made Remus, and Peter, and even Sirius, simply lean in apt attention. "I'm excellent at chasing girls….but getting them and keeping them and not messing everything up?"

"You're a Troll?" Sirius offered.

"The smelliest," James answered. "Moony. I know you read poetry and you're all jumpers and feelings-" Remus scowled and wished that he could hide the fact that he was wearing a fuzzy brown jumper, in August. "Tell me what to do," James finished.

Remus swallowed, and elbowed Sirius, who was snickering and vibrating next to him. "Prongs. Tell her the truth. That you didn't lie, that you had no clue what you were saying, that you're sorry. And, if she doesn't accept now…that's ok, because she probably will later."

James stiffened his back, and threw his head up. He nodded like a man who was just given the most important assignment of his life. And in a way, it was.

Sirius leaned close to Remus, coating Remus's ear with his hot pepper breath, and making something unusual and scary creep down Remus's spine. "Ever the optimist, Moony," Sirius whispered.

"Times up," Lily snapped. She then found herself face down on the hard floor, cursing madly under her breath. Her legs felt double their size, which was odd because when she really thought about it, she couldn't feel her legs at all. The only happy thought she had, was that she was wearing jeans.
"Is it Nap Time, Evans?" Sirius asked. He stood annoyingly poised and perfected next to his table, his grey eyes dancing merrily down at Lily.

Lily mumbled something into the floorboards.

"What was that?" Sirius asked, leaning down with quirked eyebrows, but still not making any effort to help the redhead up.

Lily turned to glare at him with venom in her eyes, when someone thin and lanky blocked her view.

Remus reached his hand down to Lily, and helped her to her feet.

"My legs fell asleep," she said.

Sirius slung his arm around Peter's shoulders. "That's what they all say." Peter, despite being frightened that at any possible moment Lily was going to tear Sirius's torso apart and then his simply because he was a witness, laughed at Sirius's comment.

James came hurtling into the room. He turned his be-speckled head from Peter and Sirius, who were leant together giggling, to Lily and Remus, who were, for lack of better terms, holding hands. As the rage began to thump through his being, James noticed something else. "Lily," James said, propelling himself forward. "You're bleeding."

Lily gasped slightly. Her free hand floated in front of her face, unsure of where to investigate first. Remus was pushed roughly to the side, as James grabbed Lily's face with gentle, peeling Quidditch hands and prodded softly at a point right above Lily's left eyebrow.

"Am I bleeding a lot?" Lily asked. Her eyes were big, fluttering closed as James's fingers worked their magic on her brow. James shook his head firmly. "Can you fix it?" Lily asked. Her voice was low and raspy and needing. James's hands fell down to Lily's and he nodded towards the washroom.

Remus was glad they left. There was something about that moment that made him feel awkward and misplaced; like he shouldn't have been there. When Remus held Lily's hand, he couldn't help but feel like he was a wrong puzzle piece that someone was trying to shove into Lily's empty corner. But, James and Lily? They fit.

"They're pretty perfect together," Remus said, more to hear something besides James and Lily's secret mumbles. "When you really think about it?"

"You're getting soft on me, Lupin," Sirius warned. "I didn't know you were all about gooey eyes and tingled kisses." Sirius fell onto his couch, swaying his hips the whole way down.

"Not when they're from your direction," Remus replied, smiling. He sat down next to Sirius and folded his hands in his lap.

Peter seemed to stagger from foot to foot, unsure of where to go, what to do, who to spy on first. He started biting his finger nails, and faced the washroom, where James pulled Lily.

"Don't even think on it," Remus shouted, his face turned towards Sirius, but his hand pointed directly at Peter.

"Me?" Peter was horrendous at puppy dog eyes. "Bugger."

Lily and James came back into the room, as Peter sank down into a chair at Sirius's table.

"Prongs kiss your booboos, Evans?" Sirius asked, meaning something else entirely that thankfully only the boys picked up. Sirius slid closer to Remus, winking at him. Remus couldn't help but laugh. Sirius was his own personal guard dog.

"What's with that nickname?" Lily asked suddenly. James blanched, scrunching his hair into his hand.

"Huh?" Sirius glared at Peter, who was biting his lower lip and glaring right back.

"That nickname you have for James? Prongs?" Lily leant to the side, her hands planted on her hips in unadulterated annoyance. "What does it mean?"

Sirius avoided Remus's muttering of 'Please Don't' and smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he licked his lips, and winked at James.

Lily's mouth fell, and she shifted to gape at James. "No. No," James stammered, shaking his hands out in front of him. "He's joking. Never. No. Ugh. No."

Peter laid his head down on his arms, snuggling into the corners, and laughing silently into his elbow.

"Alright, then," Lily said, frowning disdainfully at no one in particular. She looked up at James in a flash, just missing him throwing the dirtiest, deadliest look in Sirius's direction. Lily let a tiny smile escape. "I really have to be getting home."

"Are you flooing home?" Remus asked.

"Knight Bus."

"I'll walk you outside, Ev-Lily," James said. Lily sent him an annoyed eye roll. "It's dark! You don't know what might be out there!" James made sure to make an apologetic face to Remus as he said the last part. James always somehow found himself making jokes that 'a werewolf' could easily be the subject of. He wasn't being mean or rude; he just didn't think.

Lily gave into James's lame excuse. "Thanks for dinner, Black," she said, forcibly making herself be polite. "Peter," she added, nodding in Peter's direction. He did an obnoxious, wavy bow in return. Peter pulled himself up, laughing at his own silliness. James whacked him playfully on the back of the head for mocking.

There was a still pause, and then Lily stepped up in front of Remus. "Remus," she started, her voice tight but full to the corners with emotion. Her mouth was somewhat pulled to the edges in a frown, and Remus tensed at what was coming. Sirius perked up, he was almost growling. Both expected to hear: 'I don't understand why you're with him', or 'You deserve better than him', or "Really, Remus…him?'

Lily's face blossomed into a starshine smile. "Owl me when you get your Head Boy badge! I know you'll be the one to get it!" Remus was pushed back by the mere shock that someone still thought that he was going to get the Head Boy badge. He allowed that dream to pop, but maybe he was wrong…

"See you soon, Remus. Black." With that, James led Lily from Sirius's apartment and down to the street.

Peter sank back into his chair, blowing out his breath. "That wasn't too unbearable, really," he said.

"She thinks I can be Head Boy," Remus whispered. "Do you think I can be Head Boy?" he asked louder. Sirius fell on top of him laughing. "Peter, do you think I can be Head Boy?"

"Uh…um…" Peter's head shot around the room, looking for something to say. "Sure," he squeaked.

"No!" Sirius roared, throwing his arm around Remus. "Moony," Sirius cooed, squeezing Remus slightly around the neck. "You were the worst Prefect."

"Not the worst," Remus attempted, but he knew the truth.

"When we pulled Snivelly's pants down? You pretended not to notice. When we replaced Mrs. Norris's cat food with dung bombs? You helped us blame it on Filtch's poor reading skills. You let us get away with everything! You didn't even turn us in after we wrote that love note from Dumbledore to McGonagall in irremovable red ink on the side of the Great Hall!" Sirius's voice broke with laughter and he uncontrollably leant his forehead against Remus's.

"I told her don't deny the truth," Remus managed, before he too was laughing, head pressed against Sirius's.

Peter sat back. He was laughing at Remus's comment too, (mostly because he remembered Remus actually shrugged when McGonagall questioned him about 'the whereabouts of those so called friends last night' and told her that they were all in their dorm; Remus could never be rude in the face of authority). Peter's laugher, though, was separated from the other two. He was miles away from them, centuries apart. Remus and Sirius were folded into each other, laughing like maniacs and sharing breath. Peter stopped laughing. He felt awkward and misplaced; like a wrong puzzle piece that someone was trying to jam into a corner, that was all ready occupied.

"Is it safe, Sir Potter? Have you slayed those ravenous mosquitoes, in my honor?"

"Will you stop it," James laughed. He was holding open the door for Lily, who was making a show of being escorted outside. James motioned for Lily to step out of the apartment building. Lily did, smiling brightly at him as she past.

"Thanks, though," Lily remarked, casually skipping down the front steps. "It's nice to have someone watching me walk out-" Lily coughed, and avoided James's gooey eyes. "I mean, my parents will be pleased to know." Lily tilted her head up at James, and they locked eyes. Every star and string of light was mirrored in James's glasses. Lily reached up, and nervously placed her fingers on James's temple. She moved his head slightly, kicking the stars away and revealing all the real colors that were trapped in his pupils.

James swallowed, and ignored the burst of flames that erupted under his skin at Lily's soft touch. "Lily," James forced himself to say. It was now or never and if she became mad again…it was ok, because she would get over it. "Lily. I really like you. And I'm sorry I lied before. I just didn't know what I was doing, or saying…and no words can express how horrible I feel. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's ok James," Lily said. She let her hand drag down James's face, over the handle of his eyeglasses, through the mix of smooth skin and prickly hair on his cheek, around the curve of his chin, before falling back down to her own side. "I understand why you lied upstairs. At first I thought you were just being your usual jerky self but now I get it. They're your friends, and they've gone through great lengths, I'm sure, to keep their own secret-"

"Lily," James started, determined to convey to her the real truth. That she was wrong about Sirius and Remus. But then she said something, which stole his breath, stopped his heart, and made him forget his friends.

"I like you too, James." Lily smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "You told me that Remus and Sirius aren't dating to protect them, and among other more vain things, I really like that about you. You don't have to worry about me, or try to lie. Remus and Sirius's secret is safe with me. I promise." Lily blushed then, and jerked like she was going to reach up and kiss James, but thought better of it. She instead walked over to the curb of the street and held her wand arm out.

The Knight Bus pulled up in a flash of purple. And James said all he could think to say to his beautiful love: "Thank you, Lily." James closed his eyes for a second. Bugger. James opened his eyes, and exhaled. Lily and the Knight Bus were gone. Bugger. James exhaled again. It's all right. Everything's going to be all right. Lily still thinks that Pads and Moony are dating…but it's all right! SHE LIKES ME! She's not going to say anything! She's keeping it a secret! James exhaled again. At least Sirius and Remus will never find out.