Author's Note

So I just wanted to let you guys know I'm really appreciating those of you who take the time to review! I love hearing what you guys have to say :) Now I know these chapters have been sort of flying by but I promise once I get past Christmas things will slow down a bit more. If you have any ideas, comments or suggestions as to what you want to happen go ahead and let me know!

Also the whole T-shirt thing in this chapter (though I had to tweak the sayings just a bit) arose from my sister's volleyball team making shirts like them. Hopefully you guys enjoy the sillyness as much as I did when I first saw them :)

Also I know James hasn't really been standing out much (as far as me writing things from his point of view) but I'm working on improving that in the next few chapters. Sometimes I have an easier time writing things from Lily's perspective but that doesn't mean I should neglect James in the process.

I know this is a short one but the next one will make up for the length I promise.

Dreams, Gossip and Quidditch Quotes

He was holding her. That was all, just sitting with her in the common room with his arms wrapped around her in an embrace so welcoming and protective that Lily could feel her heart swelling in her chest. It was a perfect moment, one she had never expected to have. It was oddly satisfying sitting with him like that. Feeling safe and protected because he was there to keep her that way. She breathed deeply and shifted in his arms. Slowly her eyes travelled the length of his body.

She lingered over his strong legs and his delectable middle. How was it possible for someone to look so good that you seriously considered what they tasted like on a regular basis?

She eyed his beautiful neck and jaw and at the last second let her eyes meet his startlingly golden brown ones….

Lily gasped sitting up in bed and pulling the sheet to her chest.

Her brain was on overdrive. Had she really just dreamed about herself and James Potter as if they were together? Her senses were on fire. Her palms were sweaty and tingling, her heart was pounding in her chest and her legs were shaking madly.

She slid carefully out from under her covers and after testing out her shaky legs she headed for the bathroom.

After splashing water on her face and neck she felt a bit better. Yet her mind still spun with the image that had been painted in her dream. She couldn't possibly have feelings for James, not yet. They had barely been on good terms for a few months now and had only been back at school for a little over two.

She bit her lip in frustration as she considered the meaning behind such a dream.

"Lil?" Alice stumbled in sleepily. "I heard someone in here. Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare or something?"

Lily looked at her, eyes wide.

"Alice I…"

Her friend's eyes sharpened.

"What is it?"

Lily sighed, "I just had the strangest dream. I mean it was so real…like I was looking into the future or something. But that can't be right."

Alice beckoned her over to the wall and together they slid to the floor.

"Tell me about it." She encouraged as Lily stared straight ahead.

Lily considered for a moment not telling her but then reconsidered. "Can you please try not to read into it too seriously?"

At her friends not she went on, describing the dream and how she had felt during it, and about how once she had realized who the guy was she had woken up with a start.

Alice frowned, "And you are sure it was James?"

She nodded refusing to meet her friend's keen eyes.

"Well I might be wrong but judging by what you say you felt during the dream I would take it to mean that a part of you thinks that if you continue to give James a chance that things might work out exactly how…well I suppose how he always dreamed they would. Then, judging by your reaction once you realized who it was, I would say that another part of you is terrified of that happening. For years now you've felt safe knowing you and James didn't get along despite his attraction toward you and now everything that you knew is being turned on its' head and there's a possibility that some small part of you is even starting to think of James as being more than just a friend, and that is totally against everything you knew before."

When Lily didn't respond Alice continued.

"I think, and feel free to refute this assessment if you feel it's lacking, that you are feeling conflicted. You are still getting used to the idea of being friends with James and now your subconscious is throwing something so far beyond that at you that you aren't prepared for it."

Lily nodded.

"I think you are right. It was just a dream afterall, it was honestly just that it felt too real and…so good."

Alice grinned.

"Give it some time Lils. I know that you are still afraid the old James is gonna jump out at you one of these days but so far that hasn't happened. Just keep doing what you are doing. Keep giving him the chance to prove himself to you. Then maybe, awhile from now, you can revisit this whole dream thing and see what it means."

Lily nodded thankfully and stood extending her hand to her friend.

"Thanks Al."

"No problem."
As they each climbed back into their four poster Lily couldn't help but feel confused. She knew Alice was right and that she should let the whole thing rest for awhile, but it was hard to erase the feeling of how wonderful it had felt to be held by him…even if it was just in a dream.

****

"You had better say you are coming Evans!" Sirius exclaimed loudly as he and Peter discussed the upcoming Quidditch game against Ravenclaw with Lily and her friends.

"When have I ever missed watching Dorcas play?" Lily retorted saucily.

"Never, but this time I'd better hear some cheers directed my way." Sirius demanded.

"Of course I'll try to cheer for you." She replied grinning. "Marlene will as well."

Marlene smiled her blue eyes sparlking and added cheekily.

"I made t-shirts for me and Lily and Alice to wear to watch you guys."

"Really," Alice asked instantly intrigued. "What do they look like?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." Marlene responded her eyes turning devilish.

A sudden thud sounded from upstairs and a moment later a familiar figure came streaking down the stairs.

"Lily oh my gosh I just finished it!" James called excitedly, waving a worn leather book around as he talked. "Please, please tell me you have the next one."

She smiled and stood up meeting him as he reached the couches.

"Didn't you like the part where he almost had him cornered and then poof he was gone?"

"Yes and then later on you learned he had planned the whole thing orchestrating it so that it would all work out just so."

"But now you have to read the next one because you don't know where the girl is until you read it and then you start piecing together how it was all just one big interconnecting plan." She explained excitedly.

"You do have the next one right?"

She nodded, "Just let me go grab it."

James followed her with his as she dashed up the girls' staircase until she disappeared into her dormitory before turning his attention to his friends.

"Oh hello, realized we're here did you?" Sirius teased.

James blushed slightly as he flopped down into Lily's vacated seat.

"I'm sorry I just…"

"It's alright Prongs I know you can't help it mate."

Alice, Marlene and Dorcas all smiled at the look on James' face.

"You know," Marlene said softly. "On of these days she's going to realize that you are everything she has ever wanted."

James smiled at her but his eyes darted back to the stairs as Lily came down them the book in her hand.

"Here you go." She said handing it over as James stood up to meet her. "I hope you like it as much as the last one."

"I'm sure I will." He said waiting until she had taken her seat on the couch before sitting down on the floor in front of it, just to the side of her legs.

"Hey," Remus Lupin came walking in looking concerned.

"What's up moony?" Peter quipped, seemingly astute for once.

"I just came from the library and well…okay this is going to sound completely foolish but you girls didn't tell anyone that Lily and I were dating or anything, like as a practical joke or something?"

The four Gryffindor girls looked confused.

"No we haven't." Dorcas replied looking at Lily and then at Remus. "Why?"

"Well it's just I was in the library doing research for Slughorns' paper when these blokes from Ravenclaw went walking by." Remus looked more than a little uncomfortable now. "And well they made some stupid comments. I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it."

"What did they say Moony?" James asked from the floor already cracking open the book Lily had loaned him. "It had to have been something or you wouldn't have mentioned it."

"I'd really rather not repeat it James." Remus said after a moments' hesitation, now looking more uncomfortable than ever.

His response caused James to lift his head up and look at him worriedly.

"No way Lupin, you don't come in asking questions like that without providing an explanation." Alice prodded grinning impishly.

Remus continued to look uncomfortable and it was Lily who broke the silence.

"They said things about you sleeping with me didn't they?"

All eyes turned to her in astonishment.

"I'm right aren't I?" She pressed.

Remus nodded slowly.

"But why would they make comments about you and Remus?" Marlene asked her eyes on Dorcas whose expression was unreadably blank.

"Because they've been talking about me and all the Marauders."

"Even Peter?" Sirius squeaked incredulously.

The others just shot him nasty looks before turning back to Lily.

Lily continued picking at the fringe on the cushion she was holding. "You guys haven't heard it because we've almost always been going around in groups lately. But the past few times I've gone for a run or went to the loo or the library on my own they've been saying things to me. The worst ones are about James, but they've said things about all the boys."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Alice demanded.

"It wasn't important." Lily replied calmly giving her friend a don't-get-too-worked-up look.

"But why would they say those things about you?" James demanded looking furious.

Lily shrugged. "I'm assuming it was mostly the Slytherin girls who started them."

"What exactly have they been saying?" Sirius demanded looking nearly as furious as James now.

"It doesn't matter." She answered taking a deep breath.

"It does to us." Her friends all chorused.

Lily shook her head refusing to answer. It was stupid anyway. She hadn't really minded what they were saying other than the fact that it sort of hurt that people could so hastily jump to false conclusions about her character. She had worked hard to have a good reputation over the years and it seemed that all it took to tear that down was a dose of plain old-fashioned jealousy on the part of women.

"Well what exactly did they say to you Moony?" Sirius demanded and all eyes shot to Remus.

Remus sighed, "They asked me if she was as good as she looked and one of them made some comment about me paying her for her services. Then Walton said that if I wanted to share her with them sometime they wouldn't mind having a little fun."

"What pigs." Dorcas growled.

"Assholes you mean." Marlene corrected.

"Assholes isn't strong enough Marli I was thinking of something more like…"

"Alice please." Lily interjected. "You're all making more out of this than there has to be. If I can ignore them I don't see why you all can't."

"Because we are your friends, that's why." Alice retorted.

"Besides they are picking on you specifically Lily and you know it. If this was about jealousy when it comes to the Marauders they would be making the same comments to Marli and Alice." Dorcas argued.

"And you." Remus shot in giving her a look.

"Yes well…" Dorcas continued, her cheeks going slightly pink. "What I mean to say is they are singling you out specifically."

"She's right Lily." Marlene agreed. "They are picking on you because you are muggleborn."

"You guys it's not a big deal. I mean who cares if some Slytherin idiot asks me if I like it rough?"

"I do."

The rest of her friends fell silent as James turned about once more to look her in the eye.

"I don't care if you want to ignore it Lily, I won't. If I hear even one stupid comment about you I'm telling you right now I can't be held responsible for my actions."

"James..."

"No. I'm not going to be swayed on this and you know why. I'm not going to say it but you know why." He insisted firmly. "So those prats just better hope I'm not in hearing distance if they try this shit again, and from now on for at least the next few weeks I don't want you going around alone with jerks like Walton saying those things about you. That guy is bad news."

"I'm not a child you know." She retorted feeling oddly irritated at his overt display of protectiveness.

"No you aren't." James said still looking directly at her. "But I do consider you my friend, whether or not you've grown to consider me the same, and I don't take it well when people treat my friends badly. I don't want you getting hurt just because other people don't know how to act with decency."

He and Lily stared at each other warring silently before Lily looked away. She felt somewhat overwhelmed by what she saw in James' eyes. She knew without a doubt that, what she saw there was one of the reasons she had been careful about getting close to him too quickly. And after her dream the other night she knew she was nowhere near ready for the depth of emotion that looked back at her.

"If I promise I won't go off alone can we please just drop this subject for good? Or at least for tonight?" She said sounding tired.

James nodded still looking tense. He held up her book and said as calmly as he could manage.

"Thanks for this. I'm going to turn in but I'll get it back to you as soon as I'm done."

Lily grinned, amused despite what they'd talked about, that he was so excited to get through the next book.

"There's no rush you know."

"Easy for you to say, you already know what happens." He answered back heading for the stairs.

She frowned when he was out of sight, feeling out of her element when it came to him.

"He is like that with all of us you know?" Sirius told her softly, as the rest of their friends struck up a conversation about the upcoming quidditch match.

"You shouldn't take it personally. I mean he is insanely protective of you but it is in his nature to defend his friends like that." Sirius went on. "Once in second year he socked this big sixth year Slytherin bloke, you remember the one who looked like a gargoyle, despite the fact that the guy was twice his size and it was all because he had made some comment about me being a…well to soften it up a bit…a wimp, because I hadn't taken up my family's course in life and devoted myself to the dark arts and pure-blood supremacy. At the time I was more embarrassed than mad to be called out like that by someone so much older than me but James took care of it. He just got up from where we were sitting by the lake and leveled one at the big guy."

Lily smiled softly.

"I remember hearing some story about James attacking a giant. Back then I just chalked it up to an over-exaggerated rumor and James' ego needing more inflation."

Sirius smiled back.

"Well it was true. I mean we took off fast as lightning after he did it, afterall the bloke and his friends were four years older than us and rather mean, but that night all I can remember thinking is that if it meant I got to keep a friend like James, there was no way in hell I was ever going back to my parents way of thinking. And that was only one example, with James there are likely thousands but for the sake of keeping things simple we'll say hundreds upon hundreds."

Lily chuckled.

"Thanks Sirius."

He nodded and calling to Remus and Peter made his way up the boys' staircase.

His friends followed shortly after and soon the girls went up as well. Later on all the sixth years were sleeping soundly but one.

James Potter was still awake and couldn't help but keep replaying what Lily had said over and over and over again in his head. He finally fell asleep sometime in the early morning hours vowing to make sure he dealt properly with the next bloke who dared to slander her.

****

That following Saturday marked the first quidditch game of the season and while James was giving the team encouragement over breakfast Sirius nearly choked on his pumpkin juice when he saw the girls walk in.

"Holy Hippogriffs McKinnon you've outdone yourself this time." He said hoarsely.

"I'm a clever wench aren't I?" She chuckled softly pulling Lily, whose arms were locked tightly about her middle scrunching up her shirt, along behind her.

James looked up from talking to one of their chasers, a fifth year by the name of Eckerly, his eyes widening in shock. His teammates including Frank Longbottom and Alice's cousin Gideon followed suit.

"What do you think?" Marlene asked turning about so that he could get the full effect of her shirt.

It was a plain, short-sleeved, scarlet t-shirt but in big, gold, eye-catching lettering it read across the front.

Not Only Can He Tap It, He Hits It Hard! And on the back it had Sirius' last name in an arc across the top and his number in gold beneath it.

Alice's was similar only the front read, In Gryffindor We Score More! While the back just held the picture of a winking Lion and the word Gryffindor at the top.

"Aren't they great?"

Sirius was chuckling and nodding enthusiastically. "I love it." He replied. "If we win you'll have to wear them to all the games this season."

Lily groaned loudly and let her forehead hit the table.

Alice smiled but said sympathetically, "I think Lily's is the worst of the lot."

Marlene laughed, "She means the best! Come on Lily show the boys your shirt before they have to leave."

Lily lifted her head and glared fiercely at Marlene.

"Please, for me." Marlene pleaded pouting theatrically and clapping when Lily stood from the table and let her arms drop to reveal her shirt front.

James followed Sirius' example and choked on his pumpkin juice.

"Oh Merlin." He said softly reading the words again just to be sure he hadn't imagined it.

Nope he hadn't. On the front of Lily's shirt in the same bold lettering as the other two it read, No Matter How Tight A Squeeze, He Always Gets It In!

"Turn about Lily let them see the back." Marlene encouraged.

Red in the face Lily complied and James was relieved to see it was the same as Marlene's but instead it had James' last name and number on it, something that made him feel not just slightly pleased.

"Where on earth would you come up with an idea like this McKinnon?" James asked trying not to look at Lily for fear that he would break into a smile or, Godric forbid, laughter.

"Well I started with Alice's and originally I had planned to put Gideon's number on it but then when I realized the implication I thought that wouldn't be all that appropriate as that seemed incestuous. I didn't think about…" she paused eyeing Frank for a second, before continuing, "well anyway I just made hers for Gryffindor in general. Then I made mine and since you're a beater I thought it would be funny to make one that went along with your position and I came up with this. Now by that time I was really on a roll so when I got to Lily's I thought about James being a chaser and being in tough situations and then I thought about how he always manages to score anyway and voila! I'm a genius I know."

"I have to admit they are pretty… um I guess creative is the word I'm looking for." Gideon supplied unable to keep the smile from his face.

"Thanks." Marlene grinned, turning her attention to her breakfast.

After taking another minute to compose himself enough to not laugh James cleared his throat and informed his team it was time to head to the pitch.

"If it's any consolation Evans," he whispered quietly as he passed behind her, leaning down so that she could hear him. "You look absolutely gorgeous today."

Lily couldn't help but smiled as he walked away. Sometimes it felt like James knew exactly what she needed to hear. She busied herself with consuming her usual tower of waffles, now at least looking forward to the game somewhat.

Later that day after Gryffindor's spectacular win over Ravenclaw, Sirius decided that the shirts were definitely good luck and that the girls would most certainly have to wear them for the rest of the games, Lily just sighed in surrender.

****

By the way I'll recognize everyone who reviewed in the next chapter I promise :)