Hey Guys, thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate all the great comments so please keep it up! :)

This is unfortunately another short chapter but I'll do my best to make the next one a bit longer (I've kind of had a busy week, though that's a poor excuse)

Well Here Goes Chapter 9

FORGIVENESS

Lily woke the next morning and the first thing that came into her mind was the scene from the common room the night before. She couldn't believe the things they had overheard. Her friends, thank Merlin, hadn't said anything once the Marauders had disappeared they had merely packed up their things and followed Lily up to their dormitory.

It had taken her a long time to fall asleep but she had eventually done so amidst a sea of thoughts that included emotions such as confusion, worry, doubt, fear and happiness. Now this morning she was just as confused but more resolved than she had been previously. One thing was for sure.

She needed to find James.

*****

James sat in the Great Hall trying to block out the noise of the students around him as his head was pounding.

"Come on Moony are you almost done yet?"

Remus chuckled at his friend as he put the finishing touches on his special hangover remedy. It had been tested and proven to work without fail by the Marauders more times than they could count.

"Here ya go." He said finally handing over the red fizzing concoction to his friend.

James took a few large gulps before sighing happily.

"Ahhhh Moony my friend, have I told you lately that you're my favorite person in the world?"

"No I would have to say that you haven't." Remus chuckled.

"Then I'm a bloody idiot mate, cause you're my favorite person in the world."

His friends laughed as he eagerly worked his way through the rest of the Hangover potion and they began to talk about the upcoming quidditch match against Slytherin.

James turned at the light tap on his shoulder. He shot up to his feet quickly at the sight of the petite red head in front of him.

"Lily," he said in surprise.

Merlin she was beautiful. Her red hair was piled messily atop her head and James had the urge to reach out and play with a tendril that had come half loose.

She let go of the bottom lip she was biting to say.

"I was wondering if we could talk."

James nodded feeling like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, thankful at least that Remus' potion worked so well, because he wasn't having to try and speak to her through a pounding headache.

"Would now be okay?" She went on when he didn't say anything.

"Of course." He answered still amazed that she was there in front of him and hadn't decided to avoid him for the fourth day in a row.

When he merely stared at her for awhile longer Lily couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Well how about you walk me to the lake then?"

James nodded eagerly, extremely glad that she had laughed at him and was even now still smiling, as that boded well for him. He grabbed up his things quickly, unaware of the triumphant looks his friends were exchanging between themselves and with Lily's friends who had just arrived.

He fell into step with her and together they left the Great Hall and headed for the castle doors.

Once outside, Lily broke the silence between them.

"So first of all I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I've handled the situation between us since the incident the other day. I…"

She paused seeming to search for the right words.

"I really should have given you the opportunity to explain the situation. Not necessarily right when it happened but at least soon afterward."

James sighed feeling relieved at her words.

"I don't blame you for reacting the way you did Lily. I know how it looked and with my track record it's not like it's difficult to jump to the wrong conclusion in that sort of instance. Honestly I probably deserved it for the way I behaved before. You really shouldn't feel sorry for it." He supplied shoving his hands into his pockets as they strolled along down the path leading to the lake.

"Your past exploits aside," Lily responded. "I should have let you explain. We've grown closer over these past few months and it wasn't right of me not to at least give you a chance to explain."

She watched as James kicked a stone off the path and then went on.

"I would have given any of my other friends the benefit of the doubt and, while I know your past is sort of what led me to jump to conclusions, I still should have heard your explanation."

James opened his mouth to answer her but Lily stopped him.

"Hang on…just let me get this out okay?"

He fell silent at her words and waited patiently as she gathered her thoughts.

They reached the lake and made their way out onto one of the docks. Surprisingly Lily removed her shoes and sat down to let her legs dangle over the water, her toes brushing the still surface. James grinned at her fearlessness of the cold and followed suit.

"I want to tell you why I've been avoiding you." She said softly her eyes focused on the surface of the lake. "It wasn't so much what you did, or what I thought you did I guess, that made me stay away for so long. It was how I felt afterward. When I saw you, with Sev all beat up and well you know...I felt sort of betrayed."

James tensed at her words feeling horrible.

"But then that got me thinking. The only reason I would feel betrayed was if I had trusted you beforehand right? …and well I guess I realized that I had trusted you before that whole thing. That scared me. I knew we were getting closer, becoming friends but I hadn't realized how much I had begun to have faith in you. It was a lot to think about. The idea that I trusted you, that at any time you could betray that trust and leave me looking like a fool, it was hard to swallow. I worried that I would end up hurt if for some reason the old James, or the guy I thought you were, decided to show up again.

"But here's the thing…I don't think that will happen and here's why. Over the past few months I've come to know you as a different person than I thought you were. I mean you have changed some of your ways but essentially you haven't changed the person that you are and I've been given the chance to realize that I never knew just who you were at all. I'm getting to know the James that Sirius, Remus and Peter have known for so long. The one who waits for me to sit down before he does and who holds doors open for me and my friends. The guy who reads as much as I do, who has a wicked sense of humor at times, who likes animals other than Filch's cat and who got me the most beautiful gift I've ever been given in my life. I'm still learning so much about who you really are and yet everyday you do something to make me thing more highly of you and…

"I'm beginning to think I was an idiot for not giving you the chance to be my friend before." She finished flushing prettily.

James had begun to feel warm at her words and he knew without a doubt that he was probably blushing just as much as she was. He would never had guessed that hearing Lily talk about him in a good way would make him feel so vulnerable and happy and embarrassed and thrilled all at the same time. He honestly didn't know how to react to what she had said.

"I don't really know what to say." He admitted swishing his feet in the ice cold lake water.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain James." Lily repeated. "I should know better by now."

He grinned.

"So it this my opportunity to explain then?"

He looked away from his toes and over to see the guilty look on her face.

"To be honest James I already heard the whole story." She confessed.

"From who? Did Padfoot…" he fell silent as she shook her head.

"From you actually. You see Alice, Marli, Dorcas and I were studying in the common room last night when you and your friends wandered in."

James groaned.

"Oh Merlin. Please tell me you're joking. I got completely obliterated last night due to a lot of whiskey courtesy of Padfoot."

Lily smiled at him.

"I had sort of noticed."

James chuckled at her amusement.

"I can remember telling them all about what had happened but only vaguely. I don't remember you being there at all."

"That's because no one knew we were. We were in the corner and I don't think your friends noticed we were there when you all came in. You were telling Remus about he whole thing and I…well needless to say I overheard."

"Did I…repeat what they said about you?"

She looked away from him and at her toes brushing the icy water.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry about that." He sighed.

Lily looked up at him curiously.

"You're sorry I found out what led you to attack them?"

"Well yes if it means you know the horrible things they were saying. I wouldn't have wanted you to hear about that. The things they said were…beyond reproach."

She grinned at him saying, "You're a strange guy James Potter."

"So they tell me." He chuckled.

Lily bit her lip again, causing James to both wonder what she was thinking and want to lean over and kiss her.

"So now that you know what happened and now that I know you know what happened, are things better between us?"

She nodded her lip still between her teeth. He let silence fall and waited for her to say whatever it was that was on her mind.

He grinned as he looked at the difference between their feet. He decided he had never seen more perfect feet than Lily Evans'. They were small and slender with the nails painted a rosy pink and they made his own feet look exceptionally large. Their paleness against the dark water made them look fairy-like.

"Do you want to maybe spend the next Hogsmeade trip with me again?" Lily said finally. "As friends that is."

James knew by the feeling in his cheeks that he was grinning hugely.

"I'd love that."

He waited a moment before saying seriously,

"I think my toes are going to fall off."

****