Author's Note:

I am so sorry about the delay! Life is hectic, but I've got this out to you now thank goodness.

To Fixation33= thankyou so much for letting me know my timeline was off. I originally planned out this whole story without the whole Whomping Willow thing but then for some reason I got turned around and I thought "What the heck am I doing? I'm leaving the whole thing out!" at which point I proceeded to change said storyline but am now back on track with the original thanks to you reassuring me that it was in fact before their sixth year that the whole thing went on. *sigh* Now I can relax and not worry about it.

To anyone wanting a plotline update please read ^the above acknowledgment because there will be no whomping willow/sirius/severus/angry James goings on in the next few chapters. Check my profile if you want to know what the next chapter will involve :)

To 123migit456 I fixed the whole double Alice's thing, thanks for letting me know about the mistake :)

Thankyou to everyone who reviewed I love hearing all that you guys have to say and I've really enjoyed all the great feedback I've been getting on this story. Please keep up the reviews and keep letting me know what you all think.

Here goes..

The Best Birthday Ever

Chapter 12

"Lily you can't be serious? It's just breakfast for Merlin's sake!" Marlene insisted still trying to get Lily to take the clothes she was offering her and to put them on.

"I can't not after this morning. It was…" She buried her face in her hands still completely mortified.

"So you showed up in James' room in booty shorts and a nearly see-through top so what." Marlene said rolling her eyes. "It's not like it's the end of the world. Besides you can't avoid them forever."

"Just watch me." Lily replied stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.

Alice appeared then coming through the door, looking rather amused.

"Well it's not as bad as you think. Apparently your little fashion show this morning is the talk of the tower but not necessarily in a bad way. Most of the younger male students are now in love with you, in some form or another, and the older ones are," Alice paused to grin impishly, "respectfully admiring of you. Frank said that after you left James was a bit out of sorts but that he doesn't think it will be too weird."

Lily groaned and flopped back into her pillows.

"Stop being melodramatic about it," Marlene chastised. "Just get up and get dressed and let's go. You shouldn't mope about just because some guys saw you in your pajamas."

Lily knew she was right. She just didn't want to admit to them that the real reason she didn't want to go downstairs was because she couldn't shake the feeling that had begun when she'd locked eyes with James that morning and she didn't want to admit to herself that her wish to avoid him stemmed entirely from fear of the unknown. But when had she ever been the type to let fear rule her actions?

She stood slowly and grabbed the clothing from her friend.

She certainly wasn't the type to let panic overrule her good sense, even if that fear was even now pressing down on her stomach and making her feel rather queasy.

A half hour later, Lily and her friends made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When Lily caught sight of James she sucked in her breath.

Damn.

He looked absolutely gorgeous and the sight of him instantly made her stomach start turning. The strange butterfly sensation that she had gotten from seeing him at the train station and in Diagon Alley, and all day in Hogsmeade was back in full force.

She stopped dead in her tracks; her mind reeling as she internally struggled with a 'stay or flee' debate.

She was having trouble processing the whole thing. Her feelings about that morning, her feelings about the day before and her change in feelings for him altogether were all running through her head. She couldn't like James already could she?

The truth was she could, she just didn't want to acknowledge it as a definite possibility. She didn't want to think of James as more than a friend yet, and she definitely didn't want things to become awkward between them.

He smiled shyly when he saw her still frozen in the middle of the Great Hall and her chest clenched.

Double damn.

"Seriously Lils," Marlene said coming back over to her and grabbing her by the elbow, "Get over it."

When they reached the table Lily sat next to Dorcas, refusing to take her now typical seat next to James. There was a moments' silence while everyone processed the new arrangement before Marlene cleared her throat and said,

"Well James apparently you liked Lily's birthday present."

For some reason the innocent words made James think back to seeing her that morning and he flushed slightly.

"Yeah," He answered his voice sounding somewhat thick. "It's pretty cool."

"Try amazingly perfect. James loves music. It's a wonder he didn't branch out into muggle stuff before this." Sirius put in grinning madly. "I love it as well. I mean I'd never even heard of some of those artists."

As his friends launched into conversation about the records and the gift and muggle culture James watched Lily. She was biting her lip and looking from the waffles to the eggs in a rather torn sort of way. Just as she was reaching for the ladle to scoop some eggs he leaned across the table stretching past Sirius and in front of Dorcas and grabbed Lily's wrist.

"Nope." He said firmly.

Lily sighed. "Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." He bit out more firmly than before.

"I don't get it." Sirius said craning his neck to try and see around James' body. "What are they arguing about?"

Their friends all shrugged and looked to where James still held Lily's wrist. She was refusing to look him in the eye and he was doing his best to make her.

"How do you know?" She said glumly setting the elbow of her other arm on the table and planting her chin in her palm.

"Because it's not a big deal Lily," James put in reassuringly, knowing she would understand that he was talking about that morning. "Besides it's my birthday, so if you don't move away from the eggs and at least eat waffles I'm going to be really upset."

He was smiling as he let her wrist go and sat back down. Their friends looked from her to him curiously not understanding at all. James waited to see what she would do. He sighed in satisfaction when she pulled her hand back and looked over at him.

"Could you pass me a few strawberries please James?"

"That's my girl." He grinned and grabbed a few off the fruit tray putting them on a small plate and handing them over.

Lily smiled at him before rolling her eyes.

"I still don't get it. Why does Lily have to eat waffles?" Sirius questioned looking from Lily to James and back again.

"Because it isn't an eggs kind of day Padfoot." James answered grinning madly.

Sirius looked down at his own breakfast and sighed dramatically before saying sadly, "Well I wish someone would have told me that sooner."

Lily burst out laughing uncontrollably.

That afternoon the Marauders, Lily, Dorcas, Marlene and Alice were all lounging about by the lake, near the trees.

"So where's Frank?" Dorcas questioned curiously, as he and Alice were usually inseperable.

"He's got to study. With NEWTs coming up he can't really afford to spend all his free time with me."

The others nodded in understanding.

"I don't want to have to take those awful things." Lily put in.

She was laying in the sun her eyes closed and her head resting on James' rucksack. It was just too nice of a spring day to spend it anywhere but outdoors.

"I don't think anyone does Lil." Marlene chuckled.

"You know if you keep on laying in the sun like that you're going to burn." Alice informed her cheekily. "Remember that time in fourth year?"

Her friends began to laugh and Lily sat up scowling. "I can't help how fair skinned I am and it's not my fault if I really like the sun."

"Well we told you you were going to burn. But you didn't listen and it ended up you had to go to the infirmary to get your skin healed up." Alice went on giggling at the memory.

"That was the day her face nearly matched her hair." Dorcas added chuckling.

"I don't remember that." Remus said frowning.

"That's because Lily didn't want anyone to know that she did it so she ran from out here all the way to the dorms and didn't go to the infirmary until late that night." Marlene replied.

Lily flopped back down onto the grass.

"Well I looked dreadful. I wasn't about to let people see me looking like a walking tomato."

"I doubt you looked dreadful." James put in smiling.

"That's because you didn't see her." Alice said winking at James.

"You know, it's times like this that I consider getting new friends. I can't believe you lot…." Lily paused as she felt the sun leave her face. She cracked open her eyes and looked up to see Sev standing over her.

"We need to talk." He said simply.

Lily sighed and sat up slowly.

"No we don't."

"I disagree."

"Well I don't care." She bit out. "I think our last conversation pretty much laid it all out there. What you did, or didn't, say was pretty straight-forward."

He bent his knees and crouched down next to her. "Does it help at all if I say I'm sorry, for everything?"

Lily sighed and looked pointedly out at the lake. If she looked left she would see the disapproving looks on her friends' faces and if she looked right she would see the pleading one on Sev's.

"Sorry only gets you so far Sev. And too many of them will begin to get you nowhere."

He sighed and stood suddenly.

"I'm trying here Lily." He bit out in frustration.

She stood and began to walk a little ways away from her friends, and out of hearing distance.

"What are you trying? Are you trying to be my friend again, because it sure doesn't look that way when you spend all your time with the Death Eater Wannabes. Are you trying to keep me from making a mistake? Well I don't think I'm making one. Not with James, not with the rest of the Marauders and…not with you. We aren't who we used to be Sev. We aren't those little kids anymore."

Lily watched as his eyes clouded with anger.

"You think I don't know that. You think I don't realize that we aren't eight years old and dreaming about how perfect life will be one day? I'm not stupid Lily. I can see that we aren't who we used to be…either of us. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't help but think you're making a mistake here. James Potter is…"
"My friend." Lily interrupted suddenly feeling very defensive when it came to James. "Whether or not you approve of it. I've gotten to know him this year and I he's not the person you or I thought he was. I like him. I enjoy spending time with him. He makes me laugh..."

"That's because he's a clown. He doesn't take anything seriously. He's a…where are you going?"

Lily had begun to walk back in the direction of her friends and Severus was right on her heels.

"I'm not going to stand there and listen while you speak ill of him. We've had this conversation, plenty of times in fact, but I no longer agree with you."
She stopped suddenly and turned to face him.

"Seriously Sev what are you doing?" She asked tiredly. "What's the point in coming up to me to rehash all this all the time? Why can't you just let things go? You aren't going to change, you've admitted that. And neither am I. So let's just leave it at that and save ourselves the heartache. I can't keep doing this with you. I can't keep arguing and trying to make you see things the way I do. And you can't keep doing the same."

They stared at each other, each lost in their own thoughts. She knew he realized the truth of her words and yet she also knew that some part of him wouldn't settle for letting things go. He didn't seem to be able to let her go.

"You know I just can't sit idly by and watch you slip away." He said sounding choked.

"Then be my friend again. Quit acting like you have been. Quit spending time with those…"

"Oh it's as easy as that right? Quit behaving like you do Sev. Quit hanging out with your friends. Quit being who you are." He retorted hotly stepping closer to her and making her back up.

"You know very well that's not what I meant."

"Do I? Because from my standpoint it seems like you want me to change to fit into your way of thinking. You want me to think and act and behave in a manner that's acceptable to you. You're being a hypocrite Lily. In the same way that I want you to change to make me happy you want me to do the same." He intoned.

Lily was silent for a minute processing his words. She eventually nodded.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. And I get that it isn't fair that we are both standing on opposite sides of this chasm and it just keeps growing. You keep building your bridge only for me to burn it and I keep building mine only to have you do the same. But honestly Sev as unfair as it is I think we just both need to let it go." She insisted. "Just let me let it go."

He stared at her oddly for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. It's not in me to do that and you know it."

Lily sighed, "I'm going back to my friends now Sev."

She turned and began to walk away again but he stayed with her.

"We aren't finished with this."

"Right now we are. I don't want to end up crying my eyes out all over James' shirt again Sev. So as of right now the conversation is over."

She realized her mistake right after the words were free and she knew before he even opened his mouth that the next thing he said was going to be ugly.

"All over Potter's shirt huh? So he's taken to comforting you now. Well that's just fantastic. I'm so glad that Saint Potter can come to the rescue all the time." He growled and Lily sped up trying to get back to her friends before he got overly vicious. "So I suppose I should start believing all the rumors I hear then, like that you're sleeping with him. That you're whoring yourself out to him and his friends."

Lily swallowed the lump in her throat. "You know that's all bullshit."

"Oh really? So you weren't in his room wearing practically nothing this morning?"

Damn, news travels fast in Hogwarts. She thought irritably.

Lily didn't answer she had reached her friends again and she was ready to end the conversation.

"I'll see you around Sev." She said turning to face him.

"Answer the question Lily." He fumed.

"Just leave Sev."

"So you were. It's true then. You've been sleeping with him?" He stated flatly his eyes going black as coal and his shoulders tensing.

Lily put her hands to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. "Just stop it!"

"Just answer the fucking question!"

"YES! It's true! It's all TRUE!" She burst out yelling hotly, stepping up to him so they were chest to chest. "I've slept with James! Tons! All the time in fact! And it's fantastic! Really mind-blowing! And I've taken to spending the night in his room instead of mine! It makes it easier you know for when I decide to have a go with one of his friends instead! I'll have you know I've gotten to be quite the talented slag, so good in fact that I'm sure one of these days he'll make me his little muggleborn mistress! I mean I could never marry him, he's a precious Pureblood and I'm a Mudblood right! But that's just fine with me I don't mind letting him use me, I'm easy like that Right Sev! I mean it makes sense right! If I'm hanging out with James, well then of course I'm sleeping with him because I suppose I'm not good enough to be with him openly! And I guess I lack the self-respect and decency to not become a WHORE!"

She shoved him in the chest, pushing him away from her.

"You'd better go, I mean Merlin knows what sort of slutty things I might get up to next, probably right out here on the grass!" She glared at him as she finished.

He looked at her sadly and said softly, "I'm sorry Lily. I'm…really sorry."

As he walked away she watched him leave and she sighed. She was so tired of doing this with him, of always having to end things with her mad and him apologizing. She was just…very tired.

She turned around and went back to where James' bag still lay. Not saying anything to her friends she just lay back down and closed her eyes soaking up the warmth of the sun.
She ignored the silent tears that ran out of the corners of her eyes and she waited until they dried on her cheeks to say.

"Sorry about that."

None of her friends answered at first and Lily opened her eyes to see that they'd all come to lie in the grass around her.

"Wasn't your fault." Alice told her giving her calf a squeeze.

Lily nodded.

"Well I for one am really disappointed in you Lily-Flower." Sirius said sitting up and looking over at her from the other side of Marlene, his face a mask of severity. "Here I find out that not only have you been having mind-blowing shagging sessions with Prongs but that you've been letting Moony and Wormtail share in the fun while I am left with absolutely no memory whatsoever of you slipping from Prongs' bed and making your way into mine. I mean honestly I know there's no keeping up with Prongsie but I'm sure I could do better tha…" He jumped up and began to run cackling madly, as James leapt up to chase him.

Lily laughed watching the two of them race about like little kids.

"Come now Prongs I mean if you're going to share your mistress with Wormy and Moony I would think that as your…" Sirius paused and made a mad dash jumping between and over Lily and her friends as James had nearly caught him. "…as your best mate that you'd want to share with me first. Though…" He chuckled as James tackled him to the grass. "…my birthday is coming up and if you were planning on surprising me I promise I'll pretend I'm shocked to find Evans under the covers."

Lily was laughing along with their friends at his words and she decided that if Sirius could help her find humor in the situation then she could at least join in the joke.

"So do you prefer red or black lingerie?" She called out grinning impishly.

"My name's not Black for nothing honey." Sirius called out cackling as James slugged him in the arm.

The rest of James' birthday passed rather pleasantly. And Lily found herself having fun as they ate dinner and hung out in the common room. Sirius even presented James with a rather misshapen looking chocolate cake with vanilla icing.

"He makes it himself every year. Don't ask me how he's talked the elves into letting him do it but at least he's improved over time." Remus informed the girls as Sirius lit the candles.

"Make a wish Prongs ol' boy." Sirius said as they finished singing him Happy Birthday.

They all laughed when James scrunched up his face like a five year old, pretending to think very hard, before blowing out the candles.

Lily, though not a huge cake fan, was enjoying Sirius' efforts and leaning against the wall near the fireplace when James came and sat down beside her.

"Hey." He said softly.

Lily's stomach flipped over as she replied just as softly, "Hey."

"How are you doing?"

She sighed knowing he was referring to the whole day in general. "It was a long day and I'll be honest I hope your next birthday doesn't involve any wardrobe issues or fights with Sev. But all in all after spending the morning with you guys and the afternoon after I calmed down I think it turned out to be a waffles with strawberries sort of day after all, almost borderline pancakes."

James grinned and took a bite of his cake before bringing up what was bothering him.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's not more of a hassle for you to be my friend than not."

Lily frowned at his words and turned toward him.

"I don't care if it's a hassle or not. It isn't, but even if it was it would be worth it because you're my friend and I care about you. We've been through a lot these last few months and you've been wonderful putting up with all the crying and the fighting with Sev and the stupid rumors that keep flying around. Come to think of it it's probably more of a hassle for you to be friends with me than the other way around. So trust me James being your friend is worth whatever comes along with it." She insisted.

He nodded and swiped the last of his cake from his plate, setting it on the floor next to him.

"Well I'm glad you don't feel like you'd rather call it quits." He answered shifting and sinking down so that her shoulder touched his.

Lily's stomach was suddenly up in her throat at the contact and she didn't trust her voice at all. That was when she most definately came to the realization that she'd been fighting for awhile.

Sweet Merlin, I have a crush on James Potter!

She tried to keep her breathing normal and to not let him see the effect he was having on her as she spoke.

"So did I ever actually say 'happy birthday' to you today?"

He looked at her their faces now rather close together.

"I don't think so."

"Well then, happy seventeenth birthday James." She whispered, her voice fading just like the rest of her as she looked into his warm brown eyes.

When he didn't say anything or make a move to pull away she did something she never would have expected of herself. She leaned forward, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to his softly. It was an innocent and yet completely overwhelming kiss. When she pulled back she was aware that she was blushing, but she couldn't take it back now and truthfully she didn't want to. The butterflies in her stomach were doing a mad sort of dance and her skin felt hot and sensitive all over.

James' eyes were locked with hers and there was so much heat coming from them that she didn't know how she wasn't melting from his stare. His gaze was filling her with waves of desire so intense she didn't know if her senses could stand the onslaught.

"I…" he cleared his throat and went on, "I really hope that you'll do that again sometime." His voice was whisper soft and very smooth. He reached out and grabbed her hand entwining her fingers with his. "As far as birthdays are concerned I'm certain this is the best one I've ever had."

Lily didn't know what to say or do at that point so she just let him continue to run his fingers along hers, a movement more sensual than she thought it would be, and closed her eyes. She knew James was still looking at her but she didn't care.

She felt oddly safe tucked against the wall next to James, having just kissed him, his fingers running along her own, while he watched her fall helplessly into sleep.

R&R Everybody...pretty pretty please?