A/N: Hope you enjoy, leave a review!

March 15, 1978

Lily and James were walking back to Gryffindor tower from dinner, laughing and chatting. It seemed to happen a lot, with James around everything was just a little funnier.

"Oh look, well isn't this disgusting. James bloody Potter and his stupid mudblood girlfriend." It was MacNair and a couple of his Slytherin friends. They were walking directly toward Lily and James and sneering.

"Watch it, MacNair-"

"Don't." Lily told James quietly.

"What?"

"Don't engage, just ignore them."

"What's a matter, Potter? Haven't got the balls to say something to my face?"

James looked from Lily's hard but pleading expression to MacNair's smug sneer growing ever closer.

"Piss off." James said bluntly and walked quickly, one arm on Lily's back, away from them.

Once the Slytherins were out of sight, James dropped his arm and carried on with a moody expression.

"They called you a m… a you-know-what."

"Yes, many people do."

"Lily, how can you just walk away?! They just used such a disgustingly derogatory name for you and you just walk away like it's nothing!?"

"It is nothing, James! I don't care what they have to say and there's no point starting a fight and getting in trouble just because they're prejudiced!"

They had gotten to the portrait and James had lapsed into stunned silence so Lily called out "Flobberworm!" The door swung open and Lily climbed inside.

"Don't you have any pride, Lily, they've insulted you! You!"

"Yes, James, I do have pride! But I don't feel the need to punch their lights out to prove it!"

"That's not- You have do defend yourself or they'll keep doing it! Or at least let me!"

"That is so far from the truth I could laugh in your face!"

"Yeah?! Well what is the truth then, Lily?!"

"If you don't let them get a rise out of you they'll get bored and stop!"

"If I wasn't friends with Sirius I would say that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

They were shouting at each other in the common room. Everyone and their mother could hear them so it was no surprise that Sirius heard the insult across the room.

"Hey! Keep me out of this!"

"Piss off!" James said rounding on him.

"There isn't a point in getting all mad and attacking them just so you can put them down! I'd rather get my revenge on them by being a better wizard! Why should we get in trouble because they're prats?!"

"You don't have to get in trouble! I've already got a rotten record, just let me knock 'em!"

"I don't want you getting in trouble either! And I don't need you defending me!"

"Lily, be reasonable! They can't just get away with this!"

"They won't!"

"Yeah?! How?!"

"They're on the losing side! Guarantee they're itching to be death eaters, if they aren't already, and when the ministry brings them all down they'll be the one's sitting in Azkaban and I'll be out here in the world alive and not in jail!"

"You can't rely on the ministry to do anything! That's not revenge, Lily, that's just justice."

"I prefer justice."

They had stopped yelling and were staring at each other.

"You can't be serious!" James burst out.

"I'm not Sirius, he is." Lily muttered gesturing loosely to where Sirius was sitting.

Lily heard a strangled gasp from the direction she'd gestured to and then a scuffling and quick footsteps. The next second Sirius had wrapped his arms around Lily from the side. Lily leaned away slightly confused.

"Lilykins! I had no idea!" Sirius cried.

"What is he doing?" Lily asked James, but he shrugged.

Sirius looked up at James, "Marry her." He deadpanned.

Remus appeared and hauled Sirius off of Lily. "But, Moony, she said 'I'm not Sirius, he is'..."

Lily walked towards the girl's dorms.

"Wait, Lily, where are you going?!"

"Upstairs, I'm done with this!" Lily marched upstairs completely missing the heartbroken look on James' face.

March 16, 1978

Lily woke up groggily and dressed slowly. She stuffed her school bag with her books, parchment, ink, and quills, and headed downstairs. The common room was unnaturally empty, but Lily was really too tired to notice.

Lily sat next to Mary at breakfast and had a couple scones. Marlene flew into the great hall in a panic. She sank glumly into her seat, and slumped forward, her head in her arms.

"What's a matter, Marls?" Lily asked.

"Hrghhh mfiiahfj…"

"Sorry, I don't speak glum, pick your head up."

Marlene lifted her head out of her arms. "I forgot to do my transfiguration homework."

"Ooofff." Mary said.

"McGonagall is going to rip my head off!" Marlene sunk back into her arms.

"Probably, but just do it now. I've got parchment here…" Lily handed Marlene the necessary supplies and Marlene gratefully set to work.

James limped in ten minutes before breakfast was over looking like he'd been run over by a truck. Lily glanced at him. She hadn't entirely forgiven him from their fight, but she was sort of done being in a fight.

Lily smiled and tried to catch his eye, but he walked past and sank into the seat next to Sirius. She frowned. Maybe James was still mad at her.

"What's with James?" Mary asked.

"Haven't the foggiest." Lily answered truthfully.

"Think it's about your fight?"

"I guess, but this seems a tad excessive for a stupid fight."

Mary shrugged equally puzzled.

o0o

James passed her in transfiguration just as he had at breakfast. Lily slumped in her seat resolving to ask Remus, the only sensible "marauder", what was wrong.

It was a fine lesson, but Lily was distracted by James being miserable across the room.

After the bell rang, Lily rushed over to Remus.

"Remus, what's wrong with James?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why's he all mopey and depressed?"

Remus gave Lily a quizzical look. "You broke up with him."

"What?!" Lily raised her eyebrow.

Remus looked between where James had just left the classroom and Lily's confused expression. "You mean that you didn't break up with him?"

"Of course not! Is that what he thinks?"

"Well…"

"Holy Merlin, he's dense. Thanks Remus." Lily marched out of the classroom after James.

She poked his back angrily. He turned and grimaced.

"Sorry, Lily, but I can't…" He looked near tears.

"Where'd you get the idea we'd broken up?"

James went from near tears to bewildered in less than a second. "You mean…"

"Well if we've broken up, then you're the one who's done it."

"No… I haven't… I just thought…" He flustered and blushed.

"So we're not broken up then?"

"You said, 'I'm done with this.' so I just assumed….but I definitely don't want to be broken up."

"Merlin's underpants, you are dense. That was about the argument!" Lily put her head in her hands.

"Oh." James blushed.

"You dense idiot!"

"Please don't dump me because I'm dumb…" James said softly.

"Lucky for you, I'm dumb enough to be in love with you." Lily whispered.

James grinned, relief obvious in every feature.

"Want to go to lunch?"

"Absolutely."