JAMES POV

James was still in shock that Lily had slept the night in his bed, so much that the sausage he'd stabbed onto the end of his fork slide off onto his plate, forgotten in his sudden daze. Sirius prodded him in the shoulder, sniggering.

"Did you and Lily finally do it?" He asked.

James blinked, and just like that, Sirius had ruined the moment again. "What? No," James snapped. "Merlin, shut up."

Sirius snorted. "Marly said you two went back to the dorms together."

"Of course we did, you idiot," James said. "That's where we sleep. And besides, when did you start talking to Marly again?"

"Or maybe it wasn't Marly," Sirius said, frowning. "I dunno, someone said that Marly saw you two leaving the Gryffindor common room at midnight holding hands."

"What the heck," James grumbled. "How many people has she told?"

Before Sirius could answer, Jack Robin - a Gryffindor beater – slapped James on the shoulder, a Cheshire cat grin on his face. "Knew you'd wear her down," he said, still smirking.

James was so shocked he barely had time to register Jack's words, and when his brain finally caught up, the boy was halfway down the Great Hall. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing, Sirius was one thing, but a fifth year? How far had word gone? Oh great, James thought, suddenly realizing the magnitude that was the Hogwarts gossip chain. What on earth where they saying about him and Lily?

"Great," James grumbled. He turned to his friend, scowling. "What exactly are they saying?"

Sirius shrugged. "Last I heard you and Lily finally had sex."

"Yeah but like how?"

At that Sirius frowned. "I dunno man. Probably the missionary or something. She isn't exactly a harlot."

James whacked him – hard – across the shoulder. "Not like that dickhead." And then he whacked him again – this time harder. "And don't call her that again."

"Oww," Sirius complained, rubbing the spot that James had punched him. "Like what then?"

James groaned. The last rumor about James' sex life had been half way through sixth year and it had involved Jess Burke (A Gryffindor seventh year at the time), the prefect's bath and maple syrup. James was quick to squash that one. But all the ones before that, well James had mostly encouraged them. Even though they all weren't true. Now he just felt like a complete idiot.

"Has Lily heard it yet?"

"Probably," Sirius said. "If Marly started it."

"Great."

"So it's not true then?"

"No!"

"But you did sleep in the same bed as her?"

James frowned. "How do you figure that one out?"

Sirius shrugged. "Educated guess."

"Prat."

Sirius grinned. "Well here she comes now." James spun around in his seat to see Lily entering the Great Hall, followed by Alice and Marlene. "Good luck." With that, Sirius grabbed a piece of toast and swung up and off of his seat, waving at the girls as he passed them.

The girls sat around James, Alice smiling and Marlene looking like she was struggling to contain a laugh.

"Uh hey," James said, feeling off kilter.

""How's your morning been James?" Lily asked.

"Uh normal."

Lily looked to Alice as if that sorted things. Alice shrugged and glanced at Marlene, who was now biting her lip, her hands shoved under her thighs.

"Heard the news yet?" Lily said.

James glanced around the Hall nervously, wondering if she was referring to their rumor or something that had more to do with McGonagall's speech yesterday.

"Uh maybe?"

"Apparently we had sex."

James nearly choked on his eggs. Lily was watching him with a completely blank face, her eyes rounded with sincerity. There was something off about the look though, as if James had seen a similar look hundreds of times before and now someone had gone in with a paintbrush and added an extra dimple or something. Hang on; there is a dimple, he thought. Is she smirking? He glanced at Alice and Marlene who were also watching him rather intently, but as if they were on the prowl for gossip.

Huh, he thought, if Lily was playing him he could play her right back.

"Well if that's in the paper then it must be true," James shot back, looking just as blank.

Lily's smirk spread a little further, barely noticeable. Marlene's expression dropped, her mouth gaping in shock. Alice looked just as surprised.

"Yes I'm rather happy that our sex life has made front page," Lily continued smoothly.

James held back a snort.

"I only had a chance to skim the article," he said, stifling a smirk as Lily's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did they mention that we did it out by the lake?"

"Shut up," Marlene yelled.

Alice however was frowning. "You're taking the piss, aren't you?"

"No way," Marlene said. "This is golden."

"Yeah, sorry Marls," Lily said, smirking as she grabbed a piece of toast. "All lies, as per usual."

"Damn," Marlene grumbled.

"What have you got first Lils," Alice said, stifling a laugh.

"Uh – potions," she replied. "Then Trans – oh crap. Great."

"What?" James said, frowning.

"Remus and I didn't finish the Transfiguration homework," Lily grumbled. "You know, that stupid assignment McGonagall set us."

"Oh I did it!" Marlene said brightly. "Mum told me."

"Wanna tell us?" James pressed, knowing damn well Sirius probably hadn't touched it either.

"Yeah it's pipius aquinias or something," Marlene said. "Here," she paused to pull her wand from her robe pocket and pointed it at her bowel of cereal. "It's like this weird Q pattern but the tail has like a weird zig at the end. Then, Pipius Aquinias. Ta dum! Unlimited cereal."

"Did you ask what the two words mean?" Lily said.

Marlene blinked, and James snorted. Lily shot him a condescending look.

"Well in Runes Pipius means infinity," Alice said. "Well, that's a very simplified version of the meaning. There are debates about whether it means –"

"There we go," Lily said, interrupting her friend. "So it's a runic spell."

"Is there another kind?" James said

"Yes," Lily signed, dropping her head onto James shoulder dramatically. "Keep up little boy."

James grunts. "Excuse me," he mocks growled. "But I distinctly remember you last night fainting at the sight of –"

"JAMES!" Lily shrieked.

"What? No way! I thought you said –"

"Sarcasm Marlene," Alice snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh I hate you Potter," Marlene grumbled.

"My pleasure Marls."

LILY POV

Slughorn is ten minutes late. The first five minutes everyone had just sat at their desks chatting and laughing. At six minutes Sirius had gotten up and left, and hadn't returned yet. At eight minutes James had appointed himself the Professor and was now in the middle of a long ramble on the importance of plucking your broomstick daily.

"You don't think he actually prunes his broom daily, right?" Alice muttered beside her.

Lily had yet to see James even clean his broom. "No of course not," she muttered back. It was her tone that indicated she didn't care whether James plucked his broom every second of everyday or if he only used his broom to sweep the floor. "Where do you think Slughorn is?"

"I dunno? Maybe he got –"

"Please pay attention Miss Prewitt," James called from behind Slughorn's desk.

Alice giggled.

"Maybe put her in detention?" Lily called out jokingly. Or what she hoped was jokingly, because suddenly Alice had stopped laughing and James was glancing at her with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Okay class, pipe down," James said, not taking his eyes off Lily. Much to Lily's surprise they listened, some of the more rowdy boys dropping down into their seats.

"What are we supposed to do then?" A Hufflepuff boy complained.

"I dunno mate," James said waving him off. "Use your brain."

He wandered towards Lily and Alice, waving Remus and Peter over. The boys crowded around Lily's desk, Remus rubbing a frown from his face. Lily noticed that the bags under his eyes looked darker than usual. Marlene had also pulled a chair over, shoving herself between James and Alice. She smiled a smile at Lily that didn't quite meet her eyes, but Lily wasn't sure if it was still a lingering after-effect of their turbulent relationship of late or if she was having the same, sinister, sinking feeling that something was wrong.

"And the secret meeting commences," James joked, knocking his fist against the table as if he were a judge opening the court for discussion.

Lily couldn't help but roll her eyes; despite the affronted look Alice gave her boyfriend. James had two kinds of sarcasm she'd come to realise: one that was meant for jokes and teasing, and another that he used to deflect emotions that were hard to approach. Like fear. Or anger. She wasn't sure which one applied to her at this moment.

"If this is a secret group we should probably have a cooler name," Peter said.

"Like Potter's–"

"Pranksters?" Peter filled in, causing Remus to snort and James to look slightly abashed.

"I've mature since then," James said, before Remus could inject something equally as embarrassing.

"Well it's not the worst I've heard," Alice commented. "At least at the same caliber as 'The Marauders'."

"That title was self-dubbed by McGonagall herself," James said. "And what a fine moment that was."

"Didn't it involve tears?" Marlene said.

"Okay, okay," James said loudly, causing half the classroom to glance his way – not judgmentally, since he had told them to shut up beforehand, but curiously, as if he might say something to all of them – and Lily to glare at him. "None of memory lane right now, as fascinating as that might be brussel sprout face."

Marlene stuck her tongue out, but before anyone could question it, she quickly interjected, "does secret meeting number whatever have a purpose?"

"Didn't Lily call us over?" Peter said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "No," she told them. "James called this meeting to action."

"I thought you had something to say," James said.

Everyone turned to her expectantly, Remus smiling encouragingly, Alice frowning, Marlene with her hands shoved under her jittering legs, Peter looking slightly confused and James looking like he might've maybe said the wrong thing.

"James and I didn't have sex," Lily told them gravely.

No one said anything.

"I thought I better shut down that rumor."

"Okay," Remus offered slowly. "Thank you?"

"No worries."

"Maybe Slughorn died."

James groaned. "I think someone would've informed us of that Peter."

"Well they haven't told us where he is and class is almost over in case you haven't noticed," Peter said defensively.

"It's been like twenty minutes," Marlene said.

"Seriously?" Peter groaned. "James your lecture was a downright bore."

Lily snorted. Peter looked both surprised that he'd made her laugh and bashfully pleased. James flicked him over the head.

"Don't ogle my girlfriend."

"Yeah don't ogle James' girlfriend," Marlene quipped, grinning.

"Don't even breathe at James' girlfriend," Alice said, also biting back a laugh.

"Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend," Remus hummed.

"Do you hate them?" James said, looking at Lily. "Because I hate them."

Lily smiled. "Tell me about it boyfriend."

JAMES POV

James didn't want to press Lily for answers but he also knew, from past experiences, that sometimes it was better to simply have out with it, while it was just the two of them – alone. He gaze seemed stony as she sunk into a dark red armchair, her pale fingers shoved under her bent knees. After there teacher-less potions class, the confused seventh years had spilled out into the bustling corridor, James keeping his ears sharp for any whispers or rumors. Standing in the middle of a Hogwarts corridor between classes was the best way to gather in what was the daily gossip chain.

"McGonagall didn't even show up to our class." That was from a confused looking third year boy.

A fifth year girl smiled energetically at him. "Hi James."

"Oh come on Merry," her friend complained, grabbing her cloak and tugging her away.

The crowd bustled and pulsed. People pushed and laughed and chatted, but nobody seemed overly worried or frightened or even confused. It had just seemed like an average day.

James sat down on the sofa, plucking at a loose thread.

"We shouldn't be skipping class," Lily said reluctantly.

"McGonagall isn't there," James pointed out – it was true, even though he'd heard the third year proclaiming her disappearance in the corridor he'd still checked her classroom just in case, and she wasn't there, nor was their evidence of her being their at all that morning. The chalkboard was magiked clean and her desk was bare.

"Well we shouldn't be hiding away in here," Lily said indignantly.

That was when James realized just how angry Lily was. It wasn't her just being simply mad that their teacher might've skived class and she didn't get to learn a giggling potion or some nonsense – she was mad at something much, much bigger.

"When did you forgive Marly?" James asked.

"What?" Lily said, looking genuinely surprised.

"Well you're friends again, aren't you?" James pressed.

"I guess," Lily offered. She rubbed her forehead, not glancing at James. "I'm not angry at her anymore, if that's what you mean."

"Yeah but why did you forgive her?"

"Do I have to have a reason?"

"No –"

"It was pointless, okay? Holding a grudge when Remus was already over it," Lily said. "He doesn't seem to care about it anymore, does he? And, well they were never exactly chummy, but they're friends again."

James blinked. It wasn't exactly an outburst, just a stream of consciousness. "Well c'mon then," James said, getting up and offering Lily his hand.

"Where are we going," Lily questioned, letting James pull her to her feet.

"Dumbledore's office."

LILY POV

Lily often prided herself upon her ability to be able to understand how someone was feeling just by glancing at their expression, but as the two of them made their way towards Dumbledore's office, skirting around lingering, confused students, she couldn't – for the life of her – work out James' expression. He was unreadable; his face scrubbed raw of emotion, as if he'd purposefully plastered a blank mask over his face. The few students that they did pass eyed them nervously, mumbling as they passed. Lily noticed a couple of first years loitering by the charms classroom, their textbooks clutched under their arms. She saw James eyeing them too, his expression flickering.

As they turned down Dumbledore's corridor, Lily heard voices. Someone was talking, and rather heatedly, the sound of her voice growing stronger. Lily watched in surprise as McGonagall flounced out of Dumbledore's office, the Headmaster hot on her heels. His expression was carefully composed, but McGonagall looked ready to explode. There was a fiery heat in her face that Lily had never seen before.

"-deserve to know," she was saying, her hands flapping wildly. "It involves them, just as much as it involves us Albus."

"I am aware Minerva," Dumbledore said. Neither of them had seemed to notice Lily and James, both who had paused in their tracks. He casted his eyes downward. "But for know –" He paused, and looked up, his stern gaze set on Lily's.

Lily jumped in surprise. She felt her cheeks growing hot in shame for being caught. James, however, took it in stride, marching towards the two professors, his posture rigid. Lily followed after him, intrinsicantly pleased to have James in front of her.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," Dumbledore said. If he was surprised to see the two of them, he didn't show it. His expression, however, had changed, the usual twinkle in his eyes returning to some degree.

"Sorry to intrude Professor," James said. His tone, just like his expression, was guarded.

"No need to apologize," Dumbledore said, smiling.

Something about Dumbledore's smile seemed to comfort James, some of the tension from his shoulders slipping. He returned his professors smile warmly.

"I figured I would hear from the both of you soon," he continued. "I assume you grew concerned after Professor Slughorn failed to show to class? Then, after you learnt that Professor McGonagall was also absent, your concern became something much more frightening. Well, then it is I who should be apologizing. Your Professors are both fine, and taken care of. I apologize for your concern, the both of you."

Lily blinked. She hadn't been expecting an apology. If she was being honest with herself, she was expecting something much more grave, that the fact that their Headmaster apologizing to them felt quite minor.

"Is everything all right?" James said.

McGonagall eyed James skeptically, as if unsure of his intentions. Dumbledore simply smiled. "Everything is quite all right." At that McGonagall frowned, a barely noticeable gesture, but Lily had been watching her, wondering what she had been arguing about previously. "We have been having some minor security issues of late, nothing that our staff cannot handle but for today it required some of your Professors to re-instate some of our more trickier magical barriers."

Dumbledore's tone seemed so calm and smooth that he could've been talking about this morning's breakfast. It lulled Lily, however, made her less concerned. She wondered if maybe she'd been over exaggerating before. James flinched, his hands coming together before him into a single fist. For a second it looked as if he was going to say something, his mouth twitching, but then he decided against it, opting to just nod solemnly. An eerie silence loomed between them, Dumbledore's gaze lost somewhere between James' head and the ceiling. McGonagall stepped forward, ushering James and Lily away from the Head office.

"If you two will come with me," she said, returning one last glace at Dumbledore before marching off.

Once they were out of earshot, James unclenched his fists, his temper simmering. "Someone was trying to breach the barriers?" He said, aghast.

Lily gasped. Dumbledore had made it seem so insignificant, so common, but the way James' was wording it made it seem like a much graver issue.

"It is not my place to discuss such matters with you Mr. Potter," McGonagall said.

"But –"

"No Mr. Potter. You may be Head Boy but you are far to young to be troubling yourself with such matters." McGonagall was looking at James almost fondly, her round eyes behind her spectacles soft and sad.

"I want to be troubled with them," James insisted. "This is my war just as much as it is yours."

Lily tensed. James often talked back to teachers, but he was usually joking or acting up, never was he arguing with them about such serious matters.

"James," Lily started. "Maybe –"

James cut her off, "are we under threat?"

"James!" Lily jolted in her shock. Part of her wanted answers, part of her wanted to know what was going on, but another part of her – the timid school girl – was repelled by the idea of fighting with a teacher, as stupid as it seemed.

James ignored her. "Professor, are we under attack? Is that were Slughorn and Flitwick are?"

"Professor Slughorn and Professor Flitwick, Potter," McGonagall scolded. "And no, we are not under attack, nor is there an imminent threat. And you would do well to listen to Miss Evans."

"Imminent threat," James repeated, dumb folded. "So there was a threat? A remote threat?"

McGonagall sighed. It was a fed up sigh, more a distant, saddened sigh. She removed her spectacles and pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, exhausted. James seemed to notice it, his temper faded.

"Sorry Professor," James said. "It's just –"

"I understand Potter," McGonagall said. "And I'm sorry that I'm not at liberty to discuss this with you. Had I had my way, well never mind, minds have been decided. If the matter concerns you immediately, you will be informed…"

McGonagall paused, her expression jumping from exhaustion to shock to regret in seconds. Lily blinked, confused, then she noticed James' expression. He looked petrified, his face pale, as if he'd seen a ghost. McGonagall slide her spectacles onto the bridge of her nose, subtly composing herself.

"I'm sorry Potter," she offered, before walking away.

Lily tucked her hand into James', curling her fingers in between his. He tightened his hand, pulling Lily close till his nose was nearly pressed against her forehead. He signed.

"That was a look to take in," he finally said.

"Who do you think would want to break into Hogwarts," Lily whispered, taking the cowards option and deciding to tackle the easier topic to approach. She still wasn't sure how to comfort James about what McGonagall had almost told him – that his family's life was possibly, and judging by her expression, most likely at risk.

"Voldemort," James said.

His tone was empty.

"That bastard."

Lily snorted in surprise. It wasn't funny, not in the least, but the way James had said it – with such seriousness and in such a colorless way – made it seem more funny than if he'd tried to make a joke out of it. He smiled, brushing a finger across her cheek.

"I'm glad you're laughing," he said.

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because I don't want you feeling sorry for me," he said. "And I don't want you to worry about Voldemort, either."

"But I do," she said.

"For which one?"

"Both," she whispered. She could barely hear herself, but James flinched, as if the idea pained him terribly.

"I wish you didn't."

"I know," Lily told him, placing her hand against his face, softly pressing her fingers into the warmth. "Just as I wish you would stop thinking about ways you can fix everything."

James leant forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. Lily signed, falling completely against his chest. She hadn't realized how much she needed to be held until just now.