Hi there! First of all, a big THANK YOU to valenari and AnnaVD for reviewing! You guys have made me so happy! So, this chapter is for you.

"Dear James,

Thank you for your letter. The 37th one, right? Sure we both had a very long summer, haven't we? Anyway, school starts tomorrow, so I guess there will be no more letters. Maybe you'd even dare to show up and say in person what you think of Jane Austen. But be careful, Potter, I can be quite touchy when it comes to Jane Austen…."

Lily laughed to herself. If three months ago anybody had told her that she will keep a constant and regular correspondence with James Potter, she would have raised an eyebrow in disbelief. But here she was, composing a reply for 37th time straight.

Answering to his first letter was a bit difficult. She wrote down her OWL results, mentioned the NEWT classes she intended to take, and said a few good words about his performance. And this was the easy part. She wondered whether to mention their fight about Severus. Whether to make some sort of an apology. Eventually she decided to pretend it didn't happen, just like he did. His letter had been so funny, nonchalant and positive… Lily wanted to keep the light mood. Besides she wasn't ready to discuss serious topics. She didn't know the guy that well and still wasn't sure if she could trust him.

Well, it turned out she could. Moreover, he trusted her. It was obvious and Lily couldn't help being flattered and touched. Usually his letters made her laugh. He talked a lot about books and his biting sarcastic comments often scandalized her. He mentioned his friends at least once in each letter and Lily felt she was getting to know not only James, but the other three Marauders as well. He vividly described the pranks they were preparing for the new school year. Quite strangely, this didn't annoy her. Actually Lily found herself looking forward to the spectacular pool party the boys were planning to host… in Gryffindor Common room. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a magic that creates a bloody pool inside a room? Especially when those three idiots have left me do all the work! Anyway, you'll come to the party, right? And you can help me drown оne of them by your choice. Do we have a deal?"

Sometimes, however, his tone was more serious. He wrote about his parents and how they always encouraged him to pursue his dreams. Although he still wasn't sure what he dreamed of and what he wanted to do after Hogwarts. One morning he would wake up, determined to go pro and play Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons. Then by the afternoon he would dream of taking a world tour and getting to know different wizarding cultures. But most of all he wanted to become an Auror. Sometimes he talked of the war, how he detested The Dark Lord and his followers, how he wanted to fight against them. How he just didn't get why someone should be judged by their blood and not their personality. "I think dying in a battle to defend what's good in this world seems like a pretty good way to go…"

And slowly, imperceptibly Lily realized that she no longer despised James Potter. He was nothing like the arrogant prat she used tо take him for. Ok, probably he used to be, but he had changed. The boy who wrote those letters was by all means a good person and a trustworthy friend.

Now the holiday was almost over. By tomorrow evening they would be finally back in Hogwarts. Lily couldn't wait to see her friends Mary McDonald and Alice Wright. And – she smiled at the thought – maybe she wanted to see James too. To make sure they'd continue with their newly developed friendship. And to laugh at him for reading the collected works of Jane Austen, something she had dared him to do about two weeks earlier.

Lily went to bed early that night. She turned off the light and prepared to get some sleep, for she had to wake up at 6 a.m. the next morning. She'd definitely lost practice over the summer, since sleeping late was one of her ways to avoid constant boredom. And just then a quite familiar horned owl came through the open window, carrying a small piece of parchment. Lily turned the light on and grabbed the parchment. There were only a few words on it, but she smiled again and felt her heart beat a little faster.

"Watch out, Lily Evans. It's gonna be an interesting year. J.P."

Well, it's short. I know. But it covers a month and a half of practically doing nothing - except exchanging letters, of course! :D And just to mention - I have nothing against Jane Austen. It's just that I dared my boyfriend to read "Pride and Prejudice" and he said "I guess only girls can like this stuff". The next chapter will be longer and will have more things to happen. I just need some motivation, so review! Please! Pretty pretty please!

xoxo, silmarien189