The early morning sun woke up Lily. She yawned and scratched her head, trying to recall her dream.
It had been a bizarre dream. Something about Animagi and James Potter…
Her present reoccurring thought bit her again.
"No." she muttered as she spread the curtains of her four-poster wide.
"No what?" Tamara asked, jumping out of bed. The other two Gryffindor girls were still asleep, as Tamara and Lily were the only early risers.
Lily sighed.
"Nothing." She yawned.
Tamara took a closer look at her eyes.
"Merlin, Lils." She whistled, "You have some serious suitcases you need to unpack."
It took Lily a little while to figure out that Tamara was talking about the ones under her eyes.
"What kept you up?" Tamara asked, cheekily, "a little frisking with a certain prongsie marauder, perhaps?"
Lily threw a pillow at Tamara. A thud told her that the pillow had hit its mark.
"Ouch, Lily." Tamara groaned once she had removed the pillow from her mouth, "You really should try out for Chaser."
"And spend more time with James Potter, the Pot-head? No thank you, missy."
Tamara chortled.
"I don't know about that. Sirius would be a welcome ass-et, if you get my drift…"
Lily shook her head.
"Bad thoughts, Tamara, bad thoughts…"
Tamara sniggered.
"We have class soon, Lils. You need a shower."
"Gee, thanks." Lily rolled her eyes and headed towards the shower. Once she was inside, she returned to her thoughts.
She needed some answers… and soon.
James Potter grumbled as he got his robes on.
"Damned werewolf with the damned claws and the damned smelling damn, damn, damn…"
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you Prongs?" Remus said in a mild tone.
James turned around, doing up his tie. He frowned as he looked at the brand new scratches on Remus's cheeks.
"Poor bloke." He thought, filled with pity for his friend. This pity was, however short lived, when Sirius bounded in.
"Hey!" he called, before looking at James's face.
His own visage fell.
"What?"
"Padfoot, my pup." James began. "I hope you are well aware of the damage you have caused."
Sirius snorted.
"The past is the past, my deer."
"And hindsight is 20/20." Remus added, "Are you trying to tell me that you have no regrets for almost causing the loss of a life?"
"Yep." Sirius replied without hesitation.
The look of pure shock on Remus's and James's faces said it all. Sirius laughed.
"You idiots! Course I am sorry! What kind of a person would I be if I wasn't?"
Sirius pinched both of them on the cheeks.
"And now, my old wolf and my young buck, time for breakfast."
Sirius exited, in much the same way as he had entered, except that a trunk had gotten in his way. His curses filled the common room.
Remus shook his head slightly, a grin on his face.
"I suppose it is my duty as a prefect to go and calm him down." He said to James, "Or at least to put a silenco charm on. See you at breakfast, James."
He saluted and walked down the stairs, his limp making his steps uneven.
James laughed and followed his friends, unaware that a certain red head was waiting at the table… and she wanted a lot of answers…
Lily waited in the entrance hall. She watched as Sirius walked past her. Usually, he would have said something about the fact it looked like she was waiting for someone. He only winked and continued on his merry way.
Remus followed him, slowly, as his usually long stride was shortened by a limp. He merely nodded at her, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
"Hell knows why he is guilty." Lily thought, "I mean, he obviously lost control."
Finally, the man of the moment walked into the entrance hall. He grinned at Lily before striding over like he owned the world.
The moment was spoiled when a fourth-year Ravenclaw ran into his side. He staggered and clutched at his ribs, blinking back tears of pain.
Lily suddenly forget herself and run up to him.
"Are you ok?" she asked, concerned.
James muttered something about it being 'only a scratch'.
Lily's mind caught up with her.
"Don't you mean five?" she shot back.
James gulped.
"Um… Evans, what do you mean?"
Lily grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him towards a corridor.
"You owe me an explanation, Potter." She snarled.
"Or five…" she added in her mind.
Lily had no time for pity. She roughly pushed James up against the wall and stood back, hands on her hips.
"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" She demanded, green eyes flashing.
James gulped.
"You look gorgeous when you are angry." He thought.
It was Lily's expression that told him he had said it out loud.
"Oh, eerm..."
Lily stamped her foot, ignoring the flutters her heart made. She didn't know why, but she always reacted like that when James Potter complimented her.
"Potter, do not try to distract me!" she said through gritted teeth.
James flashed her a cheesy smile.
"Why ever not?" he retorted, cheekily.
Lily tugged at her hair.
"Urgh! I don't want any excuse, any lies, or any half truths! I put my life on the line last night and I want an explanation as to why!"
James sighed and ruffled his hair.
"You really want to know?" he asked slowly.
Lily exhaled.
"Well, duh!"
James grinned as a sudden thought struck him.
"Kiss me and I will tell you."
Lily spluttered and went bright red.
"What?' she gulped.
James just grinned sunnily.
"You said that you really wanted to know? Well, prove it, Evans. Kiss me."
Lily shuddered and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
James tutted.
"Nuh, uh, uh. On the lips."
Lily scowled, her face losing its new red shade.
"No."
James sighed, sarcastically.
"No information for you then, Evans. Sorry to be a waste of time."
Lily lost it.
"Potter!"
She grabbed his injured ribs. James yelped in pain.
"What is the meaning of this?" she snarled, digging her nails in.
"Ouch! Merlin, Lily! That's painful."
Lily smiled sweetly. She hated having to be a bitch but if the time called for it…
"Can you tell me why this is painful?" she asked, innocently, adding pressure to her grip.
James gasped again.
"It's not important..."
"It is to me." Lily interrupted.
James held back tears of pain.
"Come on, Evans! Leave me be."
Lily just shook her head, although she let her grip ease a bit.
After a bit of time, James sighed.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you… but you'd better be able to keep a secret…"
Lily shook her head at James.
"You did WHAT!" she cried.
"Merlin, I would think that people in Siberia didn't hear you." James muttered.
Lily rubbed her eyes.
"Let me get this straight. You, Sirius and Peter have become animals, just to hang around on full moon with a known werewolf? Please, Prongs, tell me why I shouldn't report you right now…"
James put a finger to her lips delicately and raised an eyebrow.
"Because it would ruin us." He replied, quietly, "and it's not like Moony doesn't need to company."
"My ears are burning." Said a slightly sardonic voice from behind Lily.
Lily sighed and spun around to see Sirius and Remus standing behind her. Sirius rubbed his temples.
"Please Prongs," He sighed, "don't tell me she knows everything now…"
James sighed.
"You try not telling her when her fingers are stuck into the wounds in your side."
Sirius opened his mouth with a wicked grin, but Remus cut across him.
"That's enough, Padfoot. I'm sure that Lily's virgin ears don't need to her your dirty comments."
"Not to mention your own." Sirius shot back, "Come on, Moony. Let's leave these two to their lovers spat."
Once Sirius and Remus were out of ear shot, Remus whispered to Sirius.
"We must get them together."
Sirius assumed a mock planning expression.
"Yes." He said, rubbing his chin, "But how?"
Remus laughed.
"How about a nice, romantic candlelit dinner in the Astronomy tower?"
Sirius's eyes caught sight of a broom closet.
"Just the thing I need." He thought.
"Nope." He said to Remus as he drew his wand.
Sirius used one spell to open the broom cupboard door. Then he laughed and cast a spell at the couple.
Before the very surprised Lily and James knew it, they were flying towards the cupboard. The door shut behind them with a satisfyingly smug 'click'.
Sirius looked at Remus, who had an expression of upmost distaste on his face.
"You really don't have a romantic bone in your body, do you Padfoot?"
Immediately, Sirius's ears pricked up.
"Bone? Bone? Where? Have you got a bone for me? Bone! I want that damned bone!"