Author's Note: Back to the days of weekly updates! I'm glad; if I could work this well on my other multi-chapter story, I would, I swear. Writing in James's POV just comes naturally...? Anyway, this chapter is probably one of the longest chapters I've written for this series. I guess, as I have to make this story span over a longer time, the chapters must be longer. That's fine by me, though! It turns out my beta, Isa or hermien103, is on my vacation, so I was forced to edit this myself. As you know, editing isn't even close to being my forte, so make sure you help! By the way, in a review it was mentioned that Remus is unlikely to have no plans. Yes, I just realized that's true... Oh well, it's not too big of a problem. I'm hoping.

Thanks to: Amanda, Kendra, SweetSouthernGal, Cristipotter, Ale, maraudersGIRL92, Caramel, opungo, Hannah, Prongs76, hpisthegreatest, xSimplyxMagicalx, Genairco, cHoCoLaTe-RuM, Laurie, sharp-talons, marauders rox, Blossom of Death, xXx r a i z a xXx, redglasses, HedwigandHermes7, MrsKyoSohma61392, Lexie, and Isolde Eris for reviewing!
 Danielle/Kristen- Ha, this should be interesting... Kristen, you're totally forgiven, and Danielle, nice job beating Kristen! Har Har. After this I'm going to go check out Danielle's stories; I've only really read Kristen's so far. :)
Tyem Marodyor- Yeah. Ha, thanks for pointing that out! It would be weird if Remus was scratching thin. It's just be weirder if he was scratching his fat, though. Teehee.
By the way, did I ever mention how much I love it when you guys tell me your favorite line/phrase/quote? (Thanks, Danielle, Ale, xSimplyxMagicalx, and Kristen!)

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, there'd be a lot more Lily/James mentioning, a good and well Sirius, and much more Snape-bashing.

Chapter Two: Beggars, Candle Throwing, and Dabbing
(This chapter is K+)

I smiled at her and moved over slightly, so she now had a better view of a still-nauseous Remus behind me.

Wrinkling her brow, Lily leaned forward against the door frame, closing the door slightly so that we could only see her head. "What are you two doing here?"

Well, isn't she just an ecstatic little ray of sunshine?

"We're homeless beggars," I relied swiftly, "And we're begging you for a house." Nodding as I continued gazing at her, I crossed my arms over my chest.

She continued staring blankly, shifting her gaze to Remus for only a second. "What happened to your mansion?"

"Don't own it, apparently," I replied smoothly, putting my foot up on my trunk. I rested my arm on my knee, gazing at her impatiently.

She bit her lip, now thinking hard. "Sirius?"

"We can't stay with him," Remus replied from behind me, sounding worse than before. They should make things like the Knight Bus illegal. And flannel pajamas. Merlin, those things are itchy.

"Peter?" She persisted rather hopefully.

"Would you want to live with Peter Pettigrew?" I retorted, wrinkling my brow. I cocked my head expectantly.

"Touché," Lily murmured in reply, closing her eyes. She seemed deep in thought. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if she asked in her innocent little voice next, 'How about Snape?'

I stepped closer, surveying my girlfriend curiously. "Something tells me you don't want me here, Lils."

I heard Remus moan slightly from behind me. "Nice, Prongs. Keep stating the obvious. I really have to use the bathroom or I'm gonna be sick right here."

"Hey, Freak, who's at the door?" I heard a female voice call from the background, causing Lily to jump up in surprise.

I froze. Okay, was it normal for Muggle parents to address their children as freaks? If so, when Lily and I get married – and yes, we will get married – we are definitely raising them Muggle style. I can just imagine the other fun things we'd get to do to the kids…

Am I honestly thinking of ways to torture my unborn children?

Lily rolled her eyes in annoyance, pulling open the door to reveal a stocky, tall blonde. I bit my thumbnail nervously, trying to recall what Lils had described her sister as. Yes, she had definitely mentioned blonde, tall, cold eyes, and an ostrich neck.

Wow, now I see why Lily adores her sister so.

"Go away," Lily snapped, looking up at her elder sister in irritation, "I'm talking to my friends."

I watched as Petunia surveyed us momentarily with her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

She so digs me.

Putting her hands on her nonexistent hips, Petunia pursed her lips. "Well, tell them to leave. Vernon's family is coming over-"

"-Next week–" Lily butted in.

Petunia continued, "–and the last thing I need is a freak show going on–"

"-Hey, who are you callin' a freak?-" I yelled furiously.

"-while I'm preparing-" The annoying sister persisted.

"-They won't disturb you!-" Lily snapped, head turned as she glared at her sister.

I doubt Petunia cared, as she continued, "-for their upcoming arrival-"

We all froze as a loud retching sound was made behind us.

I made a face, turning slowly, "Excellent timing, Moony."

Remus didn't reply, as his head was bent over a bush and he was wiping his mouth. Seconds later, he looked from the dumbstruck sisters to me and turned pink. "I told you I was going to be sick."

We all continued staring at the poor kid. I barely registered the sound of footsteps in the background and didn't even bother to look up until I heard the voice. Her voice.

"What's going on here, girls?"

I rotated around yet again.

Mrs. Evans. Mary Grace Evans.

She looked like the ideal mum, you know, the type you see in picture books. Her hair was long, a dark brown, and her skin was only slightly wrinkled. Her eyes were a shade of gray to match her elder daughter's, yet were the almond shape of Lily's.

"Mum," Lily breathed, as we all stared at the woman numbly. It took a few more seconds for Lily to recuperate enough to actually plaster on a smile. She stepped towards me, placing a hand rather stiffly on my shoulder. "Meet my boyfriend, James Potter."

Charm, that's what I need. Like Sirius, all the girls say he has charm. Just act like Sirius.

Merlin, bad idea. Sirius would probably compliment Mrs. Evans' figure, say something sexually suggestive, and then kiss Lily right then and there.

Instead, I copied Lily's wise move and broadcasted a rather innocent grin.

Excellent start, she didn't seem intimidated by my discomfited behavior yet.

Felling brave, I outstretched a hand for Lily's mum to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Evans."

Mary Grace Evans shook my hand quickly and returned the smile. "Pleasure's all mine." Her gaze drifted behind me to Remus. "And you, dear, are?"

"Sick," Remus replied in a slightly raspy voice, forcing a weak smile, "Remus Lupin. I'm a good friend of Lily's."

Worry passed over Mrs. Evans' expression. "Oh, we can't have that." Stepping outside, Lily's mum walked passed us and to Remus, "You need bed rest, Remus. Come, you can stay in the guest bedroom…"

"Mum, wait," Lily exclaimed, raising a hand to signal her mother to stop before Mrs. Evans got a chance to lead Remus in. Taking a deep breath, she allowed her hand to drop off my shoulder, giving me full ability to lace my fingers with hers. Ha, score! "Remus and James have a problem," she began, looking as if she was thinking very hard, very fast, "and they need a place to stay." She went into a deep, long explanation of why we couldn't stay at various places. Which I was smart to zone out of, of course.

Once Lily was finished, a smile crept onto the lady-who-was hopefully-my-future mother-in-law's expression. "That's perfectly fine with me. Remus and James can stay as long as they want."

» ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ «

"I will not have two horny teenage boys sleeping with my little princess!" Mr. Evans yelled. Nah, more like roared.

Okay, first things first: I am not horny. Well, at least not right now.

Now, Mr. Evans. Roger Evans.

Let's start off by saying he is not the type of guy you want to have tea with. No, he'd probably accuse you of trying to poison him, even when he made the tea himself. He shared many features with Lily – same nose, same ears, and same eye color. But his hair was a boring blond, much like Petunia's. And, well, he was so red at the moment that he looked like he was about to rip someone's head off.

Lily didn't look too pleased by this comment. "Dad! These boys are my friends."

Oh, Lily, I always thought we were more.

"And boyfriend," she added on quietly, as if she had read my thoughts.

So, we were watching their screaming match, the only thing separating the upset Lily and her crazy father: a mere coffee table. Me, Remus, and Petunia were watching intently from the couch behind them.

Mr. Evans crossed his arms over his chest. Clearly, he also shared his temper with Lily. "I never said they weren't, Lily. I just said that I will not have them sleeping with you."

"They won't be sleeping with me," Lily snapped furiously, glaring now, "They'll have their own room and beds."

Wow, she just looks so attractive with her eyes all narrowed like that.

Reminding me of an upset rhino, Mr. Evans' nostrils flared dangerously. "Look, princess," he began, obviously trying very hard to keep a mild expression, "I just don't think you're ready to live with boys of your age, especially if one of them is your boyfriend. You just graduated."

Wow. He's real smart.

Lily still looked on the verge of explosion. "You know that I'm not the type of girl who makes stupid moves which could hurt me. Does that make you feel any better?" She cried, flailing her arms to emphasize her point.

My eyes widened slightly. For some reason, I thought she had totally lost it and jumped me some two months ago. Oh, wait, that might've been because I was there.

"That's quite enough," A voice called from behind us. We all turned – again – and faced Mrs. Evans, standing with her arms crossed on the staircase. Her lips were pursed slightly, and her gray eyes were on Mr. Evans, looking at him in a sinister way. Her reply was met with silence, so she easily took the initiative to begin her way down the staircase slowly, black loafers clicking with each footfall against the wood floor. She stopped again when she reached the floor, eyes still gazing menacingly at the arguing pair.

She persisted, appearing almost livid, "We have company over. We do not turn down guests, especially these guests who have only been kind and courteous to us." I bit back a smile as the three family members kept eye contact, refraining nicely from standing up and bowing. Instead, I looked over to Remus to exchange grins.

…Which I would have done if he wasn't sleeping.

Rolling my eyes at the disgusting display of my pale friend laying against a red pillow and simply oblivious to this excellent visual we had been gifted with, I pushed him away, causing him to let out a wheezy groan.

I heaved a sigh. Werewolves. Honestly.

Mrs. Evans finally broke the firm glare she had been sending her spouse and daughter, shifting her gaze to me and my devilishly handsome self.

"James, sweetie, I'm terribly sorry about Roger's behavior. Well, since you'll be staying here for what could be the rest of your life," she shot a bewildered Mr. Evans a meaningful glance, "I want you to know that you are completely welcome to do whatever you please. Make yourself at home." With that, she gave me a warm smile, "I'll go and finish up dinner." She stomped out of the room, not giving any of her family members another glance.

Petunia stood, looking purely cheerful despite the large amount of tension in the room, and strutted into the kitchen after her mother. Lily didn't exactly appear as keen towards skipping and or strutting and stalked out towards the staircase instead, muttering something gruffly about showering before dinner as she did so.

My eyes flew to a very unhappy Mr. Evans, who was currently glaring broodingly at the floor.

It was just me and him. And a useless, sleeping Moony.

After what may have been hours – clearly indicating that it was only a minute or so – he looked up at me. A deep frown was visible on his face.

"I hope you know that I hate you," He scorned bitterly. I blinked as he whirled around, heading towards the kitchen.

Wow, it would be just an excellent experience to stay here for the rest of my dreadfully depressing life.

I allowed my shoulders to slump somewhat as I ran a hand through my permanently untidy tresses. This should be exciting.

Heaving a sigh, I lay my head back against the sofa, feeling myself calm slightly.

School was over. It was supposed to be time to relax. I thought I had everything I had ever wanted; so why was I here in an extremely dull house with a man who would find my liver failing one of the highest forms of entertainment?

I turned slightly as I heard the familiar clicking of heels down that noisy staircase. Lily was looking down, looking much more unperturbed. Heck, she was even smiling.

A Gryffindor sweater hugged her, sported with jeans, boisterous sandals, and a sloppy ponytail. She wanted to back to school, I could tell. I mean, come on – Would Lily really go brain-dead on everyone and wear a sweater in June otherwise?

I watched her approach me quietly, sitting down next to me without making a single comment. I looked over in her direction quizzically, earning a trace of a smile in return. She carefully laid her head innocently against my shoulder, taking my arm. She began toying with it restlessly, as if she wasn't sure what to say.

Deciding to take initiative, I allowed a smile to grace my own features as I looked her in the eyes, "This summer should be fun."

"Very fun," Lily agreed, not bothering to look sarcastic at all as she gave me a tiny smile. She set my arm down and closed er eyes. "I'm really sorry, though."

"'Bout what?" I asked obliviously. Hey, you can't blame me for being dull at times. Okay, maybe you can, but it wouldn't be very polite, would it?

She rolled her eyes, looking at me in disbelief. "Erm, I dunno…my dad?"

"Oh, him," I said, pretending to act as if realization dawned over me. I grinned in her direction, taking a hand innocently in the process. "You do realize I'm perfectly fine with him hating me, right?"

"He doesn't hate you," Lily corrected as she bit her lip.

Quote: 'I hope you know that I hate you.'

He chuckled, "Nah, I'm pretty sure he hates me."

Lily shrugged, a small frown bracing her pretty little face. "I wish he didn't. I feel really bad."

"Aw, don't," I prompted, pulling her into a hug promptly. I released her a few seconds later, the frown now replaced with a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks," she mumbled in reply, gazing at me unblinkingly through those gorgeous green eyes, "I feel a lot better now."

Feeling glad to have cheered her up, I faced forward leisurely, resting my feet on the coffee table – Believe me, I would never do that if Mrs. Evans was in the room - and rested my head against my arms crossed lazily behind my head. "I could always make you feel even more better."

She raised her eyebrows playfully, crossing her arms over her extremely enticing chest. "How do you propose to do so?"

I racked my mind, looking down at her with a small smirk, "What do you say to a thousand sweet kisses?"

She giggled childishly, resulting in my heart skipping a beat. I laughed myself softly as she gave me a good-humored whack on the arm.

"Oi, Freak! Dinner!" A voice called from the kitchen.

A grin sprouted on Lily's face. "C'mon. Mum made pumpkin fudge for dessert. Her pumpkin fudge is the best."

Excellent, fudge! Not only is it rich with a smooth, creamy consistency, it also is much cleaner than other desert items. Without even realizing it, I had stood and began to walk over to the kitchen. Merlin, you would think that her kitchen was crowded with Veelas.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Lily's voice asked from behind me. I turned for what may have been the millionth time that day, only to a see a disapproving Lily gesturing coolly towards a still-sleeping Remus.

I rolled my eyes, too lazy to walk those full five steps back to the couch. Quite rudely, I grabbed the nearest object and chucked it at my friend's head.

A loud yelp filled the air as Remus hopped up, massaging his forehead. Looking absolutely incredulous, he grabbed the said object from the couch.

"You chucked a candle at me!"

"I know."

"While it was lit."

"I know."

"At my head."

"I know."

"While I was ill."

"I know."

"And napping."

"I know."

"And dreaming very peacefully about-"

"Shagging Peter, yeah, I know," I interrupted impatiently, looking at my non-existent watch to indicate the passing time.

Remus looked disdainful as he walked over, followed by a Lily, who looked about ready to explode from stifling her giggling. "I was not dreaming something so vulgar."

I put a hand to my chest and widened my eyes in mock surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry; were you fantasizing about shagging Sirius?"

"No!" Remus cried, slapping his forehead in exasperation. I chucked softly, turning on my heel composedly.

We entered the kitchen noiselessly – well, excluding Remus's undertone ramblings – and were greeted with the sight of the three family members scattered around a table that was furnished with a table cloth, numerous plates, utensils, and napkins, and what looked like a large cardboard box.

Merlin, Muggles are strange; cardboard boxes as centerpieces?

I slid into an empty chair by Petunia. Also a chair as humanly far away from Mr. Evans as possible. Lily seated herself across from me and Remus on the other side of me.

"Nice of you to join us," Mrs. Evans greeted, looking at Lily with a rather stern expression.

Lily smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, Mum. James and I had a bit of trouble waking Remus."

This received an audible grunt from Mr. Evans and a scowl on Remus's part. I blinked, deciding it would be a good time to change the topic. Last thing I want them thinking is that I'm some 'Candle-throwing psycho'. Which I probably am.

Forcing a smile, I pointedly timidly towards a bowl of salad, next to a plate of garlic bread. "Is that our dinner?"

"No, of course not," Lily answered with a small giggle before her Mum could reply. As if it were the most obvious thing in the world, she opened up the centerpiece for me to have a look inside.

Oh. It's a pizza box. Right.

Lily's Mum signaled for us to dig in, and I greedily grabbed a slice, still trying to hide my embarrassment. After helping myself to a slice of garlic bread and a bit of salad, too, I looked down at my pizza.

Merlin, you would think that they soaked that thing in grease. Well, it does it make It shinier.

Without a hesitation, I grabbed my paper napkin and began dabbing at my pizza.

"Ew, Freak, what's your boyfriend doing?" Petunia called out rather rudely. Please note that she was talking with a full mouth. The horror.

Lily narrowed her eyes, thoughtfully looking at me as I slowly placed the napkin back down. "I believe he's dabbing away the oil on his pizza," she replied in a muffled voice, covering her mouth as she chewed. No, it's okay if she chews with her mouthful.

"Don't be silly, princess," Mr. Evans shot, not even bothering to look up from the salad he was prodding at with his fork. "Everyone knows that pizza-dabbing is for girls."

Now it was Mrs. Evans' turn to look up at her husband, stopping in the middle of cutting a particularly large slice of garlic bread with her knife. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Mr. Evans persisted as I bashfully took a bite of my pizza in hopes of proving that I would eat a gross, horrifyingly greasy pizza without dabbing. Of course, no one noticed. "Real men just eat pizza. Fat and grease isn't an obstacle."

"That isn't true," Lily snapped half-heartedly, frowning at her father.

Mr. Evans looked up, putting his pizza down. "Honestly, princess, have you ever seen a boy wipe the grease off his pizza before?"

I sighed in annoyance, exchanging weary looks with Remus, who had wisely settled with just some salad.

This was going to be a long evening.

» ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ «

"I'm sorry," I whispered, taking her hand as she wiped away another tear.

Lily forced a smile, shaking her head. "It's not your fault."

Dinner had been – For lack of better words – noisy. Let's just say I'm never having pizza again.

It had been a tiring day, with leaving Hogwarts and all, so Mrs. Evans had suggested that we turn in early. Frankly speaking, I was far too frightened to disagree.

Remus was still feeling unwell, even though the bus ride had been hours ago. He was sleeping in the guest room, but Mrs. Evans had strongly objected to me sleeping in the same room as him in fear that I would catch 'whatever he has'. After much arguing between her and Mr. Evans, they finally agreed that I could sleep in the reclining chair in Lily's bedroom.

We were all changed and ready to sleep by now. I, being abnormally smart, had settled with sweatpants and a Montrose Magpies t-shirt instead of the usual boxers in fear that Mr. Evans would haunt me for the rest of my life if he caught me.

At the moment, my girlfriend and I were cuddling – Can't let Sirius ever know that – in her bed.

Holy Hippogriffs, I wonder what would happen if he walked in.

"I wish he'd just like you," Lily moaned, laying her head against my chest. I sighed, wrapping a tight arm around her waist and stroking her hair with my other hand.

"Me, too," I admitted quietly, "But that's okay. I'm not in love with him, after all; I'm in love with you."

Lily looked up at me, big, watery, green eyes staring. "I love you, too."

I pressed my lips against hers, only for a brief second, and soon pulled away. "I better go to the chair. Your dad would…ugh, I can't even imagine what he'd do to me if he caught me." I faked a shudder, earning a small giggle. As I moved to get up, though, she grabbed my arm possessively.

"You didn't really think I'd let you sleep in that chair, did you?" She whispered in my ear, causing me to gulp. Too tired and enticed to care, I shook my head numbly, flopping back down.

"Thanks," I muttered, readjusting myself and embracing her so were cuddling again.

She kissed me on the cheek before burying her face in my chest. "Anytime, James, anytime."

With a mutter of a few words, the light went off, and I drifted to sleep with her cradled in my arms.

A/N: BE SURE TO REVIEW! I got a lot of reviews this time(In my opinion), hence the long/quick update! Keep them coming, peeps.

VACATION NOTICE: Sorry, I'm becoming more and more fond of caps lock...oh no! Anyway, I am going to JKR world(England...), and won't be back until the 19th. Don't fret for me, I will get to watch the movie! But I'm not sure if I'll be able to update in that timespan. I will get to write, so that's a plus.