The following weeks were as calm as any at Hogwarts could be. Ghosts jumped out at students from behind enchanted statues, noses were regularly broken during Quidditch practices, and James Potter did not once speak to Lily Evans.

The scarlet-haired girl rather enjoyed this newfound silence and used it to dedicate herself entirely to her N.E.W.T.-level studies. No one, not even James Potter, was going to get in the way of her dreams of becoming an Auror.

What she wouldn't admit, however, was that each night when she thought for a while in bed, the tiny, nagging feeling that she missed something gnawed away at her conscience. It wasn't that she missed James, no, that certainly wasn't it. She just missed attention. It certainly wasn't bad for her self-esteem to be constantly hit on and asked out. It could've been Severus Snape, for all she cared. She just liked being adored.

One specific afternoon in the library, studying her daily organizer and marking off each assignment she had finished, she happened to glance at the date. September 29. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the calendar. Two days later she had scrawled in "The Day Audrey Kisses Pettigrew."

"Psst! Amelia!" whispered Lily not so quietly. "What day is it?"

"September 29th, of course," the Hufflepuff answered.

"Shit!" exclaimed Lily, not even bothering to whisper any more.

"That's quite enough of your foul language!" hissed the book she was holding, Extremely Advanced Transfiguration, Part IV.

Lily's mind was racing. It couldn't be September 29th already. That meant that in two days, Audrey would definitely not be kissing Pettigrew. It meant that in exactly two days, Lily would be sitting at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Talking to James Potter.

Shoving her books into her bag and sprinting up to the Common Room, Lily found Audrey and began to yell. "How could I have let this happen?! You need to help me right now! If I don't get James to talk to me tomorrow, I will have to go on a date with him in precisely 48 hours!"

"Ah, how I love bets," smirked Audrey. "Sorry, I can't help you."

"But…" Lily trailed off, realizing there really wasn't a way out of this. "Oh, bother!"

"Hehe," chuckled Audrey. "James may need prior notification of this or he could potentially wet his pants when you ask him."

-----

Out on the grounds, James and Sirius were catching and releasing a Snitch while Peter ran after them, attempting desperately to be allowed to play, and Remus studied in the grass.

"So do you think you've got this game in the bag, Prongs?" asked Sirius. He was, of course, referring to the Quidditch match versus Slytherin on Saturday morning.

"Ah, the Chasers still need some work, I suppose," shrugged James. "I guess we've got a fair chance."

Remus dropped his book. Sirius let the Snitch fly away. Even Pettigrew stopped running and promptly toppled over.

"What just happened?" James quickly turned his head from side to side.

"I'm not sure I can describe it," panted Sirius melodramatically. "I think you may have just doubted your ability to achieve perfection."

"What is so shocking?" asked James, as if he'd always been the most humble person that side of the Atlantic. "It's the truth; our team hasn't been doing their best flying so far this year, and my game has been a bit off as well."

The other three Marauders were spared the task of responding to James, for at that moment, a certain someone by the name of Lily Evans traipsed over towards the four boys in the grass.

James bit his tongue and stared out over the lake in the opposite direction, thinking, She's only walking past us to talk to those girls over there. That must be it. Quickly turning around and noticing that she was nearing them at an alarming pace, he continued to think, Okay, she just needs to ask me when our meeting is tonight. No, that's ridiculous, of course she knows when­-

A quick tap on the shoulder whirled James around pretty quickly. To his chagrin, it was only Sirius.

"Oi, mate, this cute doll is here to talk to you."

Sirius pointed up. James held his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun and saw that, indeed, Lily Evans, trademark scowl and all, was standing over him.

"Listen, Potter," she began, looking determinedly at rather anything except for him. "I'm going to say this once, so listen up now."

James' temper began to flare. "How can you be angry at me? I haven't even-"

"I know," interrupted Lily. "I'm not particularly mad at you. Can I just get this over with and say what I have to say?"

"Yes, yes," muttered James.

"Now I was just wondering if you wanagetdrinkwimefriday."

"Bless you," said James.

"Come again?" asked Sirius.

"Don't make me repeat myself!"

"Well that's hardly fair! I didn't hear what you said the first time!"

Taking slow, steady breaths, Lily cleared her throat and tried once more. "I just wanted to know if perhaps you wanted to get a drink with me in Hogsmeade on Friday."

James turned around so quickly that he had to grab his neck in pain.

"Excuse me, who are you talking to?"

"Stop being ridiculous, Potter. I was talking to you. Now hurry up and answer so I can leave."

"I- what on God's good green earth- why- YES!" spluttered the ecstatic boy.

"Very well, then," decided Lily, looking as if it pained her to speak each word that she did. "I'll meet you outside the Common Room at seven."

She had barely allowed the last word to come out of her mouth before she turned on her heel and sprinted back up towards the castle.

All four boys fell onto their backs and simultaneously whispered: "Wow."

-----

That night, as Lily and Audrey were climbing into their beds to retire for the day, the blonde begged her best friend for all the details.

"So, what'd he say?"

"Obviously, he said yes," laughed Lily. "Merlin, Audrey, you should've seen his face. It looked like someone had told him that…I don't know…"

"Well it probably looked like someone named Lily Evans had just asked him out!" screeched Audrey.

"Audrey, I did not ask him out," protested Lily. "It was a bet. I only asked him for one drink."

"All right," said Audrey dismissively. "Whatever you say."

They never did get to hear what Lily had to say to that, for an owl flying at breakneck speed whizzed through the open window and straight into the wall by Lily's bed, sliding down it and onto her cotton sheets.

"What the hell happened to that unfortunate creature?"

"I don't know," said Lily, quite concerned. The red ribbon tied to the owl's right leg meant it was an urgent message.

Viciously ripping open the curled piece of parchment sealed together by a wax stamp, she held it up to the light to read it.

"Miss Evans,

We are sorry to inform you that a horrible accident occurred last night, September 28th, and that-"

Lily got no further, however, because the parchment had fallen out of her hand, and she collapsed onto the floor in tears.

"Lily!" exclaimed an alarmed Audrey.

Rushing over to her friend to move her to the bed and picking up the letter, she continued to read it to herself.

"and that your parents were most unfortunately killed in a brutal automobile crash. Muggle police informed us of this, and we thought it appropriate to forward the message to you. We send our regrets. If you have any questions, you can contact the Ministry at-"

It went on to list many names and addresses.

Audrey dropped the letter and hugged her friend tightly, trying to calm the wracking sobs. Lying down next to her to make sure she didn't spend the night alone, Audrey conjured up a bucket in which she could catch the vomit Lily was producing because of such forceful coughing and crying.

The occasion hardly called for words, but it was one night neither of the girls would ever forget.

-----

The next morning at breakfast, James looked everywhere for Lily, but he only found Audrey rushing down to breakfast at the last minute to grab some fruit to put in her bag.

"Audrey, have you seen Lily anywhere?"

"Yeah… You know, she just checked into the Hospital Wing. She didn't feel so well last night."

"Do you think I could visit? I'm sort of looking for her."

"I'd watch it, Potter," warned Audrey dangerously. "I don't think she wants to talk to you right now."

Confused as to what he'd done wrong this time, James sighed and turned back to his friends. His friends, however, weren't really half-conscious. Each of them was staring at him with their mouths agape.

Glancing down the Gryffindor table, James realized that his entire house was actually watching him with the same expression. And, not to be excluded, all of Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, not to mention the entire faculty, was also doing so.

"Could I ask why exactly everyone is looking at me so funny?"

Sirius did nothing but shove his newly-delivered Daily Prophet into James' face.

The bold headlines screamed: Anne and Brinley Potter, 45, murdered by increasingly-notorious serial killer.

The goblet of orange juice James Potter was holding fell to the floor with a loud CLUNK! as the boy holding it also keeled over.

-----

Over twenty-four hours later, on the morning of Friday, October 1, exactly one Head Boy and one Head Girl stirred from a long sleep and looked around.

What James Potter saw was himself in a bed in the Hospital Wing with Lily Evans to his right.

And you bet your bottom dollar that when Lily Evans sat up and looked around her, she discovered none other than James Potter a mere ten feet to her left.

-----

Sorry for the cliffhanger… Haha I sort of felt like stopping there because going on would be spoiling you, and you obviously don't deserve it if you don't review! Maybe you should take a hint . Be good children and let me know what you think.

-Marina