Perhaps because of Lily's desperate sort of mood or the Memory Charm, the audacity she experienced that day in the Hospital Wing did not last long. It is not even safe to say it was audacity that inspired her actions, for that would be assuming that she actually had feelings for James which she had not acted on before. Therefore, it may just have been a moment of confusion, but whatever the case, after they were deemed able to leave the ward, they reverted back to their normal selves, if not a little more bashful than before.

That evening in the Common Room, the Marauders were sprawled out in front of the roaring fire while Lily and Audrey shared a comfortable armchair.

"Prongs, remember that one time I was at your house over Christmas break and your parents were pissed because we kept chucking Bludgers at your neighbors' windows and breaking them?" laughed Sirius.

"Yeah…" James smiled at the thought. "It was Christmas Eve, and then my mum locked us out of the house and charmed every single possible way we could've used to get in."

"It got so bloody late, I swear it was damn near midnight, and she finally let us in when she and your dad were exchanging presents."

"Why do you boys all go to James' house over every break?" asked Lily.

"It's not like any of the rest of us have parents worth going home to," scoffed Remus. "I mean my mum was ruined after I got- well, she's just not the same as she used to be. And my dad died when I was small so it's really not worth visiting that much. I mean I stop by for a few days every summer, but really, these mates are my family."

"And if Moony thinks his family is worthless, it's only because he hasn't seen mine," Sirius laughed sarcastically. "I haven't been back in a few years…"

"Why? What's wrong?" asked an alarmed Audrey.

"Ahh well, my mum's a bit mental, really," explained Sirius. "I got into lots of rows with her because basically what she thinks is that anyone who isn't Pureblood ought to die."

"Well, that's ridiculous!" exclaimed Lily, absolutely horrified.

"Naturally, I couldn't stand being at home, and to make matters worse, my brother is an exact replica of her."

"What about you, Peter?"

"My parents hate me," he stated matter-of-factly, as if he'd come to terms with this handy bit of knowledge and didn't mind it so much anymore. "I mean I could go back if I wanted to, but I doubt we'd get on well at all. So I just join Moony and Padfoot at the Potters'."

They all fell silent as they realized they would be spending their last Hogwarts holiday at school.

"Well, I think we should all be heading to bed," declared Remus. "Everyone's had a long day."

"Yeah, lucky we get to sleep in tomorrow," sighed Lily in relief. "It's been a long few days, for that matter."

"Oh no, you don't really get to sleep in!" cried Audrey.

"And why the hell not?" whined Sirius.

"Because there's a-"

"Oh shit, the Quidditch game tomorrow!" James looked about ready to pass out.

"I'm sure you won't have to play," began Lily. "Given the circumstances…"

Her voice faded away as everyone suspiciously glanced at her for that genuine moment of concern for James.

"It's no matter," decided James firmly. "I'll be fine. The team will be fine."

"You're crazy, mate." Sirius shook his head and began pulling his robes off before he had even reached the staircase. "I'll see you guys at breakfast."

Everyone retired to their rooms, Lily and Audrey washed up and got into their beds, and the boys did much of the same on the other side of the Gryffindor tower.

Lily tossed and turned, contemplating her parents and James for a good two hours before deciding that a nice, hot bath in the Prefect bathroom was in order. Sliding on slippers and wrapping a bathrobe around herself, she tiptoed down the stairs, through the Common Room, and out of the portrait hole.

Minutes later, she warmed up a bath, slipped out of her clothes, and submerged her pale, porcelain body under the bubbles. The clock read 12:13 A.M.

The next thing Lily knew was that someone was whispering her name urgently.

"Whaaa? I'm sleeping, leave me alone!"

Lily thrashed around a bit before splashing water onto her face, realizing where she had fallen asleep, bolting awake, and sitting straight up.

Lily was too concerned with the fact that the freezing water sliding down her body along with the frigid air was making goosebumps rise over her arms and chest to remember that someone had woken her up. She glanced up just as James whirled around so his back faced her and let a horrified shriek escape her lips.

"Potter! What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" she yelled, grabbing a towel and going red. "Thought you could sneak in a quick peek?"

"Lily, don't be ridiculous, I'm completely turned around right now," protested James. "I just wanted to take a bath before breakfast but you were here when I got in and I assumed you'd been in for a while and that you were cold…you needed to be woken up."

"Well thanks for the wakeup call and you're welcome for the flashing," said Lily angrily, grabbing her clothes, hoisting the towel up further, and stalking out the door.

James let out a loud sigh and kneeled by the tub to drain it. The old James would have been aroused to no extent at the mere sight of Lily's immaculate body rising up from the water, but this James only cared that he had just gone and messed things up all over again. Back to square one again, he groaned inwardly.

And as for Lily, she really couldn't give a damn that she left a trailing pool of water across the castle as she stomped off to her room.

-----

The Quidditch game resulted in an ecstatic Gryffindor House. Of course, even though James was a bit off and didn't capture the Snitch as quickly as he usually would have, he eventually accomplished a brilliant fake which threw off the Slytherin Seeker, and he had trained the rest of his team so well that they bought him time anyway.

Despite the win, the game took its toll on James, and he was even more exhausted and frustrated after it than he was during the bathroom incident that morning. After the celebrating had died down in the late hours of the afternoon, he joined the Marauders for a walk around the lake.

The October air sent a deep chill to his bones, and he hurried back inside to grab his cloak. Seeing Lily reading by lamplight in the Common Room, he abandoned his mission and decided to sit down next to her and put things right.

"Hey, listen, Lily," he began. "I don't know if you believed me or not, but I really didn't know you were in there…and once I saw you, I had to wake you up… Trust me, I didn't think you were going to stand up."

"Very well," replied Lily brusquely, flipping a page perhaps with a bit more force than she should have. "I suppose I wouldn't have enjoyed nearly freezing to death any longer."

James grinned at her forced anger. "Say, you haven't taken back your invitation for Hogsmeade yet, have you?"

He closed his eyes and waited for the slap. It had been months since he'd asked her out, even if this really wasn't anything she hadn't proposed two days earlier.

"Sure, let's go," she replied calmly.

"Oh, I mean you don't have to if you don't want to or anything," said James hurriedly. "Honestly, I was just asking, I didn't-"

"James!" interrupted Lily. "I said, let's go."

"Wait, you did?" James opened his eyes in shock.

"Yeah, this book is getting really boring anyway."

"Oh, well if you're just barely picking me over the book, I'd rather not…"

"Oh, enough of your horseshit." Lily rolled her eyes. "Hurry up before it gets too dark."

-----

The Hog's Head back in Lily and James' time was really more of a glamorous place than the dump it became in later years. As they walked in, two drink menus flew up from a nearby table and ushered them to an empty table. Lily laughed as James so chivalrously pulled out a chair for her.

"I love your laugh," he said quite stupidly. He really couldn't help it, though. It made him feel as if he'd done something right.

"Watch it, Potter," she warned him. "I'm getting a drink with you. Don't think you're free to let the compliments fly now."

"I'm sorry, I can't help myself."

Lily, in turn, could not help but laugh again- this time accompanied by a swift kick to his leg under the table.

The frumpy waitress must have mistaken Lily's behavior as unabashed flirting, for she strode over to their table and awkwardly asked, "What can I get you two lovebirds?"

"We're not-" they both began simultaneously.

"Oh, denial…tut tut…" laughed the waitress. "Well then, what will it be?"

"I'll…err just a coffee, thanks," muttered Lily, turning a furious shade of red that rivaled the color of her hair.

"Make it a Butterbeer for me, if you would," said James, not skipping a beat.

"Of course, now you two enjoy yourselves," beamed the waitress as she skipped back to the bar, obviously aware of something that the two students weren't.

"Why'd you play in the game today?" asked Lily, desperate for something to relieve the awkwardness.

"Why wouldn't I?" James countered.

"James…You think you have to be a god, don't you?"

"Don't sound so resentful…is that why you hate me?"

"I…I don't hate you," explained Lily carefully. "You just have an extraordinary capacity to vex me like no one else on this damned planet."

"Any time, my dear."

"So why did you play?"

"It's like Dumbledore said. What good would it be if I sat around moping all day? It's my last year here and I'd probably regret letting that game be forfeited if I looked back on it in a few months. Plus, Voldemort probably wants me to be upset about it, doesn't he?"

"You know, showing emotion isn't illegal, James," said Lily. "And we don't even know anything about this Voldemort anyway."

"All I know is that he's really fucked up," said James angrily. "I'm doing everything I can to just…"

"You need to settle down," Lily said rationally. "Don't be so rash about it. We'll graduate, get trained as Aurors, and figure out what Dumbledore wants us to do."

"Us?" asked James quizzically.

"Why, yes, perhaps I forgot to mention that I told Dumbledore I was doing this, too."

"Lily, you've got nothing to do with this, and you couldn't possibly-"

"I'm not stupid, James. Perhaps your over-inflated head conveniently forgot that I do outsmart you in just about everything. And what do you even mean, I have nothing to do with this? Are you only allowed to join in if he murders your parents? That's ridiculous!"

"Your drinks!" exclaimed the waitress in a voice too happy for the argument on which they were about to embark.

"I didn't know you drank coffee," said James stiffly.

"I work a lot. They seem to go hand in hand."

They sat in bitter silence for a few seconds before James continued.

"You just can't."

"Well, James, you are in no position to tell me what I can or cannot do, and that's final."

"Fine, go ahead and get killed. See if I care."

Lily gasped. "You don't mean that!"

"Well you're being stubborn!"

"I can't believe you're trying to talk me out of this! Who do you think you are? This is exactly the reason why I never talk to you!"

"Well if I'm that horrible, then don't talk to me!" James shouted like a three-year-old.

Lily let out a frustrated scream, pushed her chair back, and ran out of the bar.

James slumped into his seat with an enormous frown. Did he honestly just tell her that he didn't care if she died?

The waitress sidled over and advised, "I see it happen all the time. She's a beauty; you better go run after her."

When James realized that this obnoxious, middle-aged woman was making sense, he also realized how moronic he was being. Throwing a couple Sickles onto the table, he dashed out into the piercing wind.

"Could you just hold up?" he bellowed after her, breaking into a sprint.

Glancing backwards, she began to quicken her pace, but at one point, she probably realized that James was actually tripping over himself to get to her, so she stopped to wait.

"I'm being really stupid," panted James, clutching his side. "I'm sorry…I just got scared at the thought of you getting hurt."

Lily cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you were in shape?"

"You had a head start…I had to catch up…"

"James, I really am going to do this whether you want me to or not, okay?"

"Lily, if it's what you want to do, then I'll support you."

"Good. And for the record, we're just friends, got it? It's not like I don't have a hundred things to worry about right now."

"Right…" said a dejected James. "But hey, it's better than nothing…We weren't even friends last time I checked."

"Exactly, I think we may be moving too quickly."

"So we've got ourselves a deal," decided James. "We stay friends and I won't get in your way of kicking Voldemort's ass."

"Sounds like a plan," grinned Lily. "You're not half bad when you actually cooperate."

"Thanks for coming out here with me, Lils," said James with a smile that grew even wider when she didn't punch him for the use of that nickname. "Really, it meant a lot."

Just how much it meant, she had no idea.

-----

Whew. Well, that's pretty self-explanatory. Ummm, if you think that James won her over too easily, don't worry, I assure you there will be problems with them. Uhh other than that, I'll keep thinking about what to do with the next chapter, and you will scroll down and click review! Pretty please? Cherries on top? Yeah…I thought you would!

-Marina