Disclaimer: All the characters that you recognize belong to J. K. Rowling.
Author's Note: Thanks to lOvEiNhEaVeN, MissMrprk, libyanauthor, MonkeyGurl1, stef, J.E.A.R.K.Potter, moony128, SevenPeach, Whitepaw, and cilverblood for reviewing! It means sooo much to hear that you all like my story!
"You wouldn't believe what happened during the break," Lily said to her four closest friends. The girls were on the train back to Hogwarts, all refreshed from their nice, long holiday break.
"What?" Gracie asked excitedly.
"Well, James came to my house, totally unexpected. And my mother invited him to dinner," Lily began.
"Oh my God, your dad must have had a fit," Zoë commented. Each of the girls knew how Richard Evans acted toward any of Lily's boyfriends. He hated them all, well, in actuality, he didn't want his little girl to have a boy in her life. He didn't want his little girl to get hurt.
"Actually, I swear to God, James must have jinxed both my parents to love him. He actually listened to my father's stories about when he was a cop, and I can't even listen to them, they are just that boring," Lily told the group.
"My God, what happened next?" Gracie asked.
"Well, James asked if I could spend the rest of the break at his house."
"No shit, your dad must have kicked him out for just suggesting that," Scarlett said.
"Actually, no, I spent the rest of the break with James and his family," Lily told them.
"Oh my God… Did you have sex with him?" Marissa asked.
"What? No, I wouldn't, especially not at his parents house," Lily screamed.
"Hey, it was just a simple question, besides it is James Potter," Marissa commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily asked, her temper slightly rising.
"Lils, everybody knows he's, well, he's experienced, and he really likes you. So, I guess, I just figured he would…want to," Marissa explained.
"Yes, well, it's still me, James isn't going to change my morals," Lily snapped.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I guess I should have known better," Marissa apologized, holding her hands up in defeat.
Just as the argument was about to heat up, the Marauders decided to bless the ladies with their presence.
"Hello," Sirius told the group in a cheerful voice.
"Black, what are you so damn happy about?" Zoë asked.
"Nothing, just wanted to see my favorite girls from Gryffindor," he replied.
"What are you up to?" Zoë snapped.
"Absolutely nothing," was the response.
"Okay Black, what did you do to Snape this time?" Zoë questioned.
"Why do you always assume I'm doing something to Snivellus?" Sirius asked, his eyes full of fury.
"Don't play games with me, Black. I can read you like a book, what have you done now?"
"Zoë, Zoë, Zoë, why can't you just trust me?"
"Because, it's you," she snapped.
Lily couldn't help but smile at the two. This is how they have always been, ever since Zoë made the Quidditch team. She always knew exactly what Sirius Black was up to, and Sirius resented her for that. The two usually always spoke decent words to each other, but deep down inside, they were ready to tear each other's throats out.
"Okay, okay, Padfoot, you go sit over there," Remus told his friend, pointing to the far left corner of the compartment, "And Zoë, you go sit there. And both of you just shut up." Now the two were at completely opposite ends of the room, trying hard not to notice each other.
---
After moments of mindless talking, Marissa exclaimed, "I am so fucking bored!"
"Well, what do you want to do then?" Scarlett asked.
"Hmm, let's play a game," Marissa responded.
"Like what?" Peter asked.
"Okay, I know this is really childish, but let's play truth or dare. It'll make the time pass by," Gracie suggested.
Once everyone had agreed to play, the game began! However, the Marauders wouldn't agree to play unless it was strip truth or dare. And they had even managed to concoct some charm that made you turn purple for a week if you lied.
"Alright, who's' going first?" Lily asked, not really sure she wanted to play the game at all. Nevertheless, she couldn't just back out now, she had to play the stupid game.
"I'll go first," Gracie offered, "Okay, Sirius, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Give Snape a big kiss on the lips," Gracie dared.
"You've got to be shiting me," Sirius replied while he took off his shoes. "Okay, Zoë, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Okay, go down to Snape's compartment and flash him," Sirius told her, a grin on his face.
"You, dirty, little whoreish man. I won't do it, not on the train," she replied, while taking off her shoes.
The game went on smoothly for quite some time. Marissa ended up having to run up and down the train singing at the top of her lungs, Peter had to ask Zola Miller out on a date, and she was one of the most horrific girls in school. Lily had to describe in detail about her first kiss, which did not make James very happy at all. And Sirius had to go around the entire train asking girls for a lap dance until he got one. Needless to say, it was an interesting game.
However, one question in particular made Lily silently wish she had never been on that train.
"So, James, who was your first shag?" Gracie asked.
James silently cursed Gracie for asking that, especially in front of Lily. And either way he answered, Lily would know he wasn't a virgin. 'Damn you Gracie Pennant,' he silently thought. She could be so dumb at times, asking questions like that.
Lily's heart was racing, she didn't want to know, but at the same time, curiosity came over her. And, it wasn't until that day that she had even thought about James with someone. In fact, she had never really given the topic much thought at all.
"I, well, I'd rather not say," James told her, taking off Gryffindor tie. His face was flushed as he answered, and he wouldn't look Lily in the eye.
"You know, I think we've all had enough of this game," Scarlett told the group. Lily was so thankful at Scarlett's words, she always knew when the tension had built up, she always knew when the subject was difficult for others to handle.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Remus agreed. "And, in fact, we should probably get back to our compartment, we're almost at school now, and we'll have to get our luggage."
The Marauders followed Remus out of the compartment, shutting the door behind them. Lily let out a sigh as she watched them leave; she just wanted to be alone.
"I think I'm going to go check on how everything's going," Lily told the group, walking out of the compartment.
"Should someone go with her?" Gracie asked, uncertainty in her voice.
"No, she needs to be alone," Scarlett told the group softly. Then she too got up, and said, "I'm going to go see Travis."
---
Once Lily was out of the compartment, she walked around aimlessly, trying to find an empty compartment for herself. Lily finally did find one, it was at the very end of the train, so Lily was sure she wouldn't be interrupted from her thoughts.
However, Lily didn't seem to be getting very lucky these days. James Potter had found her there no less than five minutes after she was settled.
"Lily, I think we should talk," James began.
"Why?"
"Well, because, I don't want there to be any more awkward moments like we had before," he explained.
"What are you talking about? I mean, I knew you weren't a virgin, I shouldn't have been so surprised that you wouldn't answer the question," she responded.
"Lily, please don't be mad at me. I was a stupid kid, a very stupid kid," James told her.
"Just tell me who it was," Lily said softly.
"That's not important."
"It is to me," she told him, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.
"Marissa," he quietly told her, his voice wasn't higher than a whisper.
"What?" Lily snapped.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you, I really should have," James apologized.
"When?" Lily asked, her voice full of astonishment.
"I don't know… Maybe, the summer before sixth year. But Lily, you have to believe me, we never meant for it to happen, we were both at some party, and things got all messed up," James told her.
"You never told me… she never told me… why didn't you fucking tell me?" Lily yelled.
"I'm sorry, I really am," James told her.
"James, she's one of my best friends."
"I know, but it was a long time ago. And we both regret it," he earnestly told her.
Lily looked into his eyes, she wanted to see if his words matched his mind. She saw love, care, and hurt in his eyes. He hadn't meant to do that, he hadn't meant for Lily to get hurt, and it was a long time ago.
"Just promise me, no more secrets," Lily told him.
James smiled, and said, "I promise, and I'm going to tell you them all right now. First, there's the Marauder's Map, which I have right here." He pulled out a blank piece of parchment and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Just then, marking s began to appear everywhere, showing the map of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Lily was astonished; she saw the names of her professors, and the names of the students that had stayed for Christmas Break.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
"You can't tell anyone about this, but its how we sneak off into Hogsmeade and down to the kitchens without getting caught," James told her, he was a bit nervous about what she would think of it.
"And you made this? You, and Sirius and Remus and Peter?" she asked.
"Well, yes, back in second or third year," he answered.
"This is bloody brilliant," Lily told him.
James let out a sigh of relief, thanking God that she wasn't going to lecture him on the importance of following the rules.
"Do you know how much time we can save by not having to roam the halls? We can just look at your map, and then we'll some kid sneaking off, and go knock some points off," Lily told him excitedly.
James laughed at her remark and then said, "That's you, Lils, always wanting to get every kid to get the punishment they deserve."
"Well, no, but it could come in handy, you know, so we could spend more time studying for the NEWTS this year," she reasoned.
James laughed, Lily was always so ambitious at getting the best grades in the school. "Yeah, and if you want to really shock those damn Slytherins, I've got an invisibility cloak that we can sneak up on them with."
"Oh my God, you've got one of those things? They are so rare, where'd you get it?"
"My dad gave it to me, right before I came to Hogwarts," James told his girlfriend.
The two spent the rest of the train ride talking. Lily told him how awful her sister really was to her, which she had never admitted to anyone before, and James had told her about the dirt incident with Shaun, which thankfully Lily found hilarious.
In fact, the only thing that James hadn't mentioned was that Remus was a werewolf, and that he, Sirius, and Peter had become animagi. James felt that she didn't need to know this, as much as he loved her, this wasn't something that she needed to know.
Author's Note 2: Hope you all liked it! I know it was a bit random compared to my other chapters, but it was somewhat necessary for something in later chapters to take place. Anyways, please review!