Don't Let Your Guard Down
chapter 31

thanks to everyone who reviewed, i really enjoy reading them! this story is 75 probably only about eight or nine chapters left :o(

disclaimer: everything belongs to me. i'm J.K. Rowling.

...i wish.

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Lily stomped into her commons room, threw the magazines across the room, and sat down where the magazines previously were.

Gigi and Kacie looked up at her. "Why are you so mad? What did the magazines ever do to you? Why do you look like you want to kill someone-" Gigi started.

"And most importantly, where are my cookies?" Kacie asked. Lily gave her a death glare. Kacie cowered, "Cookies make you fat anyway."

Gigi looked up. "And did you happen to get me my apple?" Lily now gave her a death glare. "Yeah, you're right, a banana is better."

Lily stood up then and started angrily pacing the floor. "If he can get a girlfriend, then so can I!"

"You want a girlfriend?" Gigi asked.

"You know what I mean!" Lily cried out.

"Who has a girlfriend?" Kacie dared to ask.

"James! Potter!" Lily shook her head. "Whatever the hell his name is!"

"Whoa…what?" Kacie and Gigi exclaimed.

"Are you sure he has a girlfriend?" Gigi asked. "Maybe you overheard wrong or saw something and jumped to conclusions. I'm sure he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Nancie called James her boyfriend," Lily said through gritted teeth.

"Oh," Gigi said. "Yeah, he has a girlfriend."

Lily glared at her and put her hands on her hips. "So if he can date someone else, then so can I!" Lily cried out and then paused. "Who can I date?"

"Well Jesse's free," Kacie snickered.

"And I'd say Kacie's ex boyfriend is free," Gigi said. "But I'm not sure she's ready to give up her poster."

"HEY!" Kacie cried out. "You're right, I'm not ready to give it up…and how dare you joke about it! Now, apologize to the poster." Gigi glared at her. "Later's good, too."

"Okay, can we be serious here for like five seconds?" Lily asked, obviously aggravated.

"No," Gigi insisted. "Because you can't be serious."

Lily crossed her arms angrily across her chest. "And why not?"

"You're not going to go get with a guy just to make James jealous," Gigi said. "That's something I would do…not you."

Lily plopped down on the couch and slouched down. "To make matters worse, his girlfriend is Nancie."

"That's impossible," Kacie claimed. "He never cared for her half as much as he cared for you."

Lily slumped down some more and sighed. "You know what the worst part is?"

"You mean there's worse than him being with Nancie, making out with Nancie, and possible shag-" Gigi started but was cut off when a magazine was thrown at her. "Seriously, what did the magazine ever do to you?"

Lily turned to Kacie. "You know a lot of the guys in this school, who can I date?" Lily handed her some parchment and a quill. "Now, just write the names of a few guys on here and-"

"Lily, I am not going to have any part in this nonsense," Kacie said.

"I'm on it," Gigi said, grabbing the parchment and a quill.

Lily grinned. "I'm glad I have at least one friend who doesn't have morals."

"Let's see. There's Gary, Dean, Hector, Musgrave-"

"Musgrave?" Lily and Kacie questioned.

"Maybe if you two end up together, he'll let you change his name," Gigi said.

"End up together?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows. "Gigi, I'm looking for someone who will be nice to me and take me out and just have some fun. Where can I find a guy like that?"

"In a Disney movie," Gigi muttered. "Fine, I'll find someone who's nice but he'll probably be a loser and-"

"Screw it," Lily said. "Find me any kind of guy that I can walk all over and use."

Kacie and Gigi just stared at her.

"You think Peter's free?" Lily questioned.

"Okay this is scaring me," Gigi said. "You're starting to sound like-"

"Like Gigi," Kacie ended.

"That's not true!" Gigi cried out.

Lily and Kacie gave her a look.

Gigi let out a laugh. "That is totally true."

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"You're scum! You're a jerk! You're an asshole!" Sirius cried out.

James turned to him. "Are you done?"

"You're an idiot! An imbecile! A dolt!" Sirius cried out. "And you took the last piece of pie at dinner today!"

James gave him a look.

"That has nothing to do with this," Sirius said. "But I just wanted to point out that I'm still mad about that."

"So how am I a jerk? And scum? An-"

"I'm not finished!" Sirius cried out. He then paused. "Did I mention that you're an idiot?" James nodded. "Oh…then I'm finished."

"Okay, can you stop pacing and let me explain for a second?" James asked.

"No," Sirius said stubbornly and then stood stern and faced James. "You have a girlfriend?"

"How does word spread that fast?" James asked.

"Well Kellie ran into Hubert who talked to Lynda who-"

"That was a rhetorical question!" James cried out. "Look, Lily and I aren't getting back together and never will. It's over. I had to move on at some point."

"Blah blah," Sirius said. "This is just wrong!"

"This coming from the guy who cheated on his girlfriend," James said, rolling his eyes.

Sirius paused to think about that. "Okay, where's Remus? If anyone's right to reprimand you, it's him."

"Hey guys," Remus said, walking into the room.

James and Sirius exchanged glances.

"And where are my strippers?" Sirius called out, looking towards the door, hoping people coming at his command would work for a second time.

"Just because Remus came when we said we needed him doesn't mean the strippers will come too," James said, rolling his eyes.

Peter walked in just then. "Hey guys."

Sirius and James exchanged glances again. Sirius turned to Peter, "There better be a bunch of strippers behind you."

Peter gave them a strange look. "Why would there be strippers behind me?"

"Yeah, this is Peter we're talking about," James noted.

"Oh yeah, like strippers would follow Sirius back here?" Remus asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Sirius gave him a look.

"…again," Remus finished.

Sirius turned his attention back to James. "Can I whack you with a pillow?"

"No."

"How 'bout a book?" Sirius asked.

"Sure, I don't want you to hit me with a pillow but I'd be glad to get hit by a book," James said, rolling his eyes. Sirius threw a book at him. "OW! I was kidding!" James cried out, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why are we throwing books at James?" asked Remus.

"Because it's what we do every Thursday night?" Sirius said.

Remus gave him a look.

"Because he has a new girlfriend…who isn't Lily," Sirius said, sitting down on his bed and catching the book James threw back at him.

"Oh yeah, I heard that from Kellie and Hubert," Peter said, sitting at his desk chair.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, how come I haven't heart about this?" Remus asked, turning to James. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"You mean unlucky girl," Sirius snickered.

"It's no one," James said with a shrug.

"It's Nancie," Peter said.

"Nancie?" Remus and Sirius cried out.

James turned to Sirius. "Who did you think it was?"

"I heard Schmancie, but Nancie makes much more sense," Sirius said.

"Seriously, exactly how many times did your mother drop you on your head when you were younger?" Remus questioned.

Sirius turned to Remus. "Can't you talk some sense into James?"

Remus looked up with a surprised look on his face. "Why me?"

"Do you seriously want me to give James relationship advice?" Sirius asked, picking up a magazine from the end of his bed.

Remus paused and then turned to James. "You still love-"

"If you end that sentence with Lily, I will throw something heavy and hard at you," James said.

"Cookies," Remus ended. "You still love cookies…wanna go get some?"

"You know I like how no matter what we're talking about, you can add something into the conversation as stupid as that," James said.

"Is that a no on the cookies?" Remus questioned.

"If X marks the spot, how come women have a G spot?" Sirius asked, looking up from his magazine.

"I take back what I said," James said. "It's Sirius who adds stupid things into conversations."

Peter glanced over at Sirius. "What the hell are you reading?"

"Some magazine Giliba left here," Sirius said with a shrug. "I'm about to take the quiz…what type of guy is perfect for me."

"No type of guy," James muttered.

"Maybe I should return this magazine to Giliba before I turn gay," Sirius joked.

All three boys turned to look at Sirius. "Why was Gigi in here?" Remus asked suspiciously.

"She comes up here all the time," Sirius said with a shrug.

"I can't remember the last time she was up here," Remus said. "And that magazine is an April issue."

Sirius glanced over at him and then glanced down at the small print. "Your eyesight is freakishly strong."

Remus gave him a look.

"So what if it's an April issue?"

"It's the first week of May," Remus said.

Sirius glanced up at his calendar. "It's not November?"

"How do you stand up without falling down?" Peter questioned.

Sirius bounced off his bed. "Okay, let's get out of here."

"I have homework," Remus said.

"I have to go to the library," Peter explained.

"I have a date with Nancie," James claimed.

"Cancel all of that," Sirius said. "Let's do something wild and spontaneous!"

Remus took a piece of parchment and a quill out of his desk. "Like what?"

"The point of being spontaneous is to not plan it out," Sirius said.

"Padfoot, if we did something spontaneous with you in charge, we'd end up in Russia completely naked," Peter said.

"Or something to that effect," James said with a laugh.

Sirius glanced around at Remus opening his Potions book, Peter grabbing his bag and throwing a few pieces of parchment and a few books into it, and James admiring his hair in the mirror and sighed. "Today is the warmest day we've had this entire year," Sirius said, thinking it out. "I say we grab our brooms and go play Quidditch."

"That's it?" James asked. "Wow, you suck at this wild and spontaneous thing."

"Strip Quidditch," Sirius said with a grin.

"I'd rather just go strip with Nancie," James snickered.

"Oh c'mon," Sirius said. "It'll be fun and interesting. We haven't done anything interesting in a long time."

"In order to get me to do that, you'd have to get me really drunk," Remus said, crossing his arms across his body.

Sirius wondered over to his trunk and pulled out some firewhiskey. "That can be arranged."

Remus sighed, rolled his eyes, and then said, "Hand it over."

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"Why am I taking Advanced Ancient Ruins?" Gigi groaned, placing her head down on her desk.

"Because you're an idiot," Lily said, not looking up from her work.

Gigi picked her head up and glared at Lily. "That wasn't the response I was looking for."

"Well you wouldn't want me to lie, now would you?" Lily asked with a grin.

Kacie looked around the room. "Where are Roxie and Gisela?" Kacie asked, referring to their two other roommates.

"Either sucking up to some professor or shagging some guy," Gigi said with a shrug.

"You say that like you've never done it before," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"I haven't!" Gigi cried out. "I would never suck up to a professor. That's just disgraceful."

"What about sucking a professor?" Kacie asked with an amused look on her face.

"Oh gross!" Gigi exclaimed and then paused. "Depends on how bad I'm doing in the class."

"Okay, this conversation is officially over," Lily said.

"Can't concentrate?" Gigi asked.

"It's really hard to concentrate when you're about to throw up," Lily said.

Gigi closed her books and turned to Lily. "So Lily-"

"You're done with your work already?" Lily asked.

"Yes."

Lily gave her a look.

"No."

Lily gave her a pathetic look.

"Can I borrow yours?" Gigi asked.

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed it over to her.

Gigi smiled but didn't look at it. "How's the whole finding a nice guy going for you?"

"Good," Lily said. "I have a date with Radley next weekend."

"Already?" Gigi asked. "Damn girl, that was fast."

Lily grinned. "I just flash my smile, wink, and flip my hair and every guy wants me."

Gigi and Kacie exchanged glances. "No really…how'd you do it?" Kacie asked.

"Seriously, all I have to do is smile pretty!" Lily exclaimed.

Gigi and Kacie gave her a look.

"I begged him," Lily said.

"You had to beg a guy to go on a date with you?" Gigi asked, bursting out laughing.

"Yeah," Lily said. "And when that didn't work, I paid him."

Kacie and Gigi burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding!" Lily exclaimed, laughing along with them.

Kacie opened her mouth but stopped when she heard loud laughter from outside the window. "What's that?" she asked.

Lily walked over to the windowsill. "The noise is coming from the Marauders."

Gigi and Kacie just shrugged and went back to doing their work. "That's usually the case."

"They're playing Quidditch," Lily said, squinting to get a better look.

"So what?" Kacie said, not looking up and writing furiously on a piece of parchment.

"I think Sirius is naked!" Lily cried out.

"Move over!" Gigi and Kacie exclaimed, running to the windowsill.

Lily grinned. "Just kidding."

"Ugh, you suck," Gigi said, walking back to her desk.

"Although, both Remus and Sirius have very little on," Lily said.

Gigi grinned from ear to ear. "They're playing strip Quidditch."

Lily and Kacie looked at her with blank expressions on their faces. "Why would four guys want to play strip Quidditch?"

Kacie paused to think about it. "You know...I was never really convinced that they weren't all gay together. This just proves my suspicion even more."

Gigi went into her closet and grabbed her broom. "Wanna join them?"

"Hell no," Lily said.

"No way," Kacie said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Fine, but when I get to see the boys naked while you're stuck up here doing homework, don't complain to me," Gigi said.

"I've already seen one of them naked," Lily said with a grin.

"And I don't want to see any of them naked," Kacie noted.

"And I want to see all of them naked," Gigi said, grinning wide.

"What happens if you lose and you're the one who's naked?" Lily asked.

Gigi paused. "Damn, I haven't thought this all the way through."

Kacie looked at her with a curious look on her face and went in her closet and took out her broom.

"You're gonna join her? You're gonna encourage this madness? This is ridiculous!" Lily cried out.

Gigi grabbed an extra broom from the closet. "So, you're not coming?"

"I haven't flown since our flying lesson in first year!" Lily exclaimed. "I'd clearly lose my clothes the fastest!"

"I don't think the guys would mind," Gigi snickered.

"I do not need any other reason for the Marauders to mock me," Lily said firmly.

"Oh c'mon, they don't mock you," Kacie offered.

Lily gave her a look.

"…much," Kacie said with a grin.

"So, is that a no on the strip Quidditch?" Gigi asked, growing impatient.

"And risk the possibility of humiliating myself in front of the Marauders?" Lily asked.

"What's the problem? She does it all the time," Kacie said, pointing at Gigi.

"If you don't come, I'm gonna get Radley to go out with me instead," Gigi said evilly.

"What makes you think he would drop me and go out with you?" Lily asked.

"Uh…because it's me," Gigi said obviously.

Lily hesitated and then grabbed the broom from Gigi. "Let's go."

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Gigi, Lily, and Kacie got outside and immediately started laughing at what they saw. James was flying in and out of hoops with all his clothes on, Peter had a few things off, but he was doing pretty well, Remus had his boxers, a sock, and his undershirt on, and Sirius only has his boxers on.

Gigi pulled Kacie and Lily back. "Shh, let's see how this goes," Gigi said, watching Peter take a shot on Sirius…and make it.

Sirius stopped in midair. "I hate this game."

All three boys laughed. "You're just not meant to be Keeper," James said with a laugh.

Sirius looked at his friends innocently. "Does that mean…" he trailed off.

"NO!" all three boys cried out. "You can keep the boxers on."

"Damn," all three girls muttered jokingly.

"I know it's a rare thought for you Padfoot…to keep clothes on," Remus said with a laugh.

James threw his head back and laughed but stopped when he saw three girls standing in the corner. James whirled around to look at them and then snickered. "Looks like we've got company."

"What?" Sirius cried out, whipping his head around.

The girls all waved innocently and smiled. The boys flew down to meet them. "What are you guys doing here?" James questioned.

"What does it look like?" Lily asked.

"It looks like you're watching the four of us get naked," James said.

"That's not true," Gigi said. "We're just watching Black get naked."

"Nothing you haven't seen sweet cheeks," Sirius said with a wink.

"Gag me," Gigi said, but secretly gave him a smile.

Lily held her broom out. "We want to play."

"But Lily, you suck at Quidditch," James noted.

"So?" Lily asked.

"You'll end up naked five minutes into the game," James said.

"Let's get this game started!" Sirius exclaimed. James glared at him. "Or we can go inside and play Exploding Snaps."

"How come I have a feeling that it won't be as wholesome as it should be," Gigi muttered.

"Strip Exploding Snaps," Sirius corrected with an evil grin.

"That's why," Remus responded to Gigi.

"We are not playing strip anything Sirius," James insisted.

"Why not?" Sirius pouted. "We have the girls here now…it'll be more fun."

James just gave him a tired glare.

"Fine, I'll just do what I always do when I want to see girls naked," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Get really drunk and hire some strippers?" Gigi joked.

"I wouldn't do that!" Sirius exclaimed.

All six friends stared at him.

"…for a third time," Sirius concluded.

"Come on James," Lily said. "You're not the boss of us. If we want to play then we will."

"Fine, but then I'm not playing," James said stubbornly.

"You're gonna miss out on a chance to see these three girls naked?" Sirius asked, obviously astonished.

James rolled his eyes and trudged off. Lily gave a rueful look to her friends and ran after James.

"Hey," Lily called out. James slowed down and turned to look at her. "What's your problem?"

"Excuse me?" James asked calmly.

"You were having fun playing strip Quidditch until the three of us came along," Lily said. "Which worries me a little…why you'd want to play strip Quidditch with the boys and not us girls is a little scary."

"When did you get so outgoing?" James demanded.

"What?"

"Suddenly this year you go so outspoken, you party and drink with the girls, and now you're willing to play a game that involves stripping," James said. "This isn't you."

"No," Lily said. "This isn't the old me. The one who dated you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," James said.

"It wasn't a bad thing," Lily insisted. "But things have changed and things are different now."

"Lily, you are the worst Quidditch player ever. You can hardly fly," James said. "And you're gonna go out there and play a strip game of Quidditch? You do realize that you'll end up naked in two minutes."

"You're just mad because maybe for once, you won't be the only one who's seen me naked," Lily exclaimed.

"What? That's crazy," James said.

"I don't understand why you're getting so upset over a little game," Lily said. "Why do you even care what I do? We're not together anymore. Hell, we're not even friends!"

"We could be!" James exclaimed.

"No we can't!" Lily cried out.

"Why not?"

"Friends?" Lily spat out. "James, we were never friends. We went straight from hating each other to sleeping together. And now there's too much history. Don't you get it? This is too hard for me."

"If you don't want to be friends, then why'd you come out here to hang out with us? Where I happen to be?" James asked.

"There are five other people out here," Lily said. "I can easily ignore you."

"Oh, so that's it? You're going to go through these last two months ignoring me?" James asked.

"You're getting good at it," Lily muttered.

"Huh?"

"When's the last time you talked to me?" Lily asked. "You say you want to be friends but you don't even say hi in the hallways. You don't acknowledge my presence and you don't even glance my way."

"You thought I cheated on you Lily!" James yelled. "Damnit Lily, you don't become friends with the girl you loved who couldn't even trust you!"

"You just said you wanted to be friends!"

"I lied!"

Lily grew quiet and then looked up at him. "So this is how it's gonna be from now on?"

James looked up at her but didn't say anything. He then glanced down at his feet, shrugged a little, and turned to walk back into Hogwarts.

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review! review! review!

will james's friends get used to him dating nancie? what will happen with lily and this radley character? will james and lily ever get back together...will they even ever become friends again? sirius and gigi are doing a pretty good job of hiding their relationship from their friends...will that last long?

review! review! review!