I love Harry Potter. I really do. Nevertheless, Lily, James, Snape, Hogwarts, the Marauders and everything else is Jo's. I would not have it any other way.

As Lily entered the Great Hall the next morning, she was met with a completely unpleasant sight. Aira sat wrapped in Sirius's arms, reading the Daily Prophet and eating toast from his plate, as their friends looked on in shock.

Lily rushed over and dropped into the open seat between James and Charlotte.

"Char, what's going on with them?" She whispered. "They're not dating now, are they?"

"I don't know. When Elle and I woke up this morning, she was gone. And when I got down here, they were already like this." She whispered back.

"Did something happen after I left last night?" Lily asked.

"Maybe. She came back without you–where did you go, anyway? -then Sirius came back a little later. Wait, you don't suppose they went for a snog in the hallways, do you?" Charlotte's eyes widened at the thought. "I didn't even know she fancied him!"

"I don't think that is what happened. Aira's attention might be fleeting, and she does usually have a new boyfriend every couple of weeks, but she is not a slut. She wouldn't just go for a snog, that's not like her. Aira wants commitment, even if she cannot give it very well. Of course, she hasn't had a boyfriend all year. Maybe she gone through all the other houses and had to resort to Sirius."

"Believe me, no one is more shocked than I am." James cut in, talking in a normal voice. Charlotte and Lily glanced at him, then back at Sirius and Aira. They hadn't heard the comment, and Aira idly turned a page, her eyes flying over the words.

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked him.

"Sirius's been talking about her for a while now. He usually loses interest in a girl in a few days. His minds flitting like that. But he's being going on and on about Aira since the train ride." He explained, taking a sip of juice. "I remember this girl he used to know when he lived back with his family. Oh, Sirius fancied her. Talked about her non-stop, kind of the way I do with you, Lily. Anyway, she eventually moved away before Sirius got the chance to speak with her, and he was crushed. I think that was one of the reasons he came to live with my parents and me. Anyway, that was two summers ago. Now, he fancies Aira like her he fancied her."

"I don't think that they'll last more than a month, if that long." Peter said, nibbling on an egg.

"Why not? They are two very uncommitted human beings. Maybe they'll somehow stay together."

"No, Sirius will find someone new –prettier, smarter, whatever- by Christmas." He said with certainty. "I don't think he's had a stable girlfriend for more than a month and a half."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Aira's a great girl. She is one of the prettiest, smartest, funniest witches I have ever met. I can bet they make is all the way to Easter, without one stupid breakup."

"You want to bet? Fine. 5 galleons and a butterbeer for the winner." Peter said, fishing some money out of his pocket.

"I'll be keeping record of all bets. Does anyone else want to enter the pot?" James asked, offering his hand to out.

"Charlotte, I cannot believe you! Betting on how long our friends our dating, that is simply awful! I might have expected that from him," She thrust her chin at James. "but not from you."

"Oh, we're not dating." Aira piped up, not raising her eyes from the paper. "We're just two very superficial people enjoying each other company."

Sirius nodded his agreement. "We've been listening the entire time and I agree with Lily, Peter. I cannot believe you would bet on how long we would stay together. Shouldn't call yourself a true Marauder, you old rat. When Aira and I do get together, I know who we won't be telling."

Peter reluctantly took his money back from James and returned to his eggs, muttering about ungrateful friends.

"Do you want to know who I'll tell when we get together, Evans?" James asked, helping himself to the bacon on her plate.

"Sure, Potter. Amuse me." She said, reaching for her food.

He popped the bacon into his mouth. "The Prophet. Hand me the paper, will you?"

Charlotte tossed his a copy, which he spread across the table, covering both his and Lily's plates. He then snaked his arm around her shoulder and gripped the other side of the paper. She could tell that they mirrored Aira and Sirius's position.

Lily scowled. "Get off of me, you arrogant prat."

"Don't think I will. Look at this article! 'Ravenclaw's Diadem, one of the four objects that were left behind by the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has been stolen from Gringotts bank.'" He read aloud. "It says that the culprit died trying to escape, but the diadem has gone missing. It says that it happened on… August 29th, but Gringotts just found the body."

Lily looked down at the paper. "Does it say who took it?"

"Nope, it doesn't." He whispered into her ear before gently kissing it.

Lily froze as his lips touched her ear. "I've…I've got to go." She said before breaking free from his grasp and running out of the Great Hall.

"Lily! Lily, wait up!" Charlotte called, chasing after her. Aira and Ellie followed at her heels.

Lily continued to run until she reached the Head dormitory. She paused for a few moments to stare at the tapestry. It wasn't anything dreary, just the coat of arms, but to Lily is might have well depicted a murder.

"Exploding bon-bons." She murmured, running into the common room.

Lily threw herself onto the couch and stared at the fire, watching her reflection dance off the flames.

"He kissed me. He kissed me and I left him." She whispered miserably to fire. "I just left him sitting there, alone."

"I know, love." Charlotte's voice cooed to her. "But you've done that before, remember. There was once in third year, at least five times in fourth, and probably double that in fifth and sixth."

"It's not the same. Before, James hadn't tried to make me fancy him. He just begged me to date him, and he would go around hexing innocent people and dangling them by their ankles. All he cared about was Quidditch and pulling pranks. Now…. Charlotte, I think he's trying to change for me." Lily said, her eyes watering as she stared at her friends. "And I don't know what to do."

"She used his first name. She never does that." She saw Aira mouth to Charlotte and Ellie, as if Lily was blind and wouldn't be able to tell.

"Lily." Ellie said, sitting in the seat next to her. Her voice was soft and gentle. "You haven't begun to fancy James, have you?"

Ellie stared at her, her blue eyes as deep as the ocean. Lily blinked. She had never noticed how beautiful they were.

"No." She said sitting up and wiping her face. "No, I don't fancy Potter. He just is trying to become a better person for me, so I feel worse having to shoot his down. Because I don't like him." She made a show of using his last name, "But let's speak of something else, please. Potter shouldn't ruin my entire Sunday, should he?"

"That's the spirit!" Aria said encouragingly. "Now, tell me what he took you to do yesterday. Sirius asked me to make sure you went down there, but he wouldn't tell me what you and James were going to do."

"That's another thing I don't wish to talk about, Aira. In fact, tell me about you and Sirius. That's something I want to know about." Lily said. Aira opened her mouth to protest, but Charlotte threw her a look that could only mean drop it.

With a smile, Aira began her story about Sirius, but Lily was only half-listening. She laughed when the other girls laughed and gave a concerned look when the others gave concerned looks, but Lily couldn't have told you anything of what Aira said. All Lily needed to know was her best friend fancied Sirius and Sirius fancied her.

Lily spent the rest of the day in the common room with her friends, enjoying their company when suddenly, the clock struck ten o'clock and James entered.

"Lily, we need to begin patrol now." James voice hold it's usual cheer, and he stared at his shoes as he spoke. "Unless you'd rather patrol alone."

"No, it's Sunday. We're supposed to patrol together on weekends." Aira gave her a tight smile as she, Charlotte and Ellie slipped out of the common room.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Lily?" Ellie gave her elbow a small squeeze.

James held the door open and Lily followed them out, careful not to meet his eyes as she passed.

Ellie, Charlotte and Aira parted ways with them by the staircase. The girls went down one while Lily and James climbed up the other.

Once they had reached the fifth floor and rounded a corner, James finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry. I should not have kissed you this morning, especially in such a public place."

Lily watched him as they walked.

"Remus told you to say that, didn't he?"

"As much as this might surprise you, Evans, I can think of sentimental things without his help. I have been in the Gryffindor common room all day with them, though, trying to figure out what to do about you. Honestly. Yesterday you trust me enough to ride on a broom, and now I kiss you on the ear and you can't stand to look at me." His tone was harsh. "It's not like I kissed you on the mouth. It was just your ear, and other than our friends, no one saw it happen."

Lily didn't have a response to that. Instead, she just looked at her shoes.

"Lily, I don't want you to be mad at me, but I don't think I did anything really wrong. I love you and I wanted to show you."

"I suppose I should be the one apologizing to you, then. I over-reacted. You had the chance to attempt to kiss me, really kiss me, and you didn't. It was very gentlemanly of you," She said softly. "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you all day. I'm sorry I over-reacted."

"It's alright. I should have come looking for you and I didn't. Instead, I hid, which was not a very gentlemanly thing to do."

They continued to patrol in silence, though it was no longer an uncomfortable one.

They had reached the seventh floor when they saw him. Severus was hurrying away from something, an empty brown box in his hand.

"Snivellus!" James called to him. "What on earth are you doing out of bed and so far from the Slytherin common room? And what's in your hand?"

Severus ignored him. "Lily, did you get my note? And my flowers?"

"No, I didn't. Being out this late is a detention, again. This has to be the third time at least. What on earth are you doing?"

"Nothing! Please, Lily, hear me out. Just, let's meet up and talk, please?" Severus pleaded with her.

Lily set her jaw. "Severus, I don't want to speak with you. Not now, and not ever again. McGonagall will be expecting you at seven' o clock sharp tomorrow." Lily turned and began to walk away. James followed.

"Lily! Lily Evans, don't leave!" Severus shouted at her. "LILY! You deserve so much more than him!" He pointed at Potter. "You're much better than the scum he'll treat you as! You have seen how he treats people! Think of how he treated me! YOU'RE NOT THE SCUM HE'LL TREAT YOU AS!"

Lily felt tears sting her eyes and he could feel the anger almost radiate off James.

"Don't, Potter." She gently gripped his forearm. "He's not worth it!"

She and James continued to walk away, while Severus shouted at her.

They had gotten at least forty paces away, when suddenly, James shook her grip off and turned.

"Want to know something, Snape? I don't care what you say about me, because I don't care about you. It is crossing the line when you imply that ANYONE could treat Lily Evans as scum. Because, other than you, Snivellus, no one could even think that Lily's scum, useless or… or what you called her." James was practically shaking with rage. He drew his wand and pointed it directly as Severus. "One of the reasons I feel in with love Lily is because she was able to put up with you for so long. That she is such a nice, caring, wonderful witch that she could find something good in the likes of you! But that day, I lost it. Lily had been defending you, and being the most caring best friend you could ever have. One of the reasons I would torment you was because I knew that you could never treat Lily the way she deserves. You certainly proved it to me! Lily is so much more than a word. She's the prettiest, kindest, smartest, most talented, and recently, funniest people I have ever met or will ever meet."

James mumbled a curse and Severus's nose began to bleed. He clapped his hands around it.

"You doke my dose! Pam you, Dotter! Pam you do 'ell!" Severus shouted, reaching for his own wand.

"I wouldn't do that. Get yourself to the hospital wing and out of my sight, Snape." With a satisfied nod, James pocketed his wand, grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her away.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Lily. I know that model students don't just… go off like that, but he was pulling a jab at you. I may not care what people think of me, but I do care what they say about you. It's usually only good things, but sometimes… Sometimes, when I hear someone making a comment or implying things about you, I just lose it. You're so much better than that." James rambled on angrily. "That would be the end of our bet, I suppose. But that's fine, he honestly makes me angry the way he speaks about. It's like he thinks I don't see the witch you are."

Suddenly, Lily burst into laughter.

"James, did you really break his nose?"

James broke into a huge grin. "You called me James. I don't think you've ever done that before."

She ignored his comment. "James, after Severus called me a mudblood, he met me outside the Gryffindor common room. I broke his nose then."

James stopped short. "Did you really?"

She bit back a laugh and nodded. "I was so angry, I didn't know what to do. I just snapped."

James grinned. "Even model students get angry and snap, then."

"Happens all the time." Lily nodded. "But that's not what I was going at."

James grinned even wider. "I don't know where you were headed with this, then. But what I'm getting is: the bet is back on. In that case, I'll take the last two floors and you can head off to bed early if you want!" James ran off excitedly.

"James, that is not what I was going for!" Lily shouted after his retreating body. "That is NOT what I meant at all!"

"I don't really care, Lily!" He replied his voice full of joy again. "I love you, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to win!"

Awh, James. You are adorable.

Did we all notice the little lovey-dovey tidbits? (that little ear kiss was for you, K.)
Moreover, we were all able to figure out what Snape was doing on the seventh floor with an empty box, I hope.

The AVPM/S joke in chapter seven was the 'Oh, wizard god' thing. (AJ Holmes, who helped Darren with the music, was dubbed Wizard God in rehearsal.) That phrase was something that the used in the play. That and "Oh My Rowling!"

Love the reviews! Keep them coming, please!