Update: Fixed small things, no need to re-read it.

Author's Note: I am embarrassing. Well, not a lot. I did warn you that this chapter might take a while due to various reasons, and it's only been a bit over a week I think. But the embarrassing part is that I actually forgot that I had a story in writing for a couple of days. How weird. I just found the folder on my Desktop and was like, "oh, right…" – but no worries, I'm back on track now.

I promised this chapter would be dedicated to those who guessed correctly on the question in the Author's Note on the previous chapter, so this chapter is dedicated to stardust718 and IAMaMUDBLOOD, who guessed correctly, and sort of dedicated to Elva is watching you. who indeed did guess correctly but sort of cheated by having multiple guesses :P (Oh, I guess I never mentioned that you should only have one guess… sorry.) If I missed someone with a correct guess, I am truly indeed very sorry and I do apologize.

Er, enough with the ranting. Usual thank-yous to all reviewers (you mean the world to me!) and beta.

Chapter 9: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, Reloaded

"Er, Prongs?" Sirius asked tentatively. "Are you alright?"

James had just let out a kind of squeal, which was quite unlike him, and was now staring at the recently arrived letter from his so-called pen-pal.

"Prongs! Oi!" Sirius tried again and James handed him the letter without a word in response.

Dear Harry,

I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but after reading your latest letters I've been hit by an urge to meet you.

I really don't want to push it; I know you said it was better to get to know you well enough through these letters, but I love the parts of you I've seen through our correspondence and I just think that... well, I think I know you well enoughto not be drawn into any prejudices if it turns out you're someone with whom I'm already acquainted in real life.

If you don't want to, I'll understand. We don't have to give up our correspondence or anything; no pressure. But if you want to meet me, I'll be waiting by the beech tree on the edge of the lake at, say, 4 PM this Saturday? Just please tell me if you aren't coming so I don't have to wait in vain? (And don't even think about spying to find out who I am while you stay unrevealed!)

But really, if you don't feel ready, no pressure. It wouldn't change anything.

Love,

Me

"Oi," said Sirius. "That was kind of unexpected."

"You reckon I should do it?" James asked.

"Um, yeah? To be honest, aren't you getting a bit bored only writing those letters? Seriously?"

"Yeah, but…" James trailed off, "what if it doesn't work out?"

"Well, then you'll know! And you wouldn't have wasted all this time writing to her."

"I s'ppose…"

"C'mon, Prongs! Where is the James who would never duck out on a bit of adventure?"

"Well, he sort of disappeared this summer…"

A not entirely comfortable silence set between them.

"Sorry," said Sirius gently – which was probably the most out-of-character you'd ever get to see him, for Sirius was normally neither a gentle nor an apologizing man. "I didn't mean to-"

"Doesn't matter," said James. "Enough with this sensitive talk – what are you, some kind of bird?"

"Thank God it's Friday again!" Aurora exclaimed as they turned round a corner and the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom became visible.. "Only one more class to go!"

"Speak for yourself," muttered Elisabeth, "I've got tons and tons of things to do…"

"And you're meeting with this Harry-guy, aren't you?" Aurora asked Lily.

"Shush! Not so loud!"

"Sorry," said Aurora and glanced around. "I don't think anyone heard. Anyway… nervous?"

"Yes," responded Lily simply.

The girls frowned as Albus Dumbledore emerged from the classroom. He merely looked around on the students' slightly surprised faces and said, "Well, good-day to you all!" before heading off.

"Maybe he's taken to expand his pacing from his office to the whole school?" the girls heard Peter Pettigrew suggest to his fellow Marauders.

"Well, good-evening, class!" the Professor greeted them brightly as they had all settled down. "Today we're going to do something fun!"

At once, James and Sirius raised their eyebrows skeptically – the teachers' opinions of fun weren't always the same as theirs.

"We'll finally be practicing the Impediment curse in pairs! I take it you all have done your homework so that you are all able to master the spell? Yes?"

The class nodded – not because they actually had done their homework, but because no one was stupid enough to admit that they haven't.

"Very well then! I shall divide you into pairs…"

Some of them groaned. "Excuse me, Professor!" A Hufflepuff boy in the back had raised his hand. "Can't we choose our partners ourselves?"

"No, I think we ought to do it like this!" their professor responded merrily. "Very well, then…" And he started reading out names. "…Evans, and Potter…"

James moaned quietly and glanced at Lily, who looked indifferent.

Which was worse than if she'd been angry or annoyed or whatever.

The only thing worse than Lily not liking him was her being indifferent about him.

Her mind seemed to have set on no small talk for when approached, she said instantly, "Would you like to begin, or shall I?"

"Er," said James, "I guess I'll start, then?"

He pointed his wand at her and with a little flick he murmured, "Impedimenta!"

Being the talented wizard he was, James did – albeit the lack of studying – get it right at the first attempt and Lily froze.

"Nice work, Mr. Potter!" the Professor greeted him. "Miss Evans is due to unfreeze in a minute or so…"

Meanwhile, James watched the other pairs in work. Sirius and Remus were doing just fine, but Peter seemed to have a little problem. Nothing seemed to happen to his partner of the hour, who happened to be Elisabeth.

"Haven't you been studying?" she asked impatiently and shifted her weight to one foot. "You're pronouncing it slightly wrong, shall I show you how to-"

"I know how to do it!" Peter cut her off. "Just let me try!" He made a slightly too big wave with his wand and pronounced Impedimenta slightly wrong once more, and set off a jet of light in the wrong colour. Elisabeth ducked and the jet hit Lily, who was just unfreezing, instead. She flew back into the bookshelf.

"Crap," muttered Peter and made a movement as to head over to where Lily was.

"No! You idiot!" exclaimed Elisabeth and hurried over.

But James beat her to it. "Lily?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'm okay," she muttered and sat up. "Ouch."

"What?" asked Elisabeth worringly.

"My shoulder, I think it's- ow," she moaned as she tried to move her arm. "It's not quite alright."

The Professor, who had hurried to the scene, bent down and examined Lily's shoulder carefully, while Lily's eyes filled with tears from the pain.

"It looks like it might be dislocated," concluded the Professor. "Miss Johnson," she said to Elisabeth, "return to practice with Mr. Pettigrew. And please do teach him how to pronounce Impedimenta, thank you. Mr. Pettigrew, please listen to Miss Johnsson. And Mr. Potter," she said, turning to James, "please accompany Miss Evans to the hospital wing. I could try and fix your shoulder but I'm positive that Madam Pomfrey will do a better job."

Allowing James to help her up by taking her uninjured arm, Lily rose from the floor and the two of them left the classroom for the hospital wing in silence.

"I'm so sorry," James said after a while, "Peter doesn't know what he's doing, he shouldn't really be allowed with a wand…"

"You ought to stop apologizing on your friends' behalves," Lily said and groaned as she moved her arm a millimeter.

"I guess you're right," James said and looked worriedly at her.

"Don't worry," said Lily who had caught his glance, "I'll be fine. You know what they say… what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

James stopped dead. "Er, what?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Lily asked nervously.

"No, no… I must have heard you wrong." He began walking again.

"I said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Lily repeated.

"Right," James said.

This was not happening. No, most definitely not happening. It couldn't possibly be Lily who was the girl in the ad. It couldn't possibly be Lily whom he had been writing to for the past month. No, no, no.

He glanced nervously at her. Of course it was Lily. Why hadn't he realized earlier? The letters, the way she expressed herself. Of course it was Lily. How could he have not noticed?!

The relief James experienced when the doors to the hospital wing was within reach was enormous.

"Um," he said as they had entered and Madam Pomfrey was hurrying towards them, "right. I've got to run. I hope Madam Pomfrey can fix your arm. Er… get well soon."

James sprinted through the corridors back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, but the class had ended five minutes ago and his friends had already disappeared. He therefore hurried through the corridors to the Gryffindor common room, where he found them.

"Crisis," he panted, "emergency meeting in the dorm now!"

The rest of the marauders hurried after him up to the boys' dormitories. James carefully shut the door behind them and muttered, "Muffliato!" – just in case.

"Well?" Remus questioned. "What is it this time?"

"She's Lily!" James exclaimed. "Lily Evans! Evans! Lily!"

"Um," said Sirius, "James, mate, calm down. What about Evans?"

"She is Evans."

"Who is Evans?" Remus asked, confused.

"The girl I've been freakin' corresponding with!"

"What?!"

"What?!"

"Seriously?"

There was no lack of surprise in his friends' reactions.

"How do you know?" Peter asked finally.

"She used an expression that's been sort of an intern... thing. Not a joke, but a thing."

"Well, is it a common expression?" Remus asked reasonably.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," James quoted.

"That one's famous," Sirius pointed out. "You don't know for sure-"

"I know, okay?" James exclaimed. "Just reading the letters, it seems just like her. I'm absolutely positive it's her."

"I'm still not convinced," said Sirius. "Maybe we could trick the house elves handling the mail into revealing her identity." He grinned sheepishly.

"What are you going to do?" Peter asked.

"I don't know!" James was rubbing his head frantically. "I'll have to confront her tomorrow, I wrote the response days ago."

"Maybe you don't have to," Sirius suggested. "Just write and apologize for not showing up, and then you can say that your grandma got sick or whatever and you have to leave school."

"No," said James, "no, no, I've got to go. I can't let her down."

"Apart from the whole meeting-thing," Remus said, "what are you going to do? Do you want to keep corresponding?"

"I can't, can I?" James said moodily. "Lily hates me nowadays. I'll just have to confront her tomorrow, and then I'll have to live with the disappointment I brought with that. I'll just have to apologize to her."

"Apologize?!" Sirius intervened. "Apologize my ass!"

"For once, Sirius is actually right," Remus added with a small grin. "You have nothing to apologize for, have you?"

James said nothing but merely shook his head, looking confused.

"Well," Sirius said in a desperate attempt to cheer James up, "at least… you'll get closure?"

Author's Note: Just a quick note to remind you of the review feature this wonderful site has brought. 