January 20, 1977

Gideon was making his way to the library through a series of back routes, hoping to run into a certain girl who had been doing a very good job of avoiding him lately, when something near the end of the hallway caught his eye.

"What are you doing?!" Gideon yelled towards his younger brother down the hall. A group of sixth year boys, Fabian Prewett included, were holding a girl against the wall, their wands at her throat.

"Didn't you hear?" He snarled at his brother. "About the attack?" Gideon looked confused at his younger brother, "Her" he said it like the word was dirty, "brother was seen leaving the scene."

"And you're taking it out on her?!" He looked shocked and appalled. "You're irrational! Get to class!"

"We can't leave, she's seen our faces." Benjy Fenwick hissed.

"I'll deal with it." They left, glaring her down.

"I'm sorry about that." He looked at her.

Violetta Roiser glared back at him. "Don't worry about it. Just do the memory charm and get it over with." She huffed. "Maybe you could tell me I'm on my way to the hospital wing."

"Did they hurt you?"

She flinched away from him as he reached toward her arm.

"Your brother has a nice grip on him."

"Git."

She smiled despite herself. Her face was back in a hard set glare in an instant.

"I'm not going to give you a memory charm."

"You aren't?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"What they did was wrong. They deserve to be punished."

She looked at him. And sighed. "I'm not going to say anything."

"You aren't?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've had worse."

"What? You have?"

"Surprised Prewett?"

They stared at each other. Next thing she knew her back was being pressed into the wall again, this time in a very different way. His mouth was hot on hers. Her hands were everywhere, grabbing, pulling clawing. She felt his eagerness on her thigh. A moan escaped his lips. "Vi..."

She pushed him off of her.

They stared at each other, chests rising and falling. His checks were flushed and she ran a hand through her hair.

"I missed you these last couple of weeks." Gideon looked at her.

Neither of them looked away. He took another step towards her.

"No. We can't." She looked both ways down the hallway.

"Why?"

"You know why, Gid."

"I-"

"Your brother was just trying to kill me." She hissed at him.

"I love-"

"SHUT UP." She yelled at him. Tears sprung into her eyes. Her chest was rising and falling almost more than earlier. "Just," She looked away. "Shut up." He grabbed her arm and she winced. He dropped it instantly and that was all she needed. She broke off into a run and left him there, mouth red and blood slowly making its way back up to his head.

"Lo'" Violetta sighed as Mary, Marlene, Alice and Lily walked into the third floor girls bathroom.

Alice smiled, but other than that the other girls moved to the mirrors and pretended no one had said anything.

"Have you been crying, Rosier?" Mary asked. The other girls turned to stare.

"No, of course not." Violetta sent her a patronizing look. She turned to Lily. "Oh Evans, I've been meaning to ask. I've been having a problem with the days I've been scheduled to patrol. I was wondering if there was any way I could swap with someone?"

"That schedule has been working for the last 5 months Roiser, I don't see how a problem could suddenly spring up."

Violetta's eyes narrowed. "I've been having some troubles with my partner."

"I don't see how Gideon could-"

"Look, never mind." Violetta sighed and turned back to the mirror where she began to fiddle with her hair.

"If you want I'll trade you." Alice said kindly. "If you don't mind Remus Lupin?"

"Really?" Violetta smiled. "Thanks Alice."

After Violetta left, Lily rounded on Alice.

"What the hell was that?" Lily asked.

"What?"

"You totally undermined my authority!"

"Oh brother." Alice laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Well!"

"Obviously something's bothering her," Alice sighed. "She was crying." She shrugged. "Gid is my cousin, and he's been a right mood lately too. I don't mind."

"Well what about Remus! He might mind!"

Alice rolled her eyes again and Marlene actually laughed.

"What is so funny?" Lily turned on the other girl this time.

"Have you seen her ass?" Marlene laughed again. "I highly doubt Remus is going to mind. He might even thank Alice."

*

"Oh for the love of Merlin!" James and Lily were patrolling later that night when they heard a couple of loud bangs. They broke off into a run, pulling out their wands.

"What do you figure, Peeves or-" They heard another loud bang.

"Probably or." James yelled back.

They turned the corner and came face to face with six Slytherins.

James was hit with a body bind curse and Lily was disarmed before they had a chance to realize. Lily dove for James' dropped wand, but before she could reach it she heard someone yell "Accio!"

"Well, look at this." Avery stood over her. "Who would have thought we would have the star Head Boy and Girl at our mercy. This night isn't going to be a complete waste after all."

"Avery.." Lily Evans eyes landed on the girl who spoke, Violetta Roiser.

"What Roiser?" He spun on his heel and looked at her.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" He twirled James' wand in his hand, while Snape silently handed Violetta Lily's. "It seems like your priorities are wavering Vi." He continued to twirl the wand. Her eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't want your brother to hear about this." He smirked at her. "That you're going soft."

She hissed at him. "Fuck you Avery."

"You're just proving what I was saying earlier right now." Avery's smirk grew. "You love mudbl-"

"I think you've said enough Avery." Snape said from behind. Regulus nodded slightly.

"We aren't doing anything drastic." Violetta said.

"Memory charms can erase anything." Avery turned back to Lily. "Just give me 15 minutes with her."

Violetta turned toward Snape, as if he had said something, although his face was blank. Her face was momentary questioning, and then changed to realization, then back to anger in a one second. She turned back to Avery who hadn't noticed anything.

"First off Avery, who the fuck do you think I am? Secondly, fuck you if you ever touch any woman, I will find you and kill you, I don't care if she's a fucking squib, and thirdly, as I was saying earlier, you're a fucking git who needs to get yourself, and your little gang back to bed. You can tell my brother whatever you want, but just so you know, he'll also find about your little late night meeting that I had the unfortunate luck to stumble upon. He won't consider your discretion, or lack thereof, as something worth rewarding."

He snarled at her. "Memory charms can work on you too."

"I'm going to do you a favour and pretend this didn't happen, and you didn't say that." She stepped closer to him, their faces were inches apart. "If you leave now."

"We're going to get detention if we don't at least make them forget this." Regulus Black muttered.

Avery's eyes were narrow. He tilted his head, signalling to the others. He handed James' wand to her. "Who cares. They'll get there's soon enough. You all will." He glared at Violetta and then turned to leave.

As soon as they were around the corner, Violetta released James from his body bind and threw them back their wands.

"I am so sorry guys."

Lily hit Violetta's hand away as she tried to help her up.

"What the hell was that?" Lily hissed at her. "What are you doing out of bed right now anyways?!"

Violetta looked at her, "Are you serious? I just saved your ass and you're mad that I'm out past curfew?"

"Lily-" James started and reached for her arm.

"No James! What the hell!" She ripped her arm from his grasp. Tears sprung to her eyes as the reality of how close the situation really was. What would have happened if Violetta wasn't there? Would Snape have done anything? Did she actually expect her would?

"I'm sorry." James muttered from behind her. She turned and looked at him for a couple of minutes and then finally burst into tears. She fell into his arms, sobbing. He rubbed her back in circles until she finally calmed down.

She turned back toward Violetta, to apologize. She was gone.

They walked back to the common room together. They stood at the bottom of the stairs together.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" James asked.

"Yeah," Lily smiled softly at him. She didn't move though. After a couple of minutes she sighed. "I mean..." A blush covered her cheeks. "Maybe I could...?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe I could just stay with you tonight?" His heart soared.

"If you want to." He shrugged, remaining composed.

"I'd like that."

He grinned at her. She ran up her stairs to brush her teeth and change into her pyjamas.

"Don't get the wrong idea Potter." She giggled as they climbed the stairs to his dorm after she was done. "We're just sleeping."

"Of course."

She laughed. "Okay."

They climbed into bed and Lily snuggled into his chest. He shifted away from her, just slightly.

"What?" She asked in a whisper. This time it was his turn to blush.

"Nothing."

"What is it James?"

"I'm just thinking about Dumbledore."

"Er- Okay?"

"And anything that is going to be a turn off, because basically the biggest fantasy I have in life itself is being fulfilled right now and I'm letting my mind get away from me."

She looked at him, slightly confused. After a couple of seconds, (it felt more like an eternity to James, who was dying of embarrassment), a grin fell onto her face. She giggled a little bit. "Really James? In my over sized Gryffindor t-shirt and these unicorn shorts I got as a gag birthday present last year? I'm not even wearing make-up."

"You've never looked more beautiful." He stared into her green eyes.

"You say that to all the girls, Potter?" She barely breathed back.

"Just the ones that I love."

Silence.

"What?" Lily finally asked after several minutes.

"I love you, Lily Evans. You don't have to say it back, but I've loved you for over 3 years now and I think-"

James was silenced by her lips on his. Her hands were in his messy hair, an action she knew drove him crazy. She rolled her body on top of his and began to pull his shirt from over his head. Once his torso was exposed, he quickly rolled her back, so he was the one on top. He kissed her again, his hands roaming her body. She wrapped a leg around his hip, pulling him closer to her. He froze and pulled his head away from hers. Her eyes searched his face.

"What's wrong?" She finally asked. He rolled off her and ran his hands through his hair.

"I think you should go."

"What?"

"I'm using all the self control I have here, I don't think..." He blew his fringe out of his eyes and stared at the top of his four poster bed. "I won't be able to stop if you don't go now."

"I love you too." She traced a finger over his profile, stopping at his lips. He breathed in deeply when she said it, and he hadn't exhaled yet. "Breath James." She smiled, climbing on top of him again and kissing his lips gently. He didn't move, hands firmly at his sides. He groaned as her hands lightly grazed his chest. She moved her mouth to his ear and whispered the words that would be the death of him. "What if I didn't want you to stop?"

"Are you sure?" He grunted out.

She nodded once, and that was all he needed. A small giggle escaped her lips as he flipped her over but was quickly silenced by their lips meeting. He pulled away one last time. "I love you."

She smiled back. "I know, I love you too."

"This is the last time I'm going to ask. Are you sure?"

"Merlin James, I'm starting to think you're the one who might not be ready for this."

"I love you, I love you, I love you." And then he kissed her.

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