Chapter 11

"You're absolutely hopeless, you are Wormtail. Screaming and now we're in detention."

"Well, she just appeared, you know."

"Mr Potter, Mr Pettigrew, this is detention. You are not meant to be talking," said Professor McGonagall.

Peter hung his head.

The four Marauders had gotten caught just as they were about to carry out the highlight of their prank. Professor McGonagall had come around the corner, causing Peter to scream and landing the four of them in detention.

James sat glumly looking at the ceiling.

Sirius noticed a red hand mark on James' cheek. He leaned over and whispered, "Hey Prongs, what's on your cheek?"

"Evans slapped me."

"She slapped you? Why?"

"Because I said something about how her hair was red I s'pose. She's pretty touchy about it, I think."

"Must be."

There was a knock on the large wooden classroom door.

"Come in," Professor McGonagall said.

Lily entered the classroom. "Excuse me, but I'm here to escort James Potter to Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Whatever for, Miss Evans?"

"I'm not sure. I was just told to…"

"Alright. Potter, go with Miss Evans."

James stood up and went over to the door. He followed Lily out into the corridor and shut the door behind himself.

"Why do I have to see Professor Dumbledore?" James asked Lily.

"You don't."

"Then why…?"

"Don't you wanna get out of detention? I thought we could go to the kitchens and get a snack or two."

James had no idea what was going on. One minute, Lily was slapping him, the next; she's getting him out of detention. "Oh, uh, well, thanks Evans."

"You're welcome."

They reached the portrait of a large bowl of fruit. Lily reached up and tickled the green pear. It giggled and turned into a large handle. Lily turned it and pushed the shocked James inside. She came in after him and shut the portrait.

House-elves surrounded the two.

"Afternoon snacks, thanks guys," said Lily and the house-elves bowed and curtseyed off.

They came back quickly, laden with snacks to please Lily and James.

James collapsed to the ground and Lily sat beside him.

"This is so…so…so unlike you Lily," James said in the middle of eating a custard cream. "You lied to a teacher, and snuck down here with me…what's gotten into you?"

Lily smirked at him. "Don't you like this me that's unlike me?"

James looked confused. "I'm not sure," he said slowly.

Lily smiled.

.x.x.x.

That night, Lily found another poem on her bedside table.

"Oh my, how fine is my Lily dear,

Taking risks on all she fears."

It was cute, but now Lily knew it was James sending them. And she was just beginning to think that it was Joe. Oh well, she thought. I can still go out with him.

Lily stretched and flopped on her bed. She couldn't wait for the weekend.

.x.x.x.

"Did she get it Nichloe?" James asked her urgently when Nichloe came back into the common room.

"Looks like it. She looked pretty pleased then fell asleep."

"Has she been getting them all?"

"Course she has. You pick good contacts to deliver."

"I know," said James very immodestly.

"Come on Nichloe. It's special spot time," said Sirius.

Nichloe blushed red and followed Sirius out the portrait hole.

Lily lay peacefully on her bed, her red hair surrounding her, oblivious to all going on downstairs.

.x.x.x.

Hello all my faithful readers! Sorry it's taken a little while to get this up and running…I got banned from the internet, again.

By the way, I can't fix it in the actual chapter, so here goes…many apologies to V. K. for saying that S. K. told me what Seven Minutes of Heaven was. It was actually you, V. K. and I'm sorry. But you know…my memory ain't what it used to be…and that Holiday From Hell…I just want to sort of forget all of it.

Keep reading and reviewing folks!