Hello, all! I hope you like this chapter; I'm not entirely happy with it, but hopefully you aren't as picky about writing style as I am. If there are any mistakes about anything, please tell me, I am grateful for corrections as long as they aren't cruel or heartless.

Sorry about the weird formatting on this chapter, I'm still confused about the paragraphing on fanfiction. Also, my apologies for the plagiarism on some things. I try not to copy directly from the books, but sometimes I do steal little bits. I hope you don't mind.

And as always, this doesn't belong to me, it belongs to J.K. Rowling

Chapter 8

"Do you want me to keep the map on hand today?" Lily asked James, anxious. "You'll be distracted today with the match and everything." She'd been very concerned about keeping Marauder's map safe these past few days. The thought of Severus running off to join Voldemort was horrendous, and she would do everything she could to prevent it. Right now, that included keeping the map far, far away from the Slytherins. If they couldn't get out of the castle, they couldn't become Death Eaters. It was as simple as that.

"Sure." James said, pulling the creased, slightly yellowed piece of parchment out of his robes. "Do you want me to show you how to use it?" he asked wryly, eyes sparkling.

"I don't know…" Lily looked at the parchment apprehensively. That map was the key to the Marauder's success in rule-breaking. She felt as though knowing how to use it would somehow hold her responsible for not confiscating it.

"I'll show you anyways." He plopped down next to her on their couch and pulled out his wand. His warm arm brushed up against hers, shooting an electrified spark down her body.
"First, you tap it with your wand." He did so, while she tried to calm her heart rate. "Then you say, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.'" Instantly, ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from where the wand's tip met the parchment. They joined each other, the crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

"Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP"

It was fabulous. The map showed every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable things were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in miniscule writing.

"Wow!" Lily said in amazement. "This is incredible!" She couldn't take her eyes off of all the little black spots. There was Alice, in the Gryffindor common room, Filch sulking around the second floor with Mrs. Norris, and her and James up in the Head's tower. "Messers. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs?" she read out loud, eyebrows high on her forehead.

"Our nicknames." He explained, a hint of redness rising to his cheeks.

"Peter is Wormtail, right?" she asked, confident in her observation.

"Yes." He said, cocking his head at her. "How'd you know?"

"Because Remus must be Mooney - that only makes sense - and I know that neither you nor James would have taken the nickname 'Wormtail.'"

"True." James nodded.

"So are you Padfoot or Prongs?" she asked, surveying James. What odd nicknames. How did they even come up with these?

"Prongs." James admitted. Lily turned her eyes back to the map. It really was a sort of clever piece of magic. There were rooms on the map she hadn't even known existed, and passages leading off the map to who knows where.

"When did you start plotting this out?" she asked curiously. She imagined it must've taken a long time to accomplish such a detailed diagram of the entire castle.

"Well, we started on it in fifth year, and we've been adding to it ever since." He said, then pointed at the Slytherin dorms where Severus, Avery, and Mulciber were labeled. "I've been keeping an eye on them."

"Good." Lily said resolutely. "Have they been up to anything suspicious?"

"Not that I can see. They do spend an awful lot of time cooped up in that dorm though."

"Hmm."

"Indeed." he agreed. "But I'll keep watching for any peculiar behavior." He frowned down at the Slytherin's dots. "But anyways, that's pretty much it. Then when you're done you tap it," he did so again, "and say, "mischief managed." The illustrations vanished instantly. "Or else anyone can read it."

"Did you tell them everything we heard?" Lily asked absentmindedly, as James handed her the map and she tucked it carefully into her robes.
"Sirius, Remus, and Peter?" James clarified. Dumbledore hadn't told them not to tell anyone else about the Syltherin's plot to become Death Eaters, but she thought it wasn't information they should shout about in the corridors.
"Yeah, I couldn't not tell them." James ran a hand through his hair. "They're my best mates, and I made sure they won't tell anyone else."
She nodded but didn't comment. If he thought Dumbledore wouldn't mind him telling them, she trusted his judgment. He deserved that much.
"Nervous about the match?" she asked, moving her copy of Achievements in Charming off the top of the couch and onto their coffee table.
"Nah..."

She looked at him doubtfully.
"Okay, well I am." he admitted, tousling his hair again. Funny. That used to annoy her to no end. But now it just seemed like a habit. Admittedly, a rather endearing one.
"I'm sure you'll be fine." she said soothingly. "I noticed when I watched your practice; the team is shaping up really well this year."
"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of them." James smiled.
"You're a good captain, James." she said kindly. "And a good head boy." James cocked his head at her inquisitively. She supposed he wasn't really used to her complimenting him. But it was true. He was the one to suggest going to Dumbledore when they caught the Slytherins plotting, he took care of the younger students, and he didn't even abuse his ability to dock points. More than she could say sometimes…
"Thanks Lily. It means a lot coming from you." Looking slightly more confident, he got up and straightened his robes. "I'm going to grab some breakfast before I head down to the pitch. You coming?" She shrugged and got up.
"Sure." They walked downstairs together, chatting about the upcoming match.
"I'm worried." James admitted as they maneuvered through a group of ghosts in the hall. "Slytherin doesn't have a lot of skilled players, but the cheating they get away with is incredible! I'm just worried they'll win unfairly, or someone will get hurt, like Tonks. She's so small!" Lily found James's paternal concern for the youngest player adorable. "I'm just glad Relugus is their seeker and not Wilkes!" he said thankfully.
Lily shuddered at the thought of Tonks facing Wilkes, Malfoy and Rosier. They, unlike James, didn't care about injuring younger students. They'd probably knock her off her broom if it meant a win for them.

"Is she nervous?" Lily asked, referring to Tonks. She knew it was the girl's first official Quidditch game at Hogwarts.

"I think so." James nodded. "But she handles the nerves pretty well."

"Quidditch really is a dangerous sport." Lily remarked seriously.

"I know, but I trust Dumbledore wouldn't actually let any harm come to any of his students."
He opened the vast oak door for her as they entered the Great Hall.

"Has anyone ever died playing Quidditch?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Not that I know of." James chuckled. "Though I certainly feel as though I've had a few near misses."

"Very true." She conceded. "How many bones have you broken over the years playing Quidditch?" James furrowed his brow in thought.

"Skull, rib, left arm, jaw, right arm... six? No – I broke my right arm twice. So really, only five bones."

"Oh, okay, only five." She rolled her eyes and suddenly realized that a large majority of students were staring at them avidly and whispering.

She blushed and lowered her eyes. James seemed oblivious, he just walked sigh his shoulders back and chin forward. Well, he was used to people staring at him, she was not. When they sat down at the Gryffindor table, Lily hissed,

"Why is everyone looking at us?"

James looked up at the ogling faces. "Oh, you know." he laughed quietly and waved cheerfully to a gawking Ravenclaw. "You've hated me since first year, and now we're perfectly friendly. It's something to talk about." Lily took a seat at the Gryffindor table and self-consciously began loading her plate with fruit.

I didn't hate you." she disagreed. He raised an eyebrow at her skeptically.
"Really."
"Okay, well maybe a little." she admitted, blushing.
"I don't blame you." he shook his head in shame, and popped a piece of toast into his mouth. "I was a prat. Every year I look back and say, 'Wow, I was an idiot. This year will be better." he shook his head again. "And then I say it again at the end of that year!"
"That's funny, I say the exact same thing every year too."
"Well I do think you're temper has shrunken somewhat." James smiled crookedly.
"Well I do think your head has shrunken somewhat." she replied sharply.
"Agreed." he said, failing to refrain from smiling at her severe expression. He poured her some pumpkin juice, handed it to her, then raised his glass in the air and said pompously, "To new friendships, to the future, and to fighting against Voldemort."

"Cheers." Lily smiled.

They clinked their glasses together and drained their pumpkin juice.
"We'll do this with firewhiskey sometime." James laughed when they both banged their glasses back onto the table.
"We will not!" Lily huffed. Bloody hell, what a jawline he had. They tan angles of his face were so sharp and perfectly symmetrical. She just wanted to reach over and touch his face... his soft, smooth, skin…
"I'm kidding, Lily." James laughed at her expression, which must've been half disproving, half gazing in wonder at his looks. "I've tried the stuff, it's horrible."
"Where did you try firewhiskey?"
"Well, Sirius-"
She held up a hand to stop him. "Never mind, I don't think I really want to know." she shook her head. "Don't your parents care about Sirius being a bad influence on you?" Her parents would throw a fit if she ever brought Sirius home to meet them. Though the situations may differ slightly.
"They think of him more as a misbehaving son." he chuckled softly.

"I didn't realize they were so close." Lily remarked, puzzled. He looked at her intently.
"Sirius has been living with us since he was sixteen."
"Oh!" she was very surprised. She knew that Sirius had family problems; the multiple howlers he had gotten throughout the years made that obvious. But Lily had still always imagined the boy strutting through his rich, pureblood family's manor, ordering house elves around without a burden or care in the world.
"Did he run away?" she asked curiously.
"He didn't really have a choice." James said, sadness filling his eyes. "He was basically kicked out, blasted off the family tree, and his inheritance was given to his little brother." Lily felt her eyes widen. That was horrible! Sirius's lighthearted facade must be just that- a facade. He must've learned to hide the pain over the years.
"That's awful." she said sadly.
"Yes," James agreed. "But my parents are great. They know he's not the best influence on me, but they love him anyways." They sat in silence for a moment. "Anyways," James frowned. "I became of age in March, so it is perfectly acceptable for me to drink firewhiskey." he pursed his lips. "Well, not perfectly acceptable to my parents," he mumbled, "but... you know..."
"What day's your birthday?" Lily asked, taking a bite of toast and ignoring James's mutterings.
"March 27th." He said briskly. "When's yours?"
"Don't you already know?" she teased.
"Well I know it's toward the end of January, right?" James smirked.
"The thirtieth." she shook her head in awe. "You frighten me sometimes, James Potter."
A blur of neon-green hair flashed by Lily. Nymphadora, of course.
"Hi James! Hi Lily!" The twelve-year-old's bright eyes sparkled mischievously at the sight of them. "Have you made up?"
"You could say that." James winked at Tonks slyly. She grinned back at him.

"What time should I be on the pitch, Captain?"
"Er, a couple minutes." James said. "Don't overeat, okay?"
"Okay!" she grinned at him again and flounced off to sit with Mary MacDonald, tripping slightly over her own feet.
"You know, I've thought since I met Tonks that she fancied Remus." Lily said thoughtfully.
James chuckled heartily. "Yeah, I think so too." He gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment. "You know what's funny though?" he asked, tossing another sausage into his mouth.
"What?"
"Remus needs someone like Tonks."

Lily raised her eyebrows at him.
"I'm not saying they should be together or something!" James reassured her. "She's twelve, for Merlin's sake. But I don't know, I think a really energetic, somewhat mad person would be good for him." Lily could see what he meant. A lot of the time it seemed as though Remus needed a little spark of insanity in his life, in spite of James and Sirius's antics.
"I think you're right." she said speculatively. "And Sirius... well, all he needs in life is a mirror, and he'll be set." James laughed.
"Oh, he's not all that conceited." He waved a hand casually. "The attention of all the fan girls gets to his head sometimes, that's all. He's loads better than the last couple years though." Lily gave a noncommittal sort of hum. "Peter..." she said, thinking hard. "Peter needs loyal friends, and someone to watch out for him."
James looked at her thoughtfully. "And what do I need?"
"You need to get your arse on the pitch!" Sirius had appeared at James's side. Lily had been so wrapped up in her and James's conversation that she had completely forgotten they were surrounded by hundreds of other people.
"Crikey!" James's hand shot up to his hair as he looked at the time. "We do have to go!" Sirius nodded and winked at Lily.

"And how are you this fine day, Ms. Evans?" Sirius asked her, his handsome face lit up impishly, not unlike Tonks had been. Why did everyone look at her like that?

"Good, thank-you Sirius." she said civilly.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I'm going to round up Fabian and Benji." Sirius grinned once more and headed off to hassle the team's beaters.
"Well, good luck," she smiled at James. "I'll be the one in the crowd wearing red and gold." He laughed.
"Thanks, Lils. I'm sure I'll spot you in your unusual attire." Their eyes met. She had a sudden, overwhelmingly burning urge to stand and kiss him on the cheek. Her heart raced though neither of them had moved. Her fingers began to tremble on the table as the moment lengthened. She started as he stood up quickly.
"I'll see you after the match, Lils." He said his voice faintly huskier than usual.
"Okay." she managed to stutter, just a moment late. He grinned, looking slightly off, and left the hall, receiving several claps on the back from their fellow Gryffindors. She gazed after him longingly. The way his hair stuck up in the back was just so bloody cute! How she would enjoy running her fingers through it... oh, to stroke his tantalizing skin, to feel the intensity of his eyes, to feel his lips on hers...
"Lily..." a hand was waving in front of her face vigorously. Lily started and looked up.
"Oh, hullo Alice." she said, trying to clear her head. Alice raised an eyebrow at her best friend.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Something." Lily said honestly, watching James walk out the door out of the corner of her eye.
Alice narrowed her blue eyes at Lily and followed her gaze. Lily watched as her friend's eyes grew wide.
"You fancy James, don't you?" Alice shrieked.
"Alice!" she hissed, darting her eyes around the hall nervously. Thankfully, most eyes had been averted from her now that James had left. "Someone might hear you!"
"So it's true!" Alice gasped, and sat down facing Lily.
"Well I wouldn't say I exactly fancy him..." she drifted off at Alice's skeptical expression.
"Okay, fine, I might, I don't know!" Lily exclaimed, blushing horribly.
"You do." Alice declared, giving Lily a pitying look. "I told you, didn't I? I told you to never say you would never like him, because this would happen. And now it did!"
Lily groaned and put her head in her hands. "I don't want to fancy him though, Alice!" she moaned. "It's so embarrassing!" She felt Alice pat her shoulder soothingly.
"It's all right, hun. No one can fault you. That boy is fine." Lily couldn't stop the jealously that rose in her. She suddenly felt very possessive of James. Alice laughed at her friend's conflicting expression.
"Don't worry, Lily." Alice said reassuringly. "I have someone else."
"Speaking of that!" Lily said, desperately trying to change the subject. "How have you and Frank been doing?" She knew that Alice saw right through her, but she simply made a face and said,
"Well, he has yet to ask me out, but it's only a matter of time before he actually understands one of my hints!" Alice rolled her eyes. "He's so oblivious." Lily shook her head. "Why don't you ask him out?"

"I'm too scared." Alice admitted.
"Oh come, on Alice." Lily grinned, "You know he likes you. I'm one hundred percent sure he'd say yes if you asked him to Hogesmade."
Alice grinned wickedly. "I'll ask Frank if you ask James."
"What?" Lily cried. "That's not fair!"

"Why not?"

"It's just not!"

Alice sighed. "Well, James will probably ask you to Hogsmade anyways..."
Lily bit her lip. "Yeah... I don't think he will, actually…" Alice looked her appraisingly.
"What did you do?"

"I sort of… made him agree that he wouldn't ask me out or flirt with me for the rest of the school year."
Alice slapped her own forehead. "Merlin, Lily! This is what you get for being such a stubborn fool! You finally realize you'd be perfect together, but only after you ban him from flirting with you or asking you out?"
"Er." Lily said meekly. "Yes?"
Alice just sighed and shook her head. "Well Frank and I are meeting on the pitch so we can watch the match together. You want to come?"
"Yeah, I'll come." Lily said dreamily, the image of James's brilliant eyes in the forefront of her mind.
"You've got it bad, Lily." Alice noted. Lily said nothing, but it was true.
She was falling for James. Badly.

Again, like I said, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. To me, personally, it seems a little stilted... sort of... impersonal... but I will probably come back and revise it, yet again. Love you all, and please review! Good or bad comments are welcome!