EDIT: Okay, sorry about this, but i noticed a few mistakes, and now they're corrected. For one, someone's name accidentally randomly changed in the middle of the thing so yeah. Now, it's fixed.

Hello, there. So I haven't updated this one in FOREVER either. So forgive me…again. Once more, my computer is being an ass and I cannot really edit my chapters at the moment, so you'll have to do without page breaks. I tried to wrie PAGE BREAK where there was one, but I don't know if it will show up. But I tried.

All of the parts in italics are a memory. Which I'm sure you could have figured out on your own. But I thought I would point it out anyways.

Review please!

Stalkers and Surprise Visitors

"Lily, what are you—?"

"Did you see that?" Lily cut her friend off, spinning around to watch the two handsome boys bounce down Diagon Alley on the balls of their feet. Allyson turned too.

"See what?"

"You didn't see—he didn't even look at me, Ally!" Lily said incredulously. Allyson raised her eyebrows.

"And this bothers you why exactly?" she asked.

"Ally, don't you understand what I'm saying to you?" Lily snapped, frustrated. "James Potter just walked right by us and didn't even acknowledge my existence!"

"I should think you would consider that a plus," Allyson said pointedly. "I mean, you've been complaining about the guy for four years now. I never thought I'd see the day when you were angry that he didn't notice you."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not angry he didn't look at me; I'm just…it's a little surprising, is all," Lily said, trying to recover from her sudden lack of self-control.

"Come on, let's just get all this shopping over with," Allyson said, turning back around and starting off down the crowded street once more. Lily turned to follow but something pulled her back.

"Wait," she said suddenly and Allyson groaned, stopped and turned to face her friend. "Wait, let's just…it looks like they're headed for The Leaky Cauldron," Lily said, peering over the heads of the people milling around them. "Let's just follow 'em for a bit."

Allyson stared disbelievingly at her friend. "I hope you're joking," she said.

"Of course I'm not, let's go!" Lily said, grabbing Allyson's hand and pulling her along before she had time to argue any more.

"Yes!" Lily said triumphantly as the boys disappeared through the archway that led back to The Leaky Cauldron. "They are going back there."

"Well, where else would they be going, you dolt?" Allyson said testily.

"Come on, let's hurry, they might not stay there!" Lily said, ignoring Allyson's negative attitude.

"I can't believe I'm letting you drag me into this…" Allyson muttered, following Lily through the magical archway and into the Leaky Cauldron.

Lily walked through the empty corridors of Hogwarts, her numb brain filled only with the sounds of her own feet echoing on the floor beneath her. It was a week before the beginning of the term, and Dumbledore would be arriving the following day as would most of the rest of the teachers. This in itself wasn't such an unusual thing; the teachers always got there before the students so they could prepare for the coming year.

But they wouldn't be the only ones arriving this time.

Lily took a deep shuddering breath, hoping it might calm some of her nerves. She couldn't bear the idea of facing him again. Much less, spending three-fourths of the year with him.

For that was the plan…James Potter was to spend the school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, under Dumbledore's careful eye. Dumbledore's hope was that, by placing James in a familiar and friendly atmosphere, he would start to remember…everything. What was more, Lily was to help him in any way she could. Dumbledore made it clear that she was very welcome to refuse this suggestion, but Lily could hardly bring herself to do it. Other than Sirius, she was the one whom James had been closest in the end, and Dumbledore thought it best that he was helped by someone he had loved. And who had loved him….Sirius and Remus had promised to come to the castle whenever they could to help out and just to be there for her if it got to be too much, but this was very little consolation. She would still be spending every free minute she had with James, trying to help while at the same time trying not to hurt herself.

She bit her lip and turned into her empty classroom, making her way to the office above it.

"Quit looking at them, they'll get suspicious," Lily muttered, nudging Allyson hard in the ribs.

"Ow!" Allyson complained, rubbing her side. "You're the one that wanted to come in here and spy on them, so that's what I'm doing!"

"I never said I wanted to spy on them!" Lily whispered indignantly. "That would just be ridiculous."

"Lily, that's what we're doing, you dolt!" Allyson said, rolling her eyes and glancing over at the boys' table again.

"No, we're just…watching from a distance," Lily said, also glancing at them. Allyson stared at her.

"You just gave me the definition of spying," she said dryly, but Lily merely rolled her eyes. "You're insane," Allyson continued. "You know that…right?"

"Come on, you can't tell me you're not the least bit interested," Lily said impatiently.

"I'm very interested," Allyson responded, "as to why you've suddenly got the urge to stalk James Potter and his pals…"

"We are not stalking them!" Lily hissed.

"I'm not," Allyson clarified. "You are. I was simply dragged into this."

"Dragged into what?" asked a curious and pleasantly familiar voice behind them.

"Ronnie!" Allyson squealed, jumping off her stool to give their friend a hug. Lily swiveled around and grinned at the tall girl who reached for a hug from Lily as well.

"So what were you dragged into, Ally?" Ronnie questioned, seating herself at the bar next to Lily.

"Stalking Potter and Black," Allyson remarked pleasantly. Lily smacked her hard on the arm.

"That's not true," she said irritably. "I was merely interested in why he—he…well, he just—"

"He didn't acknowledge her existence and it's got her panties all up in a twist," Allyson said helpfully, and Lily smacked her again.

"What does that mean?" Ronnie asked, laughing.

"It means we walked by him, and he just…well, he didn't even look at me," Lily said fervently. "It was just…unnerving."

"And so now you're stalking him?" Ronnie asked amusedly. Lily scowled.

"I am not stalking him!" she said angrily.

Lily woke up early the following day, mostly out of nerves. She lay in bed for what felt like hours before finally dragging herself out of it. The shower was very relaxing and, for a brief moment, she found she wasn't too worried. But it was only a passing thing for the next second she felt she was on the verge of hyperventilating at any second.

She got dressed slowly, prolonging the moment when she would have to leave her office and face the other teachers. Acting like she was okay just didn't seem like it was going to be possible today. She had just slid her robes on when—

Knock knock knock

Glad for the interruption she hurried to the door of her office and flung it open, expecting it to be one of the other teachers coming to greet her. What she found, however, was an immense surprise.

"Remus?" she gasped.

The sandy-haired man in front of her laughed happily and swept her into an enormous hug (if a hug can be enormous) and spun her around once before setting her back on her feet.

"How are you, love?" he asked, keeping a hold on her hands and grinning.

"I—I'm—what are you doing here?" Lily asked, dazed.

"I thought you might need some emotional support. Sirius is sorry he couldn't make it; he's got a lot of catching up to do at work."

"No, no, that's—that's fine, I just—I'm so happy to see you!" Lily said, throwing her arms around him once more and hugging him at tightly as she could. "How long are you going to be here?"

"Sadly, I have to leave by six tonight," Remus said apologetically. "But until then, I'm all yours."

"You're a saint, Remus Lupin," Lily said, smiling up at him. "I can't even begin to tell you how calming it is to have you here."

"Well, I must admit, I'm very impressed with you," he said. "You're handling all of this quite well. I half-expected you to be in tears when you opened the door."

"Believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to be there the night I found out," Lily said darkly, leading him to the chair in her office and retrieving her shoes from by the door. "Sirius must have told you…"

"Yes, he did," Remus said, nodding. "I can't say my reaction was any better composed, though. I was basically numb with shock for two days. I had to call in sick from work because I could hardly function." He paused and sighed deeply, leaning back in the chair. "I can't imagine where he's been all this time…"

"Dumbledore must know something," Lily said desperately, sinking down into the chair behind her desk and looking helplessly at her friend.

"Well, if he does he's kept it to himself," Remus said. He looked at her, his eyes sad and then shook his head. "Let's not dwell on it anymore for the time being. Come, what do you want to do before they arrive?"

"Hello, there."

The three girls jumped at the closeness of the voice behind them. Lily spun around to find Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew standing there, looking pleasantly from one to the next. Lupin wasn't so bad, as far as the Marauders went, but Pettigrew was kind of an oddball.

"Hi, Remus," said Allyson immediately. Lily rolled her eyes; Ally had always had a bit of a thing for Lupin, but she would never admit to it. "How has your summer been?"

"Quite pleasant, thank you," Lupin said, grinning. "How about yours?"

"Just the usual, I suppose," Ally said, smiling back.

Pettigrew muttered to something to Lupin and then ambled back towards the table where James Potter and Sirius Black were sitting.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you like this," Lupin continued, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "But I couldn't help overhearing a snippet of your conversation as I passed."

Lily felt her cheeks redden automatically as Lupin's dancing eyes landed on her.

"Whom, may I ask, are you stalking?" he asked amusedly, though she was quite positive he had already guessed the answer.

"I don't see how it's any of your business, Lupin," she said nastily. "Why don't you go join your friends and leave us be?"

"She's stalking Potter," Ronnie said dryly, sipping idly at her butterbeer.

"Ronnie!" Lily squealed indignantly, smacking her upside the head. Lupin was looking absolutely gleeful. "I was not stalking Potter!" Lily said hotly, glaring from Ronnie to Lupin and back again. "And if you tell him I was I swear you won't live to see your sixth year!"

"I won't tell him, but only if you'll tell me why you were stalking him," Lupin said, still grinning.

"I. Wasn't. Stalking. Him!" Lily said through clenched teeth. "So there's absolutely no need for an explanation."

"Alright, I just hope he sees it that way, for your sake," Lupin said airily, and he turned to walk away. Lily jumped out of her seat and pulled him back frantically.

"You are not going to tell him I was stalking him," she said angrily.

"I do believe you're wrong about that," Lupin said with a wink.

"You know, I used to think you were alright," Lily said, fuming. "But now I think you're just as much of an infuriating git as Potter and Black."

"Now, that's just not very nice, Evans," said another voice and Lily looked up, startled, to find Sirius Black standing right behind Remus, a playful smirk on his face. "What's up, Moony? Why haven't you joined us?"

"I'm trying to figure out why Lily here was stalking Prongs—"

"I am NOT!" Lily nearly shouted while a slow smile grew on Black's face.

"Well, this is certainly new," he said, and before Lily could stop him he'd turned back around and shouted "Oi, PRONGS! C'mere for a minute!"

Potter looked up, his eyebrows raised, and then he was making his way over, looking thoroughly perplexed.

"What's up?" he asked, stopping next to Black and looking back and forth between his friends. Lily was sure she would be capable of frying an egg on her face should she want to try it.

"You see what you did?" she hissed at Ronnie who simply grinned happily and sat back to watch.

"Evans here has something to tell you, Prongs," Black said, clapping him on the shoulder, and Potter's eyes turned inquisitively towards Lily.

"I don't have anything to tell you," she said stubbornly.

"Okay, I'll tell him then," said Black shrugging. "Prongs, Evans has been stalking you."

"No, I haven't!" Lily said, horrified. Just like Black, a slow grin spread across Potter's face, and his eyes danced in his sockets.

"Is that so?" he asked, turning back to Lily.

"No!" Lily growled. "This is so stupid—"

"It's your own fault, you know," Ally said pointedly.

"It is not! You people are so infuriating."

"In that case," Potter said, still grinning. "You wanna grab some lunch?"

"I'm leaving," Lily said furiously, grabbing her purse and making for the door. "And Lupin, I'm never speaking to you again."

"How about me?" Potter asked innocently. "Will I see you tomorrow? Maybe hiding out in my room with a camera?"

"Oh, shut up!" Lily cried in frustration, and with that she stalked out of the bar, the door slamming shut behind her.

"So how much longer until they get here?" Remus asked, chewing thoughtfully on a cookie while he and Lily lounged under a tree by the lake.

"About an hour," Lily said, sighing. "I'm not sure how I'm gonna handle this, Remus."

"You'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "Besides, that's why I'm here."

"Yes, but you're leaving in a few hours," she said miserably. "And then I'll be all alone with him. I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to act around him."

"I know," Remus said, also sighing. "I won't pretend it's not going to be hard, Lils. But you're strong. I know you can handle it. And you know where to find me if it gets too rough. Sirius, too. We're only an owl away; don't forget that."

"I know," Lily said, smiling sadly and linking her arm through his. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. I'm sorry I've been so distant these past few years…"

"Don't worry about it, love," Remus said, smiling softly. "Things were always going to be different after what happened. It's not your fault."

Lily bit her trembling lip and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Thanks for being here, Remus," she said shakily. She felt him kiss the top of her head lightly.

"You're welcome," he said softly. "But you should know I really just came for the free dinner…"

Lily laughed and pulled away.

"Shut up, you," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and hitting him lightly.

"C'mon," he said, smiling. He stood up, brushed himself off, and pulled Lily to her feet as well. "Let's go prepare our souls for a heart-wrenching night."

"Oh, well, when you put it that way it doesn't sound so bad," Lily said sardonically. Remus laughed and wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders, leading her back up towards the castle in the distance.

Okay, so yeah, that's that.

I hope it was an enjoyable chapter.

I liked it. It was fun to write.

If it seems different than the other chapters, that's because I haven't written in forever and so some stuff about my writing has changed.

REVIEW!!! Please…

Lillian James