Here's the next chap x

Thanks so much to my beta and big sister (lol), xXx-ReBeCcA-xXx she also came up with the title x love you!

Hope you like it…

*The beginning of the end*

Arguing over evil!

Lily woke the next morning to find no one in her dorm. She jumped out of bed, panicking. Her toes sunk into the soft deep red carpet. She looked at the clock on her side table. Twelve! It was twelve and no one had told her!

The door to her dorm opened, Willow was standing before her.

"Bout time your up, people have been wondering where you are!" she laughed.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Lily asked sleepily "What classes did I miss? Oh hell, I'm gonna be in sooooo much trouble!"

"Lil it doesn't matter –"

"Maybe not for you, but I'm a prefect I have responsibilities!"

"Lily!"

Lily carried on, as though she hadn't heard what Willy had said "What will people say? Urgh! Why didn't you wake me?"

"LILY!" Willow grabbed Lily's shoulders and shook them "The reason we didn't wake you was coz it's Saturday, as in no classes"

"Oh…well, that's embarrassing. Um…I'm gonna get dressed now." Willow just rolled her eyes at Lily and left the room.

Lily dressed in jeans and a vest top, put her hair in a loose knot, light make-up and went down to the common room.

"Bout time!" Alice shouted from across the room, everyone turned and looked at Lily, causing her to blush slightly. Lily moved to sit in her favourite armchair, near the fire, where her friends were already seated. "We thought you were gonna sleep till Monday, girl. What got into you?"

"Dunno, must just have been really tired." Lily laughed.

"Lil, you'll never guess what!" Marley said. She gave Lily a look which meant she had serious gossip.

"Um, my sister has forgiven me, they've made me ruler of the world and I'm now God damn rich for reason no one's quite sure of?" Lily guessed.

"No, it's even crazier than that!"

"No way!"

She nodded "Okay well Snape went down to the Whomping Willow last night –"

"Oh Merlin! Is he alright? Why the hell did he do that?" Lily cried.

"Shh, just listen" Willow hissed

"Anyway" Marley continued "There's some tunnel under the Whomping Willow, he looked down, and something was down there. I'm not really sure what, but it went to attack him," Lily's emerald eyes widened, "but someone push him out the way, saved his life. Your never guess who? Potter!"

"What! No way!"

"Yeah, Potter saved Snape's life. But people are saying that Black sent Snape down there as a prank but Potter didn't think it was a good idea. Now Lupin isn't talking to Black. Potter waited for him whilst he got his punishment, and Pettigrew just seems confused." She concluded looking quite pleased with herself.

"But they've never had a fight; sure there were a few punches here and there, but never a proper 'I'm not talking to you' fight! Whoa," Lily slumped in her chair. She turned to find the Marauders, and sure enough James, Remus and Peter all sat together and Sirius was nowhere in sight. The three seemed lost without their fourth member, but Remus looked the worst. He looked seriously ill and was covered in scars, he had huge purple bags under his eyes, and his sandy hair could almost rival James' messiness.

If Remus was a werewolf, not that Lily thought he was, but if he was that was how Lily thought a werewolf would look after the fall moon. But Remus? A werewolf? Somehow Lily couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Lily decided not to go to dinner that night, as she wasn't too hungry. She would rather have taken privilege of the empty common room. But as Lily walked down from her dorm she noticed someone sitting on one of the sofas. Their head was in their hands, she would notice that messy black hair anywhere.

"Potter." she said sitting next to him.

He looked up at her "Evans if you've come to have a go at me, do it quick, coz I really can't be asked right now." He had a troubled look about him. He looked as though he really cared about his friends, as they are who Lily presumed he was thinking of.

And although Lily couldn't stand him, and knew she never would be able to, she couldn't have a go at someone who looked so…so sad.

"I wasn't – I just wanted to ask if you saved Severus' life last night."

He seemed shocked but didn't look up "I wouldn't say I saved his life – just stopped something really bad from happening."

"Well, thanks."

"What?" James head snapped up, he looked at her in confusion.

"I said thank you. You don't like him, yet you saved his life and seeing as he won't say it, thanks"

"Oh – um…"

"Just say 'you're welcome'"

"You're welcome." Lily smiled at him, the first smile she's properly even given to him. Before moving to a different couch and reading her book.

Lily was so absorbed in her book she didn't even notice her friends walk into the common room, it was only when Alice literary sat on her lap did she notice.

"Get off. Ouch!" Lily cried, Alice just laughed "Get off! Do I have to spell it out for you or scream it in your face!" Lily kicked her legs, and Alice landed with a thud right on her ass.

"Way to go Lily!" Alice hissed "Frank just walked by" she said dropping her voice. It was an unknown fact that Alice was crushing on Frank and had been since second year. Lily, Willy and Marley all tried to get her to ask him out, but no matter what other people thought Alice Prewitt could get scared.

Lily poked her "Merlin, Al! Just ask him out!"

"Keep quite" she hissed.

"Yeah girl, listen to Lil, just ask him out." Willow said.

"What and have him laugh at me? And it would only take like ten minutes of the news to get round the whole of Hogwarts. I'd be the laughing stock of the school!"

"Over exaggeration, much?" Lily laughed

"It's not funny! You guys! Stop laughing!" Alice cried angrily.

"Hey, can I talk to you a second Alice?" the four girls turned to see a very pink faced, Frank.

"Yeah, of course!" Alice said jumping up; the other three watch them walk away.

"Do you think…?" Marley asked

"Definitely" Willow and Lily said in unison. They all laughed.

Alice looked back at her laughing friends before focusing on Frank. It was true she had been crushing on him forever. And had been waiting for him to ask her out since second year. This year she had decided to start anew. She was supposed to forget about Frank Longbottem, but for some reason she just couldn't. She didn't know why, but whenever she looked into his light brown eyes, it took her breath away. Yes, she knew it sounded cliché, but it was true!

Alice bit her lip to stop herself from saying something embarrassing. Frank looked at her, their eyes meeting. "Alice would you – do you want to –" Frank took a shaky breath, "?" he finished quickl.y

"Sorry, what?" Alice asked, as she had not quite caught what he had said.

"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next Saturday?" he asked a lot slower that time. Alice's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.

"Yes! Yes, I will!" then she silently cursed herself for sounding too eager "I mean – yeah, it'll be fun."

He smiled at her "Good, you don't know how long I've wanted to ask you that." It was his turn to curse then. Why was he being so honest? He didn't want to scare her of.

"You don't know how long I've wanted you to ask me that." they stood, smiling at each other for a few moments.

"Okay this is getting…strange." he said

"Agreed, so I'll see you Saturday?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." he called whilst walking back to his friends.

Alice practically ran back to her friends, Lily thought she looked slightly deranged.

"Soooo, what happened?" Marley asked leaning in.

"He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him next Saturday, I said yes!" Alice squealed.

The entire common room was suddenly filled with three screams of joy, before said three girls grabbed Alice and dragged her to their dormitory. The rest of the evening was filled talk about what Alice should wear and how she should do her hair.

Back in the common room, three of the four Marauders sat. Once again Sirius was no where in sight. "Prongs, you may need some lessons from Longbottem. He got the girl he's been crushing on forever, to go out with him in one shot. How many times have you asked Lily?" Remus said

James chuckled sadly "She'll realise what she's missing sooner or later"

On Monday, after lunch but before afternoon classes were set to start, Lily and Severus were walking across the courtyard in the early spring air.

"–we're spending less and less time together!" Severus was saying.

"That's because you're always with your little Slytherin friends!" Lily replied hotly.

"I thought we were supposed to be friends? Best friends?"

"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging around with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev? He's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?"

It was common knowledge that Mulciber nearly used the Curciatus Curse on Mary; he didn't as McGonagall walked pass at that exact moment. Mary was bloody lucky. He didn't get into any trouble as she couldn't prove it.

Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, she looked up into Sev's thin face. He was quite a few inches taller than Lily now.

"That was nothing" Sev said "It was just a laugh, that's all –"

"It was Dark Magic, and you think its funny –"

"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" demanded Sev

"What's Potter got to do with anything?" said Lily

"They sneak out at night. There's something weird about Lupin. Where does he keep going?" it was obvious he knew more than he was letting on. He was urging her to realise the truth.

"He's ill" said Lily; even though she knew it couldn't be true "They say he's ill –"

"Every month at the full moon?" hissed Sev

"I know your theory" she said coldly "Why are you so obsessed with them, anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"

"I'm just trying to show they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are." His eyes were intense, it made her blush.

"They don't use Dark Magic, though." she dropped her voice "And you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down by the Whomping Willow and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there –"

Sev's whole face contorted and he spluttered "Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to – I won't let you –"

"Let me? Let me?" Lily's bright green eyes were slits.

Sev backtracked straight away "I didn't mean – I just don't want to see you made a fool of – he fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" The words seemed to cause him physical pain "And he's not…Everyone thinks…Big Quidditch hero –" bitterness dripped of every word he said.

Lily raised an eyebrow "I know James Potter's an arrogant toe-rag," she replied sharply cutting over what Sev was saying "I don't need you tell me that. But Mulciber and Avery's idea of humour is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them." But Sev was no longer paying attention; he had a stupid smile plastered on his face.

He grabbed her shoulders "Look I'm sorry I brought it up, okay? Let's just forget it."

Lily wanted to continue their conversation, but saw no point as he wasn't even listening anymore.

"Yeah sure, whatever." Lily muttered.

"Don't be like that Lil; I just don't want to see you hurt." Sev sighed.

"And I don't want you to get hurt!"

"My mates aren't going to hurt me! But Potter will hurt you!"

"I'm not going to give that arrogant git the chance to hurt me! But your friends are gonna lead you down a dark route! Sev, please" Lily begged.

"So, first Quidditch match tomorrow. Gryffindor v Slytherin. Bet you three Galleons (A/N 3 galleons = £15) we win!" he said changing the subject completely

Lily closed her eyes, was he ever going to listen? "Sev, you do know we gonna whip your arses."

"No we've got a good team this year! So you in?" he replied optimistically.

"I'm in." Lily looked up at her childhood friend. He seemed different from the boy she had grown up with; Lily knew it had something to do with Voldemort. Voldemort was bidding his time, hiding in the shadows, but Lily knew sooner or later he was going to come out and start a full scale war.

But as Lily was only a sixteen year old, still in school she didn't worry as much as was probably needed. Lily knew this. Voldemort was evil and used Dark Magic, she knew Sev's friends wanted to join him, and thought Sev would choose the right side in the end. She thought he would pick good.

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