James breathed as little as he could, he was astounded they had got in that door unnoticed, and even more so that they had actually managed to creep nearer to two men at the end of the small and dingy pub. They had lit no lights, but James knew both their faces well. He had studied them, looked over their history, their crimes. They were two men wanted very much by the ministry but known to very few outside of it. They had dangerous holds over people so he had gathered. Instinctively, he put his arm around Lily's waist and pulled her closer to him. If these men even so much as breathed on her he would kill them both. He wished he knew if it was they who had killed his parents...

Lily had barely noticed his arm, she was watching the two men intently. She was always more brave, more calm in the face of danger than he expected. Even here it made him smile a little. Until, that is, one of the men began to speak, having just lit a rather large cigar.

"Bloody useless," he grunted, his voice sounded coarse and raspy, like it wasn't used to speaking, "Gaurds from the ministry my arse. Dint see feck all. Slipped in, slipped out easy as."

"He really wasn't there?" The other, a taller, slimmer man had a calm, smooth voice. It would almost sound friendly if you could forget who he was.

"Told ya. No. Looked feckin all bloody castle ova. Not a peep."

"He needs to be dealt with and fast, you know our orders. Kill him. Simple orders, so hurry up."

"Why tho'? E's just a boy...whys he so import'nt?"

The other sighed in a bored sort of way, "Do you never listen. He's been finding out too much, pulling our plans together without even realising judging by what he's been requesting from the ministry. He's even looking at information from elsewhere, and this all from his bedroom. What were to happen if somebody significant were actually to see these ideas of his...what if he himself decided to take a more active role against us? He's clever, I'll grant him that, but too much like his filthy parents for us to attempt to turn him. Shame really, he could replace you perhaps." The heavier man grunted.

"Well, tha's as may be, but he's more trouble than e's worth if ya ask me, bloody James fucking potter."

James had obviously cottoned on rather early in the conversation as to whom they were talking about. Lily on the other hand stiffened against him. She removed his arm from around her and James watched, dumbfounded, as Lily calmly stepped out from underneath the cloak and faster than light shot a stunning curse first at the taller one, then at the heavier. Both had been too taken aback to do more than blink.

"Lily!"

She turned calmly, frowning at him, "They are planning to kill you, did you not hear?"

James pulled the cloak off and stared at her, "Of course I heard! I even knew who they were on about before they said so! But I did not step out and stun them both at the risk of killing myself!! And you for that matter!!"

She rolled her eyes, "I was fast enough. Not as fast as the great Potter perhaps...but close enough."

James threw his hands up in agitation and walked briskly over to the bodies.

"More could be on their way, we need to get these moved."

"Where?"

"You tell me, Evans."

She folded her arms underneath her breasts and arched an eyebrow, "I've just caught two people who I presume are wanted. I hardly think this is the time to be childish."

James sighed, "Hogs head then. We'll levitate them there under the cloak, Dumbledore's brother will know what to do with them."

"And our being out of school?"

"Don't need to mention it, we'll just knock and...leave an anonymous note I guess?"

After seeing Dumbledore's brother look down at their note, grunt in disgust and wave both bodies inside, they walked back in silence up to the castle. James' mind was rather preoccupied with what he had just seen, putting pieces together and trying to see what he could know that would merit assassination...

Interupting his thoughts, Lily stopped walking then and said rather hesitantly, "James?"

He took a moment to appreciate how she called him James, and not Potter. "Yeah?"

"Why would you be figuring out what I can only presume are death eater plots?"

Well, since she'd asked, he told her what he'd told no-one all year.

"I'm looking for who it was exactly that killed my parents and what they were killed for. It wasn't Voldemort, although it was on his orders, and looking at some of this stuff I've got sort of pulled into the information...managed to figure out a lot of other stuff they've been up too...accept what I want obviously."

Lily didn't say anything for a long time until he felt her hand rest softly against his arm and she looked directly at him, "I understand that you probably feel like its your task alone to do but...if you wanted me too... I could help you."

They were both quiet awhile as Lily looked up at him seriously. He couldn't really speak – how do you say that something meant so much to you...when it means that much to you. She looked so lovely... and before he could stop himself, he had leaned in and kissed her.

He heard her shocked intake of breath as he had moved so quickly towards her but he soon realised, a feeling of something beyond happiness, that beyond all odds... Lily was actually kissing him back.

And he couldn't help it – he pulled her in tightly, wrapping his arms completely around her and felt himself begin to kiss her so thoroughly that only mere seconds had past when his breath began to shorten... his skin tingled like crazy as she reached up and snaked her arms around his neck, tangling her delicate fingers in his hair, she actually moved even closer to him if that was possible, pressing herself against him.

"WHAT ARE YOU BOTH STILL DOING OUT HERE!!" With a gasp and a few expletives, they jumped apart looking up at an extremely agitated professor Mcgonagall.

"H-hey," James cleared his throat and tried again, "Professor we were just on our way back in, we only went for a quick walk around the grounds."

"Oh, quite. You don't really seem to have got much walking done though do you?" She frowned at Lily, "And you Miss Evans, letting Potter lead you around I think you could be just a little more responsible, don't you?"

She nodded awkwardly looking at the ground, trying to straighten her hair out discreetly which seemed to have been messed up by him more than he had realised.

"Now, I'm in a good mood and I am going to let this slide but if I even see so much as a toe out on the grounds after hours you'll be in detention till the end of the year do I make myself clear?"

She was doing her stern face, James noted grumpily, so he simply nodded like Lily, keen to get away from the professor.

And then, suddenly she smiled, rather slyly too... "Although, I am pleased to see the head boy and head girl finally making efforts to...get to know one another..." James scowled darkly, Mcgonagall was looking all too pleased with herself.

"Follow me in then."

They walked silently after her. James stole a few glances at Lily, but her hair had swung forward obscuring her face from his vision...what the hell was going through her mind??

He waited as patiently as he could for Mcgonagall to leave them but when they reached the entrance hall she turned to Lily, "Now miss Evans, I know its getting a bit late but I do have something I would like to discuss to do with your duties today, it won't take long."

Lily nodded, "Sure, Professor." Mcgonagall frowned once more at James then beckoned Lily to follow. James was left standing alone by the doors.

James dragged his feet back to the common room. In part it was because his mind was so full of the evening he had just had he couldn't concentrate much on walking, another part of him was simply hoping Lily would catch up the whole way. As he reached the portrait hole he realised it was probably going to be a while so he decided to stay up and wait for her there. He needed a moment to calm down anyway – he could barely believe it had happened... kissing Lily!!

What did this even mean...would she actually go out with him? He had wanted her so long... Stuck in this strangely elated and confused moment he had not noticed when his friends called his name. But there they were. Cursing mentally, knowing he wouldn't be able to talk to Lily whilst his friends were here, he walked towards them.

"Where have you been, Prongs? We spent most of the night looking for you, you know. Remus was going to go down to dinner but he chickened out in the end..."

Remus scowled at Sirius, "I didn't! I was just fed up and I couldn't be bothered. I'll go tomorrow all right??"

Sirius rolled his eyes and then looked back at James,

"So, where were you?" The three of them looked at him expectantly, Peter leaning forward slightly, anticipating some good gossip perhaps. He stared back at them until they started to frown...he didn't want to tell them about Lily just yet...because if he did they would get happy about it and get his hopes up, and then it would be all the more humiliating and upsetting if she started to avoid him...

He told them about the only other thing that was on his mind,

"I've got something to tell you all..." And so, finally, he told his friends what he had been up too all year. Remus' face looked serious and concerned, Peter looked almost in awe, Sirius...Sirius' face was blank, not even a flicker as James made out that he'd sneaked out to Hogsmeade late this evening to run an errand and had simply run into the death eaters. They were all three silent when he had finished.

"Well at least you got rid of those particular people then..." Remus murmured finally.

"I can't believe you just stepped out from under your cloak and stunned them...that could have been close!"

James shrugged at Peter, "Yeah I know, I dunno what made me do it. Just annoyed with them."

"Peter's right though, that could've been close, more might've been on the way even..."

James just shrugged again and looked at Sirius – he still hadn't said anything.

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked directly at James and said in a flat voice, "Why didn't you tell us what you were up to?"

James thought about it...and reluctantly, he shrugged again...he honestly didn't have an answer.

Sirius frowned, "But, we could've helped you... me especially...what, you don't think I cared about them as much? They took me in every single summer, without complaint. I would have done everything I could if I'd known what you were up to."

"I-I know you would. I dunno why I didn't tell you I just...just didn't."

There was a rather tense moment in which Sirius frowned at James, James looked apologetic and Remus and Peter looked anxiously between the two of them.

"Well fine could we at least help now?"

James looked closely at him...he wasn't sure how he felt about it. But this seemed important to Sirius so he simply nodded and said, "Of course." Sirius nodded back as though he had expected no less.

"Right, well, I'll be off to bed then. Remus, remember you're coming to dinner tomorrow." Remus grimaced back. Peter got up and said goodnight as well and after a moment so did Remus,

"You coming?"

James shook his head, "Just gonna stay here for a while."

Remus nodded awkwardly, frowning, as though confused at James for some reason.

"Well, goodnight then,"

"Yea, see you," James settled into the chair and waited for Lily. Thinking about it, he realised it wasn't just to talk to her about earlier that he wanted to see her...he just wanted her company, whatever the circumstances.

Lily reached the portrait hole, the anxiety eating at her...

Had he just kissed her to kiss her...or did he want something more...he hadn't asked her out in ages! Did that mean he had moved on, or had he just recently stopped trying...but my God that was a good kiss! The kind that made her daydreams seem frail in comparison...did she really actually care if he didn't want to go out with her...she thought she could actually be happy with just being with him as long as she had him in some form...she flinched at the thought – she was actually willing to be his plaything!! She really did think she liked him a whole lot more than even she knew...but she did only allow herself to realise this a short while ago...its no wonder her head was all over the place!! She did want to go out with him though, she had known that for rather a long time, just not admitted it... And then for him to kiss her so soon after finally allowing the realisation to come to the surface, it had been so fast...but really, really good! Damn that Mcgonagall!! She had kept smirking throughout their conversation, which did not help Lily's mood...what if he hadn't liked the kiss as much as her – in all honesty that kiss was without a doubt better than anything she could have even thought of having, never mind the kisses she'd actually had, which seemed to pale dramatically in comparison to his...but he'd had a few kisses, (amongst other activities) as well, what if she had just been shit compared to them...a few of the girls she knew had been fairly experienced at that sort of thing...not Alice..but oh God what if Alice was a better kisser than she was!! Well...she had been drunk and so was he, maybe he didn't remember? She liked him so much – would he ask her out?? If only!! But she shouldn't allow herself to hope like -

"Are you going to give me the password or stand there fretting all night?!"

Lily jumped, "Oh, um, Diligrout."

"Quite right." Before Lily could wonder any more she had stepped through the portrait hole and there was James getting out of his chair and looking directly at her. He had been waiting for her...

There was a short pause as the portrait closed behind her. The common room was empty but for him. He seemed to fill it somehow.

"Hi,"

She gulped, "Hello..."

There was another pause and then he moved a little closer, something intense about his hazel eyes.

"You never did respond to what I said earlier," he said quietly.

Lily began to panic feeling annoyed...this meant she had to say how she felt first, and in all honesty now the moment had arrived she was too much of a coward to do it, so instead she said,

"Why did you...do that? You haven't shown any interest in that sort of thing all year. You usually ask me out a lot but you didn't once this year, so what, did you just want to pull me and then leave it? Or do you actually like me? And what are you even -"

Lily stopped talking abruptly realising she'd interrogated him a little.

James was frowning slightly. He seemed to be a little angry; his tone sounded rather resentful, "I didn't ask you out this year because, quite frankly, I'd heard 'I'd rather role my face in dragon dung' too many times. Lets just say I didn't feel like being rejected so much this year. And as for just pulling you..." he suddenly marched right up to her, his words coming out in a quiet rush, "It's you Lily. I could never just pull you. What, you think after five or six years I suddenly decide to move on and forget it?? Now, I asked first," he sighed rather frustratedly, "Just...tell me what you think..."

Lily had to pause for a bit, his face was rather close to hers and it seemed to obscure her line of thinking...it was a nice face and his eyes still had that strange, raw intensity about them.

"I...I like you," she mumbled. He stepped even closer and breathed, "what?"

Lily swallowed and said a little louder, "I-I really like you, James."

And James moved even nearer, he was so close she simply had to tilt her head to kiss him.

"Go out with me, Lily"

Lily felt the relief wash through her as she finally heard those words again. She realised she'd missed them in an odd way. And so she gave him a small smile and nodded, "Ok."

At first he stared at her, as though not quite understanding. And then James Potter grinned triumphantly, as arrogant as ever, but instead of annoying her she found herself giggling. At odds with the confidence practically oozing out of him now, his arms stretched tentatively out and he placed his hands gently at her waist. Lily reached up instinctively, curling her arms around his neck.

"So... you're my boyfriend now?"

James actually giggled a little as well, "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Well...cool." James lowered his head a little, stopping to gauge her reaction, but apparently there was nothing hesitant about her face because his lips met hers eagerly... and passionately. All thought got lost.