Barbossa'sGirl3 1/12/13 . chapter 5

Love advice to James: Try writing an anonymous love note. Don't make it creepy. Just say that you think she is very intelligent and very pretty, then ask her to meet you somewhere.

Peter walked into the Marauders' room carrying a box full of treats from the kitchen. He froze, almost dropping his stash on catching James at his study desk inside the room. Slowly Peter walked closer to James, noticing the ink and parchment spread before James caused a bit of panic to run through Peter. Usually it was James who finished his assignments on the last day before the actual due mark. So, if James was doing his assignment that would mean…

"I forgot to do mine!" Peter cried.

James, being involved in his writing hadn't notice Peter until he cried out. Quickly James turned towards him with an arch brow. "What are you about?"

"The assignment! I forgot all about it!" Peter croaked. "I'm so dead! Hey, can I copy yours?"

James blinked at him before turning to his parchment, "Copy my what?"

"Our assignment? I swear, I will change things and misspell everything to make it look as my own," Peter promised. "I hadn't the time to do it now if it's due tomorrow! What am I going to do? My parents will receive another letter a-and….well I just don't know what they will do!"

"Stop blubbing about, mate." James smirked, "No lessons are due at the moment that I am aware of, I should say."

"T-then what you are doing?" Peter asked, walking closer to James.

James showed him the parchment, "Another advice had arrived, had it for age and thought today I would do something about it."

"Another love letter?" Peter raised his eyebrow. "Didn't go well last time, did it?"

James gave a half shrug, "This one is to be anonymous. The other one wasn't. All I am to do is say that she's very pretty and very intelligent and that I should like to meet her somewhere."

"Oh." Peter nodded his head. "Sounds good but may I make a simple suggestion?"

James frowned slightly before answering, "Go on."

"Well instead of asking her to meet you in the snogging broom closet, perhaps some place a little more…spacious?" Peter suggested. "Less intimating? Girls don't like to meet anonymous people where other people cannot see them. It's about safety, you see."

"I just don't get it, Wormtail." James started his parchment over. "Everyone keeps saying to be open and honest and when I do it, people say I should change things around."

"Well, remember when Sirius said you might have some boundary issues?" Peter asked. "This is an example of it. Suggesting a romantic night in the broom closet should probably be further down the road, you know. Until after she agrees to date you."

Lily looked down at the letter nervously and with a bit of dread. One of the Hogwart's owls had brought it to her. There was no telling what was written within the folds of the parchment. She knew who had sent it though there were no letterings marking the envelope. James Potter. She knew by the scent. The breath of fresh air. Like the scent of clothes hung for laundry on a crisp windy day. That was James Potter.

Slowly Lily tore a neat, straight line in the envelope and carefully extracted the message within.

'Lovely Lily,

I would like to get to know you better than I have already. Your intelligence matches your beauty and both leave me speechless and at time, feeling quite like the fool. Please say you'll meet me at the Quidditch Pitch?

Loving you always'

That was it. No chocolates. No flowers. No explosions. No singing. No poems that were secretly enchantments that would causes everyone around her to start signing as they do in a Disney Film. It was just a quaint little letter. Lily rolled her eyes; naturally, James had to involve Quidditch.

Lily sighed as she peeked outdoors from her perch at the girls' tower window. It was cold outside with a mist that seem to cling to a person. Most students were indoors. Very few could be seen dotting outdoors. Evans' eyes went directly to the stands of the Quidditch Pitch.

"You came." James whispered as Lily approached him, shield with a spell to keep her dry.

"You are such a fool." Lily took in his damp clothes and reddens cheeks and the clear hazel eyes that sparkled with gold. He had his broom in his hand, no doubt flying about in this dreary weather. "I knew you would be out here freezing your bum off."

"You care about my b…" James smirk had warned Lily enough to make her hand rise to stop him from finish his sentence.

"What I care about is the dramatic display your fellow Quidditch friends would have on me if they found out that I let you out here freezing to death." Lily corrected him. "I knew you wouldn't do a charm to protect yourself from the weather. It never came across your mind, did it?"

"So you came to lecture me?" James asked with a bit of disappointment.

"Who else? Sirius would probably let you out here. Remus is off ill again, I gather and Peter is never around when you need him." Lily turned to head for Hogwarts. "Obviously, even you need someone to watch out for you, Potter. Now come along before you catch something that would keep you off your broom."

"Yes Mum." James mumbled by in two strides, he was by her side.

"Marlene chased pretty much everyone out of the common room so you got a nice spot by the fireplace." Lily told him. "Alice has two mugs of coco waiting for us."

"For us?" James blinked down at her but she kept looking straight, with a slight curve at the corner of her lips.

"Yeah. For us." Lily slipped her arm around his own, trying to keep warm she told herself.

When they reached the common room there were two cups of coco sitting on a small table by the fire. A few chocolate pieces wrapped in silver and red paper that would have little messages once unfolded. A blanket and three notes addressed to Lily.

The first one:

'No pressure but just so we are clear, I got a bunch of first years as hostage. I'll let peeves have them if you ruin this moment, Evans.

Seriously Sirius.'

The second one:

'Black isn't aware yet, but I let those kids go. Marlene is keeping him busy. You two have fun. - Peter'

And the last one:

'Don't make us pick up the pieces. You won't find us funny at all if you hurt him.'

James didn't asked to read the letters but his eyes held the question he wasn't asking.

"Love letters from your friends," Lily assured him. "It was nice of Remus to share his chocolates."

"Surprising, actually. He's really protective about it." James picked one off the table.