Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe.

Chapter 8

Time changed things, and while James Potter didn't particularly like change, this time he was actually rather happy about it.

Things just felt right.

Himself and the rest of the Marauders had completed their allotted detentions and were free for the first Hogsmeade trip of the term which was coming up the following weekend.

James wasn't sure who he was going to ask to accompy him yet. The four friends often went to the village together, however in recent years Sirius was rarely seen without a date and had already been asked to go by someone. With his track record, it wouldn't be the last.

He knew who he'd like to ask, he'd like to ask Lily. The problem was he'd asked Lily to every single Hogsmeade trip of their fifth year. Not only had she gotten very creative in the way she turned him down, he was also beginning to think she took it as a bit of a joke.

He really didn't want that, but he also really didn't want to ruin things because Lily Evans was almost happy, and when he sat down next to her in a class she didn't yell at him or glare. In fact, most of the time she smiled in his direction and that did interesting things to his insides. That thought made him so happy he could practically produce a corporeal Patronus in his sleep. She had starting eating again and now when she laughed at Sirius' jokes it wasn't because she felt like she had to, he could see the sparkle in her eyes.

To top it off, it was Halloween, and he was heading to the feast.

Life could not get better.

It was in that frame of mind that Mary McDonald accosted him in the Entrance Hall.

"Potter!" she hissed, pulling on his arm to detach him from Sirius who was looking at Mary curiously with his eyebrows raised. "I need to talk to you!"

"What can I help with, McDonald?" he asked mildly, pulling his arm out of her grasp. "If you want to ask me to Hogsmeade I'm afraid I'd have to decline."

"Don't be a prat" she said, pulling a face. "I want to talk to you about Lily."

"Does she want to ask me to Hogsmeade?" he asked.

"If she did then I'm sure she'd be the one here talking to you" Mary pointed out, rolling her eyes, "I just wanted to tell you that we were up until like two this morning talking-"

"So that's why she's wearing that weird braid on one side of her head" said James, nodding appreciatively. "You know, I did wonder."

"You're so weird, Potter."

"You wanted to talk to me, McDonald."

"Alright, I just wanted to say that Lily finally opened up and talked to me about everything!"

James frowned, "Why are you telling me this."

Mary sighed, "Just whatever you're doing James, keep doing it."

"I'm not sure I follow you" he said, thoroughly confused.

Mary glanced over his shoulder before pulling on his arm, "Just look" she hissed, pointing at the bottom of the stairs.

He turned to see Lily talking to two second year Hufflepuff girls, one of the girls had blonde hair gathered in two plaits at each side of her head and Lily reached down to touch one. "I really like your hair, Sally" she said, smiling down at the younger girl.

"Thanks Lily!" the girl called Sally exclaimed.

"I did it!" the brunette next to her said, not wanting to be left out.

"It looks great" Lily smiled, "How's your Charms coming along, Emily?" she asked the brunette.

Emily wrinkled her nose, "I don't think I'm very good at Charms."

"Well I can always help you out" Lily suggested, smiling. "If you ever get stuck just come and find me."

But girls chorused their thanks before turning and disappearing into the Great Hall.

It was like taking a trip into one of his memories from last year, watching Lily offer to help out second years. Lily Evans was the only person he had ever met who had willingly offered to tutor a younger student, he was sure she was the only person he'd ever met who knew the names of younger students who weren't either on the Quidditch team or related to her.

Most people didn't pay attention to younger students, but she was Lily Evans, and she paid attention to everyone.

Just watching her made his stomach twist into knots.

She raised her eyebrows when she caught them staring and made her way over to where they were stood, "What are you two doing?" she asked.

"Mary was just telling me how amazing I am" James said conversationally, "Isn't that right, Mary?"

"You're still a prat, Potter" Mary muttered before storming passed him and into the Great Hall.

Lily gave him a look before she turned to follow her friend.

"Are you coming to the Halloween Party tonight, Evans?" he asked as he followed her into the hall.

"Sirius made me promise on pain of death" she said, sighing as she took a seat beside Mary and across from Sirius. "I do have a Transfiguration essay to write."

"Now is not the time for being a swot, Evans" Sirius admonished, pointing his fork at her accusingly.

Lily rolled her eyes as she helped herself to the food.

"Are we dressing up?" Mary asked.

"Well, it is a party" said Peter.

Mary rolled her eyes, "No, like fancy dress" she explained, and when she was faced with more blank stares she sighed and tried again. "Like when you dress up as someone else."

"Why would we do that, McDonald?" Sirius asked, looking at her as though she'd grown a second head. "Some of us look fabulous already, we don't need to pretend to be someone else."

"Because it's Halloween!"

"Muggles dress up on Halloween" Lily put in, spearing a potato with her fork.

"Don't they usually dress up as witches and wizards though?" James pointed out, "We can't exactly dress up as muggles, so the only other option is to go as ourselves."

"This is the most ridiculous conversation we have ever had" Remus said, shaking his head.

"So no to dressing up then?" said Mary sulkily.

"We'll still get dressed up, Mary" Lily placated. "Marlene has a terrifying idea for my outfit."

"Say Evans" Sirius interrupted, "Do you have a date to Hogsmeade?"

Lily went pink around her ears, "Amos Diggory asked me to go with him yesterday."

"Get you" said Remus teasingly, elbowing her in the arm. "Date with the Head Boy."

James felt as though his stomach had turned to lead and he was suddenly having a hard time getting his tongue to work. He really didn't want his jealous feelings to show but he couldn't help it. The thought of Lily on a date with someone made him sick, but she had said she wanted to be friends, and friends were happy when their other friends went on dates.

Just not when it was with that prat Diggory.

"I told him no" she said quietly.

"Aw Lily!" Mary complained as James felt his heart soar, "Why'd you do that, you've fancied him for ages!"

Lily shrugged, "I don't think I'm ready to start dating yet" she said, twirling her fork around in her food. "I'd have to explain everything about my parents."

The table was silent for a second before she continued.

"Plus, how do I explain these four?" she said, gesturing around to the Marauders. "I've barely had a second alone this week, Sirius even tried to follow me into the girl's toilet yesterday."

"Sirius will use any excuse to try and get into the girls toilets" Peter put in.

James just laughed, "I guess you're stuck with us, Evans" he teased.

Lily rolled her eyes, "I've been stuck with Sirius since fourth year" she said in a put upon sort of way, but she was smiling.

Sirius threw her a wink from across the table.

"Shouldn't we go and set things up in the common room?" Peter suggested.

The other three nodded and made a move to leave as Lily asked, "Do you need any help?"

"You ladies just turn up and look beautiful" Remus said reassuringly, "We'll do the rest."

The four of them left the table together and made their way back the Gryffindor tower. They had already gotten all the alcohol and snacks for the party, so while Sirius got to work making his punch for the evening and Remus and Peter began hanging decorations, James started moving furniture to make a dancefloor and placing silencing charms around the room so they could play music.

They had hosted so many parties in the Gryffindor Common Room they had the planning down to a fine art, and half an hour later they all disappeared into the dormitory to change.

As per usual the party was in full swing when James descended the stairs an hour later. Music was blaring from a wireless and there were already several bodies swaying on the dancefloor. He swiped himself a Butterbeer from one of the tables and glanced around to look for the only person he really wanted to see.

It took James a while to find Lily, and when he did he realised what had taken him so long. She was stood at the other end of the room talking to her fellow sixth year girls Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Medowes. Dorcas passed her a glass of offensively orange punch before waving at the two of them and wandering in the direction of the dancefloor.

He had to check himself when he glanced at Lily. Her red hair was straight and silky and she'd dragged one side up to expose her face. She wore shimmery glitter around her eyes and her lips were painted a vibrant red. That wasn't the most interesting thing about her features however; she wore a pair of leather pants that practically moulded to her figure and a cropped black shirt that exposed her midriff and laced up across her chest.

James almost swallowed his tongue.

He didn't recall walking across the room until he was stood right next to her.

"Hey Potter" Marlene said from next to him, "Great party!"

James nodded but didn't take his eyes from Lily.

"You okay, Potter?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah" was all he could manage.

Marlene raised her eyebrows at Lily before saying, "I'm going to find Black" throwing her friend a wink and disappearing into the crowd.

When James continued to stare at her Lily cleared her throat and said, "Are you drunk already, Potter?"

"You look amazing" he burst out.

"Oh" she said, blushing crimson. "Thanks but it was mostly Marlene, isn't her outfit outrageous?"

"I have no idea what Marlene is wearing."

Lily frowned and looked at him curiously, "She was just here."

"I was distracted" he defended himself.

Lily glanced around as though she was looking for his distraction before she turned to him again, "Have you taken a blow to the head, Potter?" she asked.

"Look Lily, I'll make it really simple for you" he said slowly, "Stood next to you, Marlene could have been wearing a skinned Hippogriff, I wouldn't have noticed."

"Oh" she said again, before blushing bright red.

"So how about I take that" he suggested, plucking the bright orange drink from her hand and placing it on one of the shelves behind her. "And we'll go and get you something safer to drink."

"I've had Sirius' punch before" she defended as he laced his arm around her waist and pulled her over to the drinks table.

"I remember" said James, reaching for a Butterbeer and passing it to her. "You ended up dancing on the tables before Sirius pulled you down, then you insisted he let you sleep in his bed and he ended up sleeping in mine."

Lily winced at the memory, "I had a hell of a hangover that day, I kept making Sirius bring me things to his bed."

James laughed, "Exactly" he said, clinking his bottle against hers, "Now drink your Butterbeer and let's enjoy ourselves."

Lily snorted into her bottle, "James Potter the voice of reason" she said, shaking her head, "I never thought I'd see the day."

Before James could comment they were interrupted by Sirius, he had swept his hair off his face and he was wearing an elaborate black cape with a huge collar. Considering how much he'd lectured Mary about not dressing up on Halloween, he didn't half look the part.

"Have you seen, Evans?" he demanded, "I need to talk to her."

"Um, Sirius" Lily's voice came from beside him and she waved one of her hands in front of Sirius' face. "I'm right here."

Sirius did a double take when he looked at her and his eyes bulged so far out of their sockets it was almost comical, "Holy Merlin and Agrippa!" He yelled, making both James and Lily jump. "Lily you can't walk around like that!" He insisted, before throwing his cloak around her and pulling her against him so she was completely covered.

"Get off me, you great lump" she joked, pretending to swat him as she laughed. "Marlene is wearing a considerable amount less than I am."

"That's because McKinnon is trying to allure me into snogging her" said Sirius, "It won't work."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Well maybe I'm trying to allure someone into snogging me."

"Who!?" Sirius and James demanded at the same time, both looking scandalised.

"No one, you pair of prats!" she said, shoving out of Sirius' embrace and marching past them both towards the refreshment table.

They both watched her as she left. "Damn, I forgot how fit she was" Sirius said, shaking his head, "Look at her arse!"

"Oi!" James exclaimed, clipping his friend across the top of his head.

Sirius shot him a glare before saying, "Bet she gets at least four propositions tonight."

James turned back to where Lily was standing, the keeper of the Quidditch team Davey Gudgeon had made his way over to her and she was laughing at something he had said.

"Six" James countered.

"Two galleons?" Sirius suggested.

"You're on" they shook hands right before James took off to rescue Lily from the seventh year. On any other day James liked Davey very much and thought he was an excellent Keeper, but not on days when he glanced down Lily's top as he was talking to her.

Despite James' best efforts to steer her away from male attention Lily Evans was the life and soul of the party. She sang the loudest to her favourite songs and danced until her feet ached on the rug by the fire. She had a competition with Remus over who could drink a bottle of Butterbeer the fastest and stole sips of Sirius' punch when she knew James wasn't looking. She laughed at all of his jokes, even the ones that weren't funny and teased Sirius for tongue kissing a fourth year in the middle of the room.

By the end of the night she had been propositioned seven times, once by Peter who didn't seem to realise who she was until James had appeared at her side and glared at him.

James had won his two Galleons but at the end of the night when he was sat at the other end of the sofa from Lily Evans as she mumbled incoherently and told him what a fantastic night she'd had, he felt as though he'd won a lot more.