James spluttered out the story to a wide eyed Lily in the Common Room.
"…I stopped him before got down there though. Its okay. He's in the Hospital Wing--"
"How dare you put him in danger like that!" Lily screeched.
James flinched away from her as if she had hit him. Her eyes were daggers and her words pierced him,
"You idiot! You could have killed him! You-you-" she took a deep breath, "Why would you send him to the Whomping Willow! Why?"
"Sirius thought--"
"No! Sirius doesn't ever think so he didn't' think about this at all!" Lily snapped.
"Well, Sirius assumed it would be a funny joke to send him down there…"
Lily turned on Sirius who shrunk under her cold glare.
"You little git." she hissed.
"Nothing happened! He just got a little beat up by the tree, I swear!" Sirius yelped.
"Sirius Black I should--"
"Lily, just calm down--"
"You better not tell me to calm down, James Potter, you better get down on your hands and knees and beg for forgiveness before I curse you and Sirius to another planet!" Lily screamed, pulling her wand out.
"We're sorry!" the boys yelled.
"Where's. Remus?" Lily hissed between clenched teeth.
"He left a few days ago to go visit his mother--"
"The second he gets back we'll see what he has to say about this. I hope Dumbledore puts you In detention for the rest of the year! That was so stupid and idiotic it doesn't surprise me that you came up with it!"
She glared at the boys one more time before turning and storming out the portrait hole.
"Remus is going to murder you two." Peter said.
"Not helping." Sirius snapped.
"I'm just saying--"
"I'm just saying that I'll hex you into next week if you don't shut your trap." Sirius threatened.
Peter fell silent as he watched Sirius and James think things over.
"I just hope Snape doesn't tell Lily what he saw." James fretted.
"You reckon he saw Mooney?" Sirius asked.
"I think so. His eyes were huge."
"Aw hell," Sirius whimpered.
James pulled a piece of parchment to him. He tapped it with his wand.
"Well, Prongs, it was nice knowing you." Sirius said as they both watched Remus's dot come up the tunnel from the map.
"As it was you, Padfoot." James sighed.
The three marauders waited in silence as the fourth creator made his way back to them.
[X]
Lily and Severus were walking across the courtyard ater dinner talking of many things. Of course it turned into an argument. To Lily it felt like all their conversations now did.
"…thought we were supposed to be friends? Best friends?" Severus demanded.
"We are Sev, but I just don't like the people you're hanging around with! I'm sorry, but I detest Aver and Mulciber. Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev? He's creepy! You saw what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day!" Lily leaned again a pillar and looked up into her best friends face.
"That was nothing, Lils." Severus replied.
"Nothing? Is anything really nothing anymore?" Lily asked.
She could see that he had a guard up and she didn't understand why. Best friends…they were best friends. There shouldn't be any secrets. But Severus had one and she knew he wasn't telling her.
"It was just a laugh--"
"That's not amusing! Its Dark Magic and if you think its funny--"
"What about the stuff Potter and his lot get into?" Severus demanded.
He couldn't hide the resent in his voice or expression.
"What does Potter have to do with anything?" Lily asked.
"They sneak out at night and there's something wrong with that Lupin kid." he returned.
"He's ill--"
"Every month at full moon?" Severus interrupted.
"I know your theory. Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they do at night?" there was a cold edge to Lily's voice.
"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone thinks." he muttered.
His gaze was intense on her face. She couldn't help but blush.
She dropped her voice,
"They don't use Dark Magic though. And you're being really ungrateful. I know what happened the other night with the Whomping Willow. I know James Potter saved you--"
"Saved? Saved?" Severus spluttered, "You think he's 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?"
"I didn't mean--I just don't want you to make a fool of--he fancies you! James Potter fancies you! And he's not…everyone thinks…big Quidditch hero…" Severus's dislike and strange sense of bitterness had him speechless and Lily's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her hair.
"I know that James Potter is an arrogant toerag. I don't' need you to tell me that." Lily cut across him.
Severus stood in silence. After a moment she continued,
"But Mulcriber's and Avery's taste of humor is evil. Sev, I don't understand how you can be with them."
"Lily--"
"Don't bother to explain. I just want to be best friends again. Let go of all you theories on Potter. Just…just drop it. He's not worth our time, Sev." she said.
Severus nodded and they walked away, back to the castle. If Lily saw the spring in his step she didn't comment on it, but it was there.