Author rant: why is it the weather is great when you have to sit behind a desk at school, but then when it's finally the weekend or you find free time it (weather) decides to rain/snow/be cold/windy/freakishly hot? It's like a nice seventy something here and the weekend forecast: thunderstorm and snow on Saturday. Utah sucks. Enjoy the chapter though!

Chapter 38: Will of Thumb

They took a carriage to the town where they went directly into Honeydukes. James was on a mission. He had run out of sweets and with NEWTS coming up he was convinced he would need them then more than ever. Because everyone knew candy was the best study tool. Right up there next to the quills and books themselves.

"It keeps you awake." James explained as he filled a bag with jelly beans.

"Right. Or it gets you wired so you can't think." Lily countered.

"Nope. I have perfected this theory. Candy is the key to success." He joked.

"And here I always thought it was studying and working hard." She smiled. James closed the bag, satisfied with its contents then looked at his girlfriend.

"Anything you wanted?"

"I'm good." she told him.

"Okay." James led her to pay for the goods then, once checked out, they went back outside. They wandered around aimlessly talking about nothing and joking around. Like they had just moments ago by the tree. When they passed a bench James sat down pulling Lily beside him.

He held out his hand as if he wanted to shake. But Lily knew he wanted to play thumb war. Maybe he could tell she was freaking out about the exams, or he just felt the burning need to play. At any rate she placed her hand in his and so it began.

They talked as they played making it almost impossible to concentrate on the game, the conversation and any other worry that might have been fogging her head. And it was always important topics they discussed when a thumb war was in session. Only it wasn't what Lily had expected.

"What do you think of marriage?" James asked. Lily had almost had his thumb under hers, but as he asked she got distracted. James didn't pause the game so Lily wasn't able to fully grasp what he was asking as her thumb was nearly crushed by his.

"What?" She asked.

"Marriage?" He repeated.

"Well, um," she began trying to fully concentrate on both the war and question. Thankfully he held her still fighting thumb for the ten seconds and she lost. Not that it was surprising.

"What?" she asked again.

"Yeah." James looked a bit awkward as he repeated his question, "What do you think of marriage?" Lily blinked at him, at a complete lost for words. "I mean, I'm not proposing or anything. But I've been thinking about it. And I want to know what you think." James explained.

"I-I," Lily stammered.

"I even talked to your Mom." James continued. "And your Gran is thrilled with the idea." Lily still couldn't speak. This was bigger than him being a stag. Somehow she'd managed to stay calm for that. But now, she couldn't think straight.

"Plus proposing on Valentines Day is tacky and too cliché." James continued to ramble as Lily struggled for speech.

"Yes." she said eventually.

"What?"

"Yes, I've thought about it. And I do want to. One day, marry you." she managed surprised at how clear the words sounded. James broke out in a relieved grin. Lily nodded to tell him that she was serious. She leaned forward and they shared a blissful kiss.

When they parted Remus and Ambre were standing nearby.

"Hey. What are you guys doing here?" James asked them. They shrugged.

"It's Hogsmeade weekend. Might as well go while we can." Remus said.

"Right." James agreed.

"What about you two?" Ambre asked.

"Well I was all for studying," Lily began.

"But I convinced her to come down." James added proudly. Ambre and Remus nodded.

"That's great. It's always nice to get away from the castle." Ambre said. Remus smiled down at her. There was a second of silence before she started talking again. "We were, um, thinking about going to Honeydukes. Did you want to come with?"

"We were just there. Actually." James told her standing up with Lily.

"Oh. Well then we could all go to Zonkos. Or maybe you wanted to get a butterbeer? I think Madam Rosmerta is having a special for Valentines day. I know Madam Puddifoot is, but that doesn't really seem like your kind of thing."

"We're alright. You guys go have fun. Just don't do anything Sirius would." James said nudging Remus.

"Haha." Remus said painfully, rubbing his nudged arm.

"What?" Ambre asked.

"Nothing. Come on." Remus advised gently guiding her away.

"You know. It could be because of you and Sirius that he doesn't date." Lily said. James laughed once.

"Trust me, that's not it."

"How would you know? He might be afraid of the antagonism."

"No." James said slowly. "He's more...Got this problem."

"Problem?" Lily asked.

"A fuzzy little one."

"You mean that badly behaved bunny?" Lily asked. It seemed to crop up often. This problem of his.

"Yeah." James snorted. "His bunny."

"It's not funny. He should be able to date. And Ambre is good for him. She's sweet and outgoing."

"I never said she wasn't. Or that he couldn't."

"Then why...?" Lily began but then remembered something Severus had told her so many times, but Lily had always refused to believe. Remus wouldn't refuse to date someone because he was a werewolf would he? If he was a werewolf.

"Snivilus wasn't too far off." James said quietly leaning into Lily's ear. "I know he told you." At that moment she saw Severus walk out of the nearby pub with his stupid death eater friends. He caught sight of Lily and almost smiled, but then seemed to think better of it.

"Don't call him Snivilus." Lily warned. As she had many times before.

"You don't still have a soft spot for him do you?" James asked.

"And what if I do? He was my friend." James raised his eyebrows at her. Lily looked up at him, waiting for him to say something. "I don't know." She said.

"You don't know?"

"Yeah, okay, we were friends. But then he became a horrible person. And we just grew apart."

"He called you a..."

"I know what he called me. But we were fighting before that. That was more like the last straw for our friendship." Lily said.

"Okay."

"Can we go up to the castle now?"

"Whatever you want." James agreed. The little argument already a million miles behind him. Lily took a glance at Snape. She wasn't sure if he'd looked back, it didn't really matter. Lily turned and headed up to Hogwarts with James.

*^-^*^-^*^-^*^-^*

"So how was your Valentines Day?" Ivy asked that night in their room.

"Pretty good. James took me down to Hogsmeade, even though I wanted to study."

"Silly boy."

"No. It was nice. He's right. I worry too much about the exams. So we just hung out." Lily said.

"Cool." Ivy said brushing through her hair. Lily wasn't sure she wanted them to know about the marriage talk. It wasn't official, so why ruin the real surprise? Right?

"Was there something else?" Ivy asked.

"Kinda." Lily admitted.

"But?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready to tell people."

"Right. Because there's enough drama happening at Hogwarts as is." Ivy said sarcastically.

"Well you have to admit there is a lot this year." Lily disagreed.

"Yeah yeah. With Jamie hooking up with Sirius right after he broke up with Mary. Then there's Remus and Ambre and whatever's going on with them. You and James, of course, and what's-his-bucket from Ravenclaw seen at Hogsmeade with that skank from Hufflepuff."

"Who?" Lily asked.

"Ask Mary." Ivy shrugged. "All I know is one of Sirius' many ex's was seen with a Ravenclaw."

"Intrigue." Lily said. Ivy just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. It will be front page news around here in no time." She scoffed.

"Good Night!" Mary said bursting into the room giggling. She sounded drunk.

"Mary?" Lily asked.

"Hey!" Mary giggled.

"Where have you been?"

"I was with Jamie." Mary answered pointing with her thumb toward the door. "You would not believe what we saw." she hiccuped laughing harder. Lily looked over at Ivy who was now folding up her uniform for the next morning. Jamie came stumbling in laughing and saying something incoherent.

"I think they're toasted." Ivy said smiling at the two.

"I want toast." Mary said having only caught the one word. "But no fat bread."

"How about you get some sleep?" Lily suggested.

"No. I'm not tired." Mary said. "I was just telling Jaaay that, we should all go to the lake."

"It's freezing outside." Lily said. It had dropped in temperature and the clouds that had been threatening earlier had burst. It was a full on thunderstorm.

"The lake!" Jamie agreed throwing her arms up. This caused her to loose her balance and land on Lily's bed with a groan. Lily grabbed Mary's shoulders, guiding her to her bed.

"You know what?" Mary asked Lily.

"What?" Lily asked dropping her onto the bed.

"I think I threw up on Sirius!" Mary laughed. She was almost hysterical.

"No." Jamie groaned from her bed. "It was a tree."

"But I hate him." Mary said.

"You hate the tree?" Lily asked pushing Mary under the blankets.

"No! Silly! I hate dumb-ass Sirius-ish-is-ssshh." She burst into laughter.

"I'm sure you do. Now go to sleep." Lily said.

"I think we've got a runner." Ivy said indicating Jamie who was bolting down the stairs.

"I'm guessing your not going to get involved?" Lily asked.

"It's really not my problem. But I'll go get her." Ivy said leaving her folded shirt on the bed.

"Lily?" Mary asked.

"Yeah?" Lily asked a little irritated.

"I don't feel good."

"Your drunk." Lily said stepping away in case she spewed.

"Really?" Mary laughed, not as energetic as before. "I'm stupid."

"A bit. You didn't do it because of Sirius did you?"

"Hmm? No! No. Me and Jamie were having a girl's night. Having some boy-free fun." Lily nodded. "I feel like I'm going to..." Mary began. Lily quickly grabbed the nearby trash bin and held it under Mary's chin. Just in time for her to cough loudly, upchucking the liquor she'd consumed.

Ivy walked in pushing Jamie in front of her. Ivy didn't have a strong stomach so nearly gagged seeing the sight. She spun on her heel running back down to the common room. Mary took the bin and continued to vomit as Lily pulled Jamie to her bed. As soon as she hit the mattress she passed out.

Lily turned back to Mary.

"I'm sorry." Mary groaned before heaving up more chunks.

"Let's go." Lily replied. She had to get her to a bathroom so she didn't make the whole room smell. Then Ivy for sure would kill her. Drunk or not.

They got as far as the bottom step before Mary couldn't go any farther.

"You can go up to bed. I'll handle her." Lily said to Ivy. She'd been sitting in the arm chair sucking in deep breathes trying to ease her own stomach.

"What about Jamie?"

"She's asleep. I don't think you'll have a problem with her."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't leave you, but,"

"You've got a weak stomach. Go."

"Thanks Lily." Lily just nodded so Ivy took off up the stairs. Mary had managed to prop herself against the wall still holding the basket. Lily exhaled loudly before walking up the stairs and knocking loudly on the door.

Peter answered.

"Lily?" He squeaked.

"Lily?" James' voice came from behind him. A laugh still in his tone. He appeared in the door way pulling on a t-shirt.

"Hey." he said. "Is everything okay?" He asked easing the door shut behind him.

"Not exactly. Mary and Jamie got supper toasted. And I was just," But she stopped as James had already passed her to go down the stairs.

"What's wrong with Mary?" Sirius asked coming out of the room. Unlike James who wore pants and the occasional shirt to bed, Sirius was in boxers. And a sock. Just one sock and scarlet boxers.

"Nothing. Leave her alone." Lily told him turning to go with James.

"Hey," Sirius said grabbing her arm. "What's happened?"

"She'll be fine Sirius. Go away." Lily growled. His brows just scrunched together as he considered Lily's words. He decided that it wasn't so much a warning as a suggestion so he pushed her aside going down to her.

In the common room James had managed to get Mary into a more upright position. Sirius rushed over to her.

"Sirius," Lily began but James went over to her and shushed her.

"Let him take care of her."

"But it's his fault." Lily said. Or so she was convinced.

"He cares about her."

"Then he wouldn't have gone off and snogged her best friend." Lily glared.

"Come here." James said pulling Lily toward the boys staircase. He sat down on the steps looking up at Lily, who had her arms crossed angrily.

"Would you trust me with this one?" He asked her.

"Why? He..."

"I know what he did. But that's just Padfoot. Alright? Now he regrets it and I think he did like Mary. Not enough to stay with her, but enough to care for her in times that she needs him."

"That's ludicrous."

"Yeah. But it's just like you. You don't like Mary in a romantic way, obviously, but because your a good friend you're willing to take care of her as she vomits all over the place." James explained. "Right?"

"I guess. But she might take it the wrong way. And get hurt all over again."

"She won't."

"She will. She does like him."

"Do even remember what it was like with them going out?" James asked.

"Yes." Lily answered narrowing her eyes, wondering where he was going with that.

"Okay, than you remember the fights? The glares and the irritation she had toward him?"

"Yeah?"

"So clearly she didn't like him that much."

"Okay?" James smiled at her.

"So this may just be the start of a very awkward friendship. Or it may turn out to be a good thing." He continued.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I suggest we go down to the bathroom with Padfoot and Mary. That way you can be there for her. I'll come with so you don't have to be so alone with Pads. Sound good?" Lily nodded. "Kay." James stood back up.

"Padfoot? Can you carry Mary down to the prefects bathroom?" James asked. Sirius looked to Lily, as if looking for permission.

"Sure." He agreed. Mary looked to be asleep so Sirius scooped her up in his arms falling into step behind Lily and James.

What do you think of the 'just friends' thing? Sirius isn't the commitment type and James only wants to see the good in people. Especially his friends. Please tell me what you think and Review. Good? Bad? How can I Improve? Any thing you'd like to see in upcoming chapters? Just click the Review button and tell me!