There is no way I am giving into this. No way.
Lily sat in the head's common room and waited for the clock to strike and for her rounds to start.
It had been one week since the fateful first day of seventh year. Lily and James were unofficially on first names basis. It was strange for Lily living with James. He stopped trying to impress her as much. He kept up the same amount of pranks, but she was no longer the target of them, and he tried to limit the pranks in front of her. After even just that short amount of time Lily began to see James as an actual person, not an arrogant toe rag. Although he was still very arrogant.
The last bell rang on the clock and Lily got up off the couch and walked into the corridor. Very surprisingly and uncharacteristically, James was leaning on the wall outside their door entrance…right on time.
"Punctual as usual," James said smiling.
"Well I'll take the main hallway downstairs." Lily said. "Want to take the back one on the second floor? That seems to be popular lately."
"I've already got the prefects on that floor." James informed her.
What? He's actually gone and done something right?
"Oh." Was all Lily replied with as the two headed down to the first floor.
James cocked a smile to the side of his mouth. "Surprised aren't you,"
"Yes." Lily admitted, James laughed.
"Guess I'm not as terrible and irresponsible as you thought," James said.
Lily didn't answer, but she shrugged and smiled.
They passed through the corridors, caught a few couples in broom closets, and found a few house elves scurrying about.
How does he seem to know where everyone is sneaking around?
"Filch is coming," James informed Lily hastily. "And I'd rather not bump into him."
Lily silently agreed and the two of them scurried off to the great hall. Lily swore she saw James shove a piece of paper back into his pocket.
As the two of them hid in the great hall, they heard Filch and Mrs. Norris walk by. Of course they were doing nothing wrong, they were doing their jobs, but it was never a pleasant encounter with either of the two.
"It's amazing how light it is in here," Lily noted, there was no charm on the ceiling tonight. "It must be because of the full moon."
"Yeah I suppose-" James started but stopped mid sentence.
Lily looked at him curiously. He looks oddly white right now. I wonder if something's wrong. "James, are you alright?"
"I've got to go," James said, suddenly bolting for the door.
Lily stood in the great hall, stunned, and watched him run off. She wasn't even sure how it happened, but before she knew it she found herself running to follow him.
"James!" She yelled once she was outside. "What the bloody hell are you doing? Stop!"
He didn't stop. They were headed towards the whomping willow tree. Lily began to get even more worried.
"We're not allowed out on grounds this late! James, stop!" Lily yelled again, stopping for breath. How can he just keep running like that?
James finally stopped and marched up to Lily. "Don't follow me, go back inside," he said almost angrily.
"Are you crazy? We shouldn't be out here, get back inside!" Lily shot back.
"No," James said. "Go be your rule abiding self and get back in the castle."
"You are out of your mind," Lily said, getting angry. "I'm not letting you go prancing outside at night-"
"Oh yeah? And what exactly are you going to do about it Evans?" James asked harshly.
Lily was stunned. And she felt almost hurt. It was an unspoken agreement that they were on first names basis now…and there he was again calling her 'Evans.' She looked him in the eyes and said the last thing she ever expected to say, "Nothing,"
"Good. Now run along," James said.
"You are unbelievable Potter!" Lily shouted. "You are the most horrid person I know! Go have fun getting yourself mauled by the whomping willow!"
Lily turned back around and ran to the castle.
Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. I actually thought he had changed. Or at least was trying. I am the biggest fool in the world. What a complete and utter toe rag!
"Excellent practice!" James informed the Gryffindor quidditch team. "We'll beat those slimey snakes for sure!"
The whole team left the practice in an uplifted mood. "Good practice captain," one of the chasers said to James.
"Thanks mate," James replied, heading for the showers. He had his rounds with Lily tonight, or he would if she didn't send him off to some other part of the castle like she had been doing lately. James, however, had a plan to get out of that annoying situation tonight.
James walked not too leisurely towards the Gryffindor common room. He seemed to be seeing less of the marauders than usual this year, and that certainly was not going to do. Between being quidditch captain and being head boy he had a lot of partially unwelcome responsibilities. It was sure getting in the way of his keen prankster time.
"Evening lads!" James said marching into the common room.
He walked in at the exact moment to see Sirius leaping over the couch, falling onto Remus, who then hit into Peter, who was taking his shoes off, resulting in Peter's shoe flying into the fireplace.
"Evening Prongs," Sirius muffled, pressed up agains the couch.
"Hey there James," Remus said.
"My shoe!" Peter squealed.
The rest of the Marauders eyes' met with the fireplace and Peter's shoe inside it.
"No worries mate," James said, waving his wand, and within moments Peter's shoe was out of the fireplace unscathed.
"T-thanks Prongs!" Peter stuttered.
"So I am feeling completely without a good recent prank. Any ideas?" James said, plopping down onto the couch next to Remus.
"Snape seems extra slimey this year. I'm always up for a new prank Snively wise." Sirius said, resituating himself.
James shrugged. "Any other ideas?" he asked. "I'm trying to lay off him because…"
"Because of your lady flower, we know," Sirius responded.
"Anyone up for slicking the main stairway? People slipping and sliding everywhere?" James quickly suggested.
The other three pondered.
"Not the most original idea…" Sirius started. "But effective none the less!"
Remus sighed, meeting the grins of his friends. "Just tell me the spell I need to look up,"
"There we are Moony!" Sirius cheered.
"Oh and Padfoot…" James said, turning to his best friend. "I had the map with me on my rounds and made special care to lead everyone away from the third floor broom closet. Anything you'd like to share?" he asked, his grin meeting his eyes.
Peter and Remus stared at their friend, not entirely, or at all, in shock, but in curiosity.
"Only that my reputation stands strong meaning of course that I am entirely irresistible." Sirius responded.
"Jenny?" Remus asked.
Sirius' mischievous grin took over his face and he replied, "Becca,"
James' eyes widened. "You did not,"
Sirius readjusted himself and put his arms behind his head. "I did,"
"Did w-what exactly?" Peter stammered.
"Oy! Get your mind out of the gutters Wormtail! I was completely chivalrous in all my actions." Sirius said.
"If that's not a lie I don't know what is," Remus said, his eyes looking oddly tired.
"Becca is one of Lily's best mates…" James started.
"Well then we'll have to go on a double date sometime," Sirius said winking.
James ignored him. "I have to go talk to the prefects before I start my rounds. But I don't have rounds for the rest of the week so we'll catch up on the stair slicking plans afterwards."
"And to think. Poor Prongsy is going to ditch us for a flower. What is the world coming to?"
"You know I have to do my rounds, it's part of being Head Boy." James said.
"And if I know you, which I think I do," Sirius said. "You are off to arrange with the prefects a way to get you and Lils alone on your rounds tonight, am I right?"
"You are the fools who told me to try a new strategy. And I have. And it's working. So now I am going to go continue with the plan! Night gents!" James said, leaving the Gryffindor common room.
Remus seemed to get a look of panic on his face and started, "Don't forget about-" but the Fat Lady portrait swung close behind him. He was probably warning him about not reverting back to old habits. Now off to the prefects, and then off to Lily.
James walked back to the Head's chambers with a look of satisfaction on his face. Those prefects were easy to convince. He waited outside the door of, dare he say, their room, and waited for Lily. She would probably faint that he was actually there on time.
She walked out of the door as he heard the last bell chime. "Punctual as usual," he said smiling.
Lily seemed to try to ignore him. "Well I'll take the main hallway downstairs." She said. Just as expected. "Want to take the back one on the second floor? That seems to be popular lately."
James smiled inwardly at his own cleverness. "I've already got the prefects on that floor." He informed her, satisfied at the look on her face.
"Oh." Was all Lily replied, James had hoped for a little more, but he wouldn't set his expectations too high yet. They both then headed down to the first floor.
James smiled, not being able to help himself. "Surprised aren't you,"
"Yes." Lily said. James laughed; he didn't expect her to admit that.
"Guess I'm not as terrible and irresponsible as you thought," he said.
Lily didn't answer, but she shrugged and smiled.
Merlin, I love it when she smiles.
They passed through the corridors, caught a few couples in broom closets, thanks to our genius of a map, and found a few house elves scurrying about.
James carefully sneaked a peak at the Marauders Map again and saw an unpleasant fellow heading their way.
"Filch is coming," he informed Lily hastily. "And I'd rather not bump into him."
Lily seemed to silently agreed and the two of them scurried off to the great hall. As the two of them hid in the great hall, they heard Filch and Mrs. Norris walk by.
This is weird. Even though I'm supposed to be out at this time I'm still hiding from Filch. I guess some things never change.
James turned to Lily and saw that she was observing the uncharmed ceiling of the great hall. "It's amazing how light it is in here," she said, "It must be because of the full moon."
"Yeah I suppose-" James started but stopped himself in sheer panic. Remus.
"James, are you alright?" Lily asked.
He barely heard her speak. "I've got to go," he said, bolting for the door.
I am officially the worst person in the world. How could I have forgotten? I should have not only remembered but noticed how tired Remus was looking! And he even tried to tell me…
"James!" He heard Lily call after him. "What the bloody hell are you doing? Stop!"
He didn't stop. There was no way he was stopping. Remus was his best friend and he would do anything to help and try to make this up to him. He was almost at the whomping willow tree. How do I transform without her seeing?
"We're not allowed out on grounds this late! James, stop!" Lily yelled again. James thought he heard her stop running.
He needed her gone. So he finally stopped running, turned around, and marched up to Lily. "Don't follow me, go back inside," he said quite forcefully
"Are you crazy? We shouldn't be out here, get back inside!" Lily shot back.
Why is she so stubborn? Why can't she just trust me?
"No," James said. "Go be your rule abiding self and get back in the castle."
Lily doesn't matter right now. She needs to leave and I need to help Remus.
"You are out of your mind," Lily said, sounding angry. "I'm not letting you go prancing outside at night-"
"Oh yeah? And what exactly are you going to do about it Evans?" James shot back harshly. There was no way he was risking Remus' safety here. Or Lily's for that matter.
Lily looked hurt. And for a moment James' heart panged. I shouldn't have called her Evans.
Lily looked him in the eyes and said the last thing James expected her to say, "Nothing,"
"Good. Now run along," James said quickly.
"You are unbelievable Potter!" Lily shouted. "You are the most horrid person I know! Go have fun getting yourself mauled by the whomping willow!"
James barely saw her run away as he turned and headed straight for the whomping willow.
