A/N: I want to thank you all for gracing me with your lovely and encouraging reviews!

'TIS HOT STUFF

James entered the dormitory and waved the bottles he'd been holding in the air. "Drink, people?" He offered. This was the remainder of their last eventful Hogmeade trip; they had craftily hidden the stash behind one of the statues on the west wing.

Sirius tossed his book aside without hesitation. "Good man."

Remus looked surprised at his early return. "How did it go with Li-"

"DRINK, people?" James repeated forcefully.

With a sigh Remus also put down his book hoping that he wouldn't feel too hammered tomorrow yet looking forward to a chance to relax. Peter hiccuped but if the other two were going then so would he.

An hour and a half-later Sirius was in hysterics and Remus was grinning from ear to ear and Peter was laughing uncontrollably.

"-and THAT my friends! Is how Hickledis Huxley discovered how truly multi-purpose his wand was! Or so I've been told!" James finished and took a huge gulp of Fire Whisky. On the best of days such liquor should be sipped with caution but today was a day he'd rather forgot about so the volume had to be tweaked.

He swallowed some more before he unexpectedly grew forlorn with his gaze fixed onto the bottom of his almost empty glass. "And Lily dumped me." He added.

Sirius and Peter laughed on as if he'd just continued on with the Huxley misadventure but Remus choked on his liquor and had to cough it out.

"Well, it's not really official until she says it to my face…but it's close enough."

"Oh, shit, Prongs. I'm so sorry!" Remus managed still red in the face. He wanted to pursue it further but his Fire Whisky addled brain was having a problem or two forming the right words.

James waved his hand to show that he was trying not to care. "Nah, it's okay. I'm fine." He smiled and downed the rest of his glass. "Just another break up. Life is full of them right? RIGHT?" When Remus didn't answer he tapped Sirius who unfortunately was so piddled he couldn't stop laughing so he turned to Peter. "Right Wormtail?"

Peter smiled blearily and held up his empty glass. "Fire whisky, 'tis hot stuff." He managed to slur before falling unconscious and dropping off his chair.

The remaining three leaned over to see Peter slumped on his back with his legs in the air. James nudged him with his foot but all he received was a loud snore. "Blimey! Don't even let him get near any Goblin Ale. Now that stuff is lethal."

"Ooooo yea!" Sirius cheered and uncorked a barrel of the infamous Ale.

---

Deep in the dungeons on the other side of the school another type of gathering was taking place. They could be called 'friends' if the word was used falsely, 'allies' if the term were used broadly and 'conspirators' if the expression was utilized accurately, however they grouped together with a much less merry atmosphere.

Lestrange, having finally escaped his cramped prison had wasted no time in seeing to return the favor. Now, all he needed was the key element to set it all into motion.

"What is that?" He pointed to the pearly potion set aside.

"Amortentia." Snape replied his eyes not leaving the book once. He hadn't even battered an eye when Lestrange had barged in on his solitude with Regulus in tow just seconds before.

"What?"

Snape resisted a sigh of exasperation. "A love potion."

Lestrange looked intrigued. "In that case…" he took an empty flask and filled it with a healthy dose. "This could be useful."

"Hmph." Snape didn't care who he had in mind; he was more interested in Lestrange leaving him alone.

"I need another potion." He said to Snape once the flask was carefully hidden away.

"Good for you."

Lestrange shoved the book rudely aside. "I have an idea that refuses to let my mind be at rest." He began once he had Severus' full attention. "Black is in dire need for a lesson. It is grinding my nerves and now I think it is time to smooth them over."

Snape looked pointedly over Lestrange's shoulder to the youngest of the Blacks. Regulus remained silent; his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looked too much like his brother and for that reason Snape despised him already.

Following his gaze Lestrange lifted a corner of his mouth. "Feel free to speak in front of him. He is…let's say… dedicated to a certain someone we both know…" he said enigmatically.

This elicited a flicker of interest in Snape but he carefully concealed his reaction. "His dedication means very little to me."

"But of course, however, it is my place to remind you that it should matter to you now." Lestrange raised an arm as if to smooth back some hair but as he did his sleeve dropped an inch exposing the flesh on the back of his wrist. For the briefest of seconds Snape glimpsed the burnt flesh that fell in the shape of the dark mark. The instant he saw it Snape understood that Lestrange had meant for him to see it. His own hand with the identical and condemning mark of absolute loyalty felt like it was on fire.

Lestrange's mouth lifted in what could be called a smile. "Of course it should matter to you now, especially since you can no longer hide behind that self-serving flag you've always flown over your head."

"Say what you have to say and be done with your pointless verbose." He snapped back impatiently. He did not need a mindless Death Eater-in-the-making to poke at his sore spot. The dark mark meant nothing until he was of age. Itmerely meant that they were branded like cattle, chosen personally by the Dark Lord to be taken as soon as their meat was ready. Snape had no illusions of this

The taller boy sneered, clearly rattled by his tone but not wanting to comment on it since he was in search for a favor. "I have need for your skills."

"Use and be used, such is the relationship in our House." Snape replied dryly.

"Indeed. There's a potion that I'm looking for but it seems that I cannot get my hands on it without too many people taking notice… unless it was made for me." Lestrange's point was clear, he needed a potion and he wanted him to make it for him, something Snape had absolutely no interest in doing. He and Lestrange may be tied to the Dark Lord by their marks but unlike him he was still self-serving and he would never be otherwise.

"The cauldrons are in the cupboard as are the ingredients." He informed him coldly and picked up his book again.

"Had I the mind to make it myself I would have but no, this potion needs to be brewed by the finest potion master, which is why I am turning to you."

The flattery was not lost upon Snape but that did not mean that it affected him enough to want to offer his services. Lestrange could see this but his confidence in obtaining the potion off his fellow Slytherin had not wavered once since the conception of his plan and Snape soon learnt why that was.

"The potion that I need is Insania Insoltus."

Upon hearing the name of this potion Snape lowered his book, his interest piqued to say the least. "Insania Insoltus." He echoed. "Otherwise known as the Draught of Delirium. It has hallucinogenic properties." He added seeing Lestrange in a new but tinted light.

Lestrange nodded with suppressed glee. "Powerful ones at that."

Snape laughed unpleasantly. It seemed ironic that someone who did not recognize the name of a common love potion (novice by his standards) should be so well informed on a more obscure, old and potent potion few dreamt of let alone knew about. "What kind of lesson for Black do you have in mind?"

"What kind do you think I can have if I had such a potion?"

A torturous one. Snape thought although he said nothing aloud.

"So, what do your say? Are you willing to help a friend out?"

Severus almost spat; Lestrange was anything but a 'friend', more importantly he had no need for them so his dear housemate was going to have to look elsewhere for his potion.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Regulus move. If his brother was anything to go by, none of the Blacks should be trusted and he deliberately turned so that he had full view of him. His hand instinctively fell to his wand. Regulus shifted uncomfortably under his suspicious stare but he continued to lean against the wall, his arms crossed and with an acrimonious expression planted on his face.

"What are you gawking at?" He jeered like his sibling's true brother.

Snape narrowed his eyes, it was like he looking and hearing the abhorred Sirius and this made his anger boil and heated his thoughts to a simmer.

On second thoughts, as much as he loathed Lestrange he could make use of his petty scuffle and make Black suffer by his hand with minimal contact. "I'll do it."

Lestrange looked neither surprised nor grateful. "I'll have the ingredients at your disposal within the next hour." He was efficient and well prepared, for the ingredients was not to be looked upon lightly; most of them were hard to find even in Knockturn Alley.

"That is fine, but I need you to provide me with one more ingredient before I can make the potion for you." Snape could guarantee that this one ingredient would not be included with Lestrange's stock due to the difficulty in obtaining it without getting killed. However it was one that would come to be very important if he were to make the Draught of Delirium with maximum potency. It wasn't vital but he was a firm believer in making every potion perfect.

"Name it."

"Blood from Remus Lupin… when he's under the influence of a full moon." Snape stood up and retrieved from his bag a brew he had bottled after that incident. With a mind for revenge he'd always kept it near.

It haunted Snape, that particular one night over a year ago, forever fresh in his mind. It will always be. Burned in as deep as the Dark Mark itself. He rolled the small bottle in his palm like he was rubbing a good luck charm.

"This," he said, "will assist you greatly."

---

Lily padded up to the third corridor in the dark, in her arms she cuddled Nutmeg who yawned widely.

"Remind me again, why we are up here at this ungodly hour of the morning?"

"I can't sleep."

"Count hippogriffs."

"I'm not tired."

The cat sighed. "It's all about the boy again. Get over him."

"I trying." Lily said making sure she sounded confidant. "I just wanted to check to see if he's okay."

"Why on earth wouldn't he be okay at 3.00am in Hogwarts?"

"He's not in his room." She said defensively. "None of them are, I asked Yoanna to check for me."

"It's not like he can be lost. The boy's stupid but he does still have a sense of direction." Nutmeg argued. "And even then there's four of them; four brains are better than one. You've got to give them some credit."

Lily did not reply knowing that her excuse was falling apart. In truth she didn't want to see him yet at the same time she needed to see him. She needed some form of closure and then she knew that she would be okay. If she'd learnt anything lately it was that life goes on no matter how much you protested, cried or resisted. All she could do was make things easier for the both of them.

They reached the door but for a while Lily stood there staring at it blankly.

Nutmeg looked at the door and then back at Lily before eyeing up the door again. "Are you expecting the cat to open it?"

"It's locked."

"Why didn't you say so before?" Nutmeg gave a little meow and the heavy door swung open revealing an inky black hole. Lily stepped and quickly closed it behind. The cat jumped to the ground and melted into the darkness, her bell tinkling as she went.

"Lumos." Lily held up her lit wand.

The air was heavy with the smell of Fire Whisky and bottles were strewn everywhere. Unsurprisingly the room had been decorated to look like a traditional pub complete with a bar. It looked authentic enough to be like a place that could exist in Hogsmeade.

The Marauders slept on unaware of her presence. Remus was slouched over fast asleep with his head on his arms beside a barrel of Goblin Ale. Peter lay curled on the floor snoring. Sirus and James were likewise sleeping on the floor. Sirius was flat against the floor on his stomach, his arms spread-eagled out. With a look of satisfaction Nutmeg trotted up to Sirius and sat on his back.

"Mongrel is asleep." She said, her bushy tail swishing.

Beside Sirius, James was sprawled on his back, one arm flung out and the other above his head, his legs draped over the bench that he'd probably fallen off shortly after passing out.

The reason why none of them was in their room was evident. Lily waved her wand and transfigured four pillows and thick blankets from empty barrels and a couple of stools. With care she lifted heads and tucked arms and legs until they were cocooned in their makeshift beds.

Nutmeg watched slightly mystified. "Are you hoping they'll wake up transformed into butterflies?"

"Its still winter."

"They're drunk, does it matter?" Nutmeg asked while jumping on and off Sirius' back and making a catwalk out of it. Lily sighed and returned to James sleeping form and crouched down.

"I hope you're not planning on staying here all night." The cat said and gave a broad yawn to make her point.

"No, we'll go back soon. I just need…closure."

I am being so sad. She told herself. She knew she was acting like the girlfriend who couldn't let go but…just this once. Tomorrow she will be Lily of the old. She will let go.

"Good night, Jamie." She said and leaned down to press her lips to his forehead.

Sirius snorted and rolled over in his sleep almost squashing Nutmeg in the process. The cat yowled and spat in his direction.

Lily stood up careful not to look at James again. "Come on, let's get back."

"Gladly." Nutmeg said giving Sirius a look of disgust as drool escaped on the corner of his mouth.

---

A/N: I'm still writing (with difficulty) the next chapter: POTTER & EVANS and already it's shaping up to something that will make everyone very frustrated and angry because that's how I certainly felt while writing it! But that's the way I feel it's gotta go to make some of the later chapters that I've already written work! Keep reading and I'll keep typing!

Much love,

Dolli

xxx