Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter or Harry Potter related copyrights.
So 15 reviews later here it is! Now I would just like to clear up a few things:
I was never planning on discontinuing this story because of a lack of reviews. I write because I enjoy it, and I wouldn't stop because I wasn't getting reviews. However, I wouldn't have tried as hard to write, finish and edit the chapters for my readers.
Reviews do matter. They help me to gauge the quality of my writing and to fix things if necessary. For example, I wasn't sure if my chapters were so long that people got tired of reading and didn't get to the end so they didn't review. Because of all the reviews I received I discovered that the chapters are a good length; this is very helpful when I'm dividing up my chapters. The reviews also encourage me and make me smile! It's nice to be appreciated!
Also sometimes I have wondered if people really do read my story. Without reviews I have no way of telling if people are actually reading and enjoying my story.
Anyways thank you to all of those people who did choose to review- I appreciate it more than you can imagine. Also- to all of those people who did NOT review, you are lucky that there are some people out there who care enough to take 30 seconds to tell me how they feel about my story; without those people you probably wouldn't have seen this chapter for a couple of months.
Finally I really liked hearing your responses to my questions, and I think that it helped some people to find things to comment on, so now I will be putting questions at the end of every chapter.
"So again Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, on the behalf of all of us on the force I give you our most profound apologies for this whole incident," said Frederick Harris honestly. Once he had overcoming his own blinding ambition he had realized what fate he had almost condemned the son of his comrade to, and he regretted it sincerely.
Christopher Potter looked on with a huge smug smile on his face.
"Okay then, we will be heading out now," he told Professor Dumbledore. "And boys I'll see you in two weeks and not any sooner you understand?"
"Yes sir," said the four Marauders with almost giddy enthusiasm.
"Come on men, let's get out of here; we have one hell of a report to write up and Crouch wants it on his desk before five tomorrow," said Potter as he waved to the boys and led his team out the front doors.
"It's good to have you boys back again," said Albus warmly.
"It's good to be back sir," said James speaking for all of them.
"Well I'll leave you to reunite with your friends then; I trust that in your long absence you have not forgotten the way to Gryffindor Tower?" joked the wise old Headmaster.
The boys smiled and with their newly recovered wands banished their trunks to their dormitory and raced each other up to their common room.
"We're back!" they shouted as they stumbled through the portrait hole breathless.
Scattered around the common room were bright balloons and plenty of snacks, draped across one wall was a banner that said "They're not felons!" and all of Gryffindor house was present, yet James only had eyes for one person.
The moment she saw him enter the common room Lily sprang up from the house and sprinted across the common room. With his Quidditch reflexes James deftly caught his exuberant girlfriend and spun her around, nearly knocking Peter over. Half of the common room cooed at the adorable sight.
Although she never wanted to let go of him, Lily put a little space in between her body and James' and said, "There's some brave people you have to meet."
"They can wait," said James as he pulled his girlfriend closer again.
Showing a great deal more willpower than her boyfriend, Lily pulled away again and said, "They are the reason you're here; you owe them a thank you at least."
James huffed but let go of Lily, settling for wrapping his arm around her waist instead as she led him through the crowds to where three small Hufflepuffs sat nervously on a couch.
"James, this is Danny, Rupert and Emma; they are the three wonderful people who cleared your name," said Lily ecstatically.
James released Lily and crouched down so he was at eye-level with the eleven-year-olds. "If there is anything I can ever do for any of you please don't hesitate to ask. I am forever in your debt for what you have done for me and for my friends. I might have been rotting away in a jail cell right now if it wasn't for you. Never forget that even the smallest acts may change someone's life. Thank you."
"It was nothing," Emma piped up.
"Yeah, we're just sorry we couldn't identify who really was behind it all," said Danny.
"You did plenty," said James. "They may never figure out who it was and honestly I don't care. I'm just happy to be back here with my friends and my gorgeous girlfriend. Thank you again and now, if you'll excuse me I have a lot of catching up to do with her."
Emma giggled as James straightened up and put his arm around Lily's waist again and led her to a dark corner of the common room. Danny and Rupert looked at James in awe, hoping to someday be just like the Head Boy.
-----
"Look at them," said Marlene to Alice. "Just sitting over there talking, completely in their own little world. They're not even snogging."
"They don't have to be snogging," Alice pointed out. "Their love runs deeper than just the physical element; anyone can see that. They're happy just being near each other."
Marlene huffed and made a show of turning away from the happy couple.
"Why are you so pissy?" asked Alice sharply. "You have a boyfriend who was only too happy to snog you fifteen minutes ago."
Marlene sighed. "But that's all it is. Sirius and I don't talk like James and Lily do. We've only ever connected physically. And don't get me wrong, the snogging is great, but I'm looking for more in a relationship."
"Be realistic Marly, we're still in school. James and Lily are that one in a million couple that finds true love in their school sweetheart. Notice that the chances are one in a million and because they are the one couple that means you and Sirius aren't. Enjoy your relationship for what it is, not hate it for what it's not," advised Alice sagely.
Marlene hugged her wise friend tightly and said, "What would I do without your sensible advice Alice? Thank you."
-----
After a while the once wild party came to an end and the last partiers trudged tiredly up the stairs to their dormitories leaving only the Marauders, Lily, Marly and Alice in the common room.
James and Lily had finally emerged from their love cocoon and rejoined the real world only a few minutes ago. The seven friends were sitting in a circle and wondering what they should do.
"We could play spin the bottle," suggested Peter.
"Yeah that worked out so well last time," said Sirius sarcastically.
"And besides the only single girl here is me," said Alice. "That would make the game awkward."
"How about truth or dare?" said Marlene.
Remus quickly rejected that idea saying, "You don't want to play truth or dare with James and Sirius; they come up with very interesting dares to say the least."
James and Sirius grinned wickedly and Peter flinched perceptibly.
Then Marlene and Alice met each other's gaze and smiled widely.
"Ut oh," muttered Lily. She knew that look far too well.
"How about playing 'I have never'?" asked Marlene.
Lily groaned and covered her face in her hands.
James watched the strange reaction of the girl sitting in his lap and said curiously, "How do you play?"
"Well," said Marlene still grinning like a mad woman. "We go around in a circle and each person says something that they have never done. Any person who has done that thing must take a shot."
"We are not playing with alcohol," stated Lily firmly.
"Why not?" asked Peter.
"Because Lily with be drunk within ten minutes," said Marlene evilly.
"I hate this game," said Lily as all the boys agreed to play.
"It sounds like fun," said James as Remus returned to the circle with seven cups and the bowl of punch left from the party.
"It's not as fun when there isn't any alcohol," said Marlene as she transfigured the plastic cups into shot glasses and put a charm on them. "But this should still be a very interesting experience for everyone. Now everyone be honest because the shot glass will glow if you're lying and then you have to take two shots and we'll all know the truth anyways. I'll go first. I have never… snogged three different boys in the same day."
"I hate you Marlene," said Lily as she reached into the circle and took a shot glass.
"Wow Lily," said Peter in disbelief.
"Your turn Alice," said Lily.
Alice's smile mirrored Marlene's mischievous one. "I have never cheated on my significant other."
Lily and Sirius took shots this time.
"It wasn't you," Lily informed James after taking a drink.
"Wasn't you either," Sirius assured his girlfriend.
"Go ahead Peter," said Marlene.
"Okay, I umm… I have never had sex," said Peter quietly. No one took a drink.
"Interesting," said Sirius as he looked at James and Lily intently. "Your turn James."
"I have never had fleas," said James looking straight at Sirius.
Marlene jumped off of Sirius' lap very quickly as he reached for a drink.
"Don't worry love, I got rid of them," he said as he shot an irritated look at his best mate.
"Your turn Lily," said Marlene gleefully as she settled herself back on Sirius' lap.
Lily thought for a moment and then said, "I have never eaten a whole pie in one sitting."
Marlene sighed and commented, "Lily always comes up with the least exciting things because she's done all the exciting ones."
After James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had all taken a shot of punch it was Remus' turn.
"I have never had a fantasy dream about Lily," he said with great delight. He and Alice roared with laughter as James, Sirius and Peter all took shots. Lily blushed and refused to meet any of their gazes.
"It was a very good dream," James whispered in Lily's ear, making her blush even darker.
"Your turn Sirius," said Alice as she recovered herself.
"Let's see; I had better make this a good one. I have never watched a click flick hoping to impress a girl."
James, Remus, and Peter all took shots, much to the delight of the girls, especially Lily, who had recovered from her previous embarrassment.
"Now who were you trying to impress?" Lily asked James rhetorically.
"You of course," he answered.
"What movie?" she asked.
"I don't even remember; we didn't get all the way through it before we gave up and went to go play Quidditch instead," explained James.
"Typical," sighed Lily.
"Oh goody! It's my turn again!" said Marlene. "I have never kept a picture of someone of the opposite sex underneath my pillow."
Everyone except Marlene drank to that one.
"Now everyone has to spill; whose picture was it?" demanded Marlene.
Alice said, "Remus, Tim Jorkins, and couple of Quidditch players."
Peter listed a few female models and Remus admitting to having Vicky's picture under his pillow.
James replied, "Well… there was that girl on the cover of Quidditch Monthly…"
"I remember her!" said Peter with a laugh. "She was your dream girl before Lily."
"Oh yeah," said Sirius. "Never shut up about her; always saying that she was hot and played Quidditch- perfect in James' eyes. For me it was just a couple of muggle actresses."
James wrapped his arms around his precious girlfriend and continued, "And Lily's picture of course."
"Okay Alice your turn," said Lily.
"Not so fast Lily," said Marlene. "You didn't tell us who is under your pillow."
"That wasn't part of the game," Lily weakly protested. At seeing Marlene's set face, Lily sighed and answered, "Kenny Landers, Georgie Hanson, Phil Sears, Carl Fishberg, and Jamie Canyone."
"Actors? Celebrities?" asked James.
"No, just guys I thought I was madly in love with and really wasn't. None of them lasted more than a couple of days," elaborated Lily. "Just summer flings."
"No picture of me?" asked James, slightly hurt.
"Your picture is on my nightstand, and on my desk and in my photo album, don't let your poor ego be deflated," said Lily. "I just often thrash in my sleep and the pictures under my pillow often end up lost or crumpled."
"You have never kicked or anything when you were in bed with me," said James before he realized what he was saying and that he and Lily were not alone.
"Prat," muttered Lily as she smacked him lightly.
"You never told us about that!" said Marlene, her eyes brightening at the thought of a good juicy story.
"We've walked in on them loads of times," said Peter.
"Twice Peter, just twice," said James tiredly. "Moving on, it's your turn Alice."
"I have never become so totally hammered that I didn't even remember my own name," said Alice.
Lily, Sirius, Marlene, James, and Peter toasted to that one.
"Remember that time," said Marlene as she and James looked at each other and began laughing hysterically.
"Yeah at that party?" said James.
"At the important person's house?"
"When we forgot we were mortal enemies because we were the only ones there under fifty?"
"And you stole that whole bottle of vodka and we downed it?"
"And then everything is still a blur?"
"Great times!"
"So fun!"
"I'll never forget the lecture that came after that time that I can't remember because I was so drunk," reminisced Marlene.
"What's your drinking story Sirius?" asked Alice.
"My parents started me on rum when I was ten to build my liquor tolerance; by the time I was thirteen I could get drunk with the best of them," boasted Sirius.
"And what about you Peter?" asked Marlene as the other three Marauders burst out laughing.
"What happened?" asked Lily.
"Well," began Sirius grandly. "The summer after fifth year we were all at James' house and Pete here wakes up in the middle of the night, decides he's thirsty, heads down to the kitchen for a drink, yeah? Opens the cupboard and sees a bottle; now he's all bleary-eyed because it was in the middle of the night. Now the bottle looks like juice so he takes a sip, decides it's mighty tasty and drinks the whole bottle. Then he finds another one and downs it. You may have guessed, but these bottles didn't have grape juice like Peter thought; it was red wine.
"After the third bottle Pete became a bit restless. He started dancing around the kitchens bumping into things and throwing things around. He gave the house elves such a fright that they popped into Mr. and Mrs. P's bedroom and woke them up. Now James' parents had no idea what was going on, but they certainly weren't expecting to see Peter shaking his "thang" on their countertops waving his shirt above his head and yelling gibberish. Now by this time the rest of us were up and we arrived just in time to see Pete rip off his trousers!"
Sirius as well as the other Marauders were nearly crying with laughter at this point; well, except for Peter who was wishing the ground would swallow him up.
Eager to get the attention off of himself Peter asked Lily, "What is your drinking story?"
Lily stopped laughing immediately and the muscles of her face tensed as if the memory was very painful. After a moment's hesitation she relaxed and said, "Well it was a Friday night two summer's ago. As usual I was sent to my bedroom at nine…"
"Nine? What a lame bedtime! What are you? Four?" interrupted Peter in a boisterous voice.
"My step-mom sends me to bed so early so that I can sneak out of the house without arousing my father's suspicions," explained Lily tightly.
"She wants you to sneak out?" asked Remus in surprise.
"She just wants me to be popular," said Lily, just barely masking her distaste. "Anyways, this night was not unlike most others. A guy threw some pebbles at my window, I shimmied down the drain pipe and got in the car with him and a few mutual acquaintances and we went to a club not too far from my house.
"I was only sixteen at the time, but I convinced the bouncer to let me in," said Lily with a smirk as she recalled the effect of her feminine wiles on the man. "I don't even remember how I got so trashed; guys just kept buying me drinks and I kept drinking them. It was a good thing my sister showed up and dragged me home or I would have done something really stupid."
"How did Daisy get into the club?" asked Marlene.
"Not Daisy, Petunia," said Lily.
"What were you going to do?" asked Peter, his imagination running wild.
"Spend the night with a guy I met there," said Lily tactfully. "Luckily Petunia pulled me out of there, by my hair, before I could leave with him. She gave me quite a remarkable speech the next morning, with an enormous hangover her voice is ten times more shrill and annoying, but she never told my parents. She scared me so badly that I haven't gotten that trashed since. Anyways, how about a change of subject? It's your turn Peter."
Peter didn't hesitate in saying, "I have never done housework in a frilly pink apron."
Exchanging identical looks of annoyance James and Sirius took a shot of punch.
"Is there a story behind that one?" asked Alice.
"There most certainly is," said Remus with a grin. "One day during the summer holidays, Peter and I stopped by to see if James and Sirius were up for a trip to Diagon Alley and one of the house elves directed us to the kitchens. We walked in and James was washing the floor while Sirius was doing the dishes, without magic and wearing matching pink aprons!"
"My mum's idea of punishment for flying in the house," said James as he too laughed at the memory. "Now Peter, a guy can't take that kind of insult to his masculinity lying down, especially when his girlfriend is in the room. So this next one is for you."
Peter gulped.
"I have never kissed a gerbil."
Lily craned her head and looked at her boyfriend with a confused look on her face.
Reluctantly Peter took a drink. Totally repulsed by the possible explanations no one questioned him.
Sensing Peter's discomfort, Lily took her turn. "I have never cut my own hair."
Marlene groaned and said, "Lily, really now, do you have to be so boring?"
Lily just smiled serenely as she watched Peter, Remus, James, Alice and Marlene take shots.
"You've never cut your hair?" Marlene inquired of her boyfriend.
"And ruin such perfection?" asked Sirius in a joking way. "You're up Remus."
"I have never run away from home," said Remus looking at Lily with a curious look on his face.
Lily tensed and James repressed the urge to glare at Remus. Lily and Sirius were the only ones to take drinks. Neither commented on their actions and no one inquired further.
Sirius recovered quickly from the previous statement and announced his own. With a great deal of bravado he said, "I have never been kissed!"
Everyone laughed at this one; they had all been subjected to Sirius' many public displays of affection numerous times. He was never really private with all of his many girlfriends in fifth and sixth years, and even though he hadn't dated much since the start of seventh year, once he started dating Marlene, their friends had been made to suffer on a regular basis.
"Ok, so really, I have never been rejected for a date," said Sirius.
Alice, Marlene, Peter, and Remus all took drinks. Then, after a whispered comment to Lily, James took his shot.
"I thing you should take one shot for every time you've been rejected," said Sirius hardly containing his laughter.
"We would be here all night!" teased Marlene.
"We could narrow it down a bit to only the times he was rejected by Lily, but wait that wouldn't change the number!" said Sirius, joining his girlfriend in taunting James.
James just smiled and took their jeers because his perseverance had paid off in the end.
"So Lily, you've never once been rejected?" asked Peter in awe.
Lily shook her head.
"But have you ever asked anyone out?" asked Remus sensibly.
"Not anyone from school but I've asked a couple of other guys out. Sometimes it was just to make my step-mom crazy, other times it was just fun," said Lily lightly.
"Okay my turn!" announced Marlene. "I have never gone skinny dipping!"
The four Marauders as well as Lily took drinks.
"Italy," the boys said in unison.
"I'm starting to wonder if what Marlene said is true Lily; you seem to have done all the exciting stuff," said Sirius.
"Well when it's your turn again you can find out some more, but right now it's Alice's turn. Please Alice don't pick something you know I'll have to drink to, my stomach is pretty full as it is," Lily begged.
"I have never become an Animagus," Alice said without looking at anyone.
Silently four hands reached for glasses.
"Lily?" asked Alice in surprise. "I thought I knew about the boys, but you?"
"Yeah, you?" echoed James and Remus simultaneously.
"I knew it!" shouted Sirius.
"What?!" everyone asked as they turned to Sirius.
"This just got really complicated; I think it's time everyone went to bed," said Lily nervously as she stood up.
"No I think now would be a great time for some explanations," said James as he stood up and his gaze bore into Lily's.
"I think Lily's right and we should all go to bed," said Remus, who knew that the explanations would ultimately come back to his lycanthropy.
"I'm not leaving until someone explains all of this to me," said Marlene as she joined the standing people.
"I'd like an explanation too," said Alice quietly as she stood up and looked at Lily questioningly.
"I-I-I…" stuttered Lily as she frantically looked from one expectant face to the next. "I can't do this; I'm sorry."
Then she ran to the window, opened it and flung herself out into the dark spring night.
A/N Any theories anyone?
What was your favorite "I have never…"?