Ok so I'm going to assume from the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter (none) you all hated it. I shall try to redeem myself with this one. On with Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The next month past in a blur to Lily. Between the ever increasing homework, head girl duties and secret and public dates with James before she knew it, it was the week before Halloween. She was in the heads office putting the finishing touches to the details for the next Hogsmeade visit when James burst into the room caked in mud and sweat after Quidditch practice.

"Hi baby" he came behind her giving her a hug

"James" she yelped "you're filthy"

"Wanna come help me shower?" he grinned making his eyebrows wriggle

She laughed at him stood there covered head to foot in mud and still making innuendos "go I'll meet you I the heads' bathroom once I've finished this"

"What's that?" he leaned over the table dripping rain and sweat all over her parchment

"Details for the next Hogsmeade visit next week. Since Halloween is on a Monday this year we're having Hogsmeade on the 29th, Saturday"

"Come with me"

"I'll think about it, now go you're dripping everywhere" she laughed giving him a shove towards the door

"Are you dripping everywhere?" She raised an eyebrow "ok, ok going".

Just over an hour and a half later Lily was sat on the sofa by the fire in the common room chatting to Marlene when the portrait door slammed open and James with a face like thunder, his hair plastered to his head stormed in.

"You"

"Hi baby" Lily smiled innocently

"I waited for over an hour for you, the water was bloody freezing"

"So Potter" Marlene cackled "You ended up having a cold shower after all" Lily shot her friend a questioning look "he came here looking for you earlier when he got back from practice. I said you were busy and he should just get himself a cold shower" Marlene offered an explanation

Lily grinned "why weren't you at practice?"

"I broke my ankle in a crush on the stairs. I spent half the afternoon in the hospital wing. The new nurse isn't half as fast as Madam O'Connell"

"Do that again McKinnon and I'll bloody kill you, we have our first match is in two weeks" James hissed

Lily reached over the back of the sofa where James was leaning and began to massage his shoulder "wanna have an early night, you look shattered?" he leaned into her hand and nodded. She let go of his shoulder, gave her friend a kiss on the cheek "see you later sweetie" and led James away up the boy's staircase.

No one battered an eye-lid now. The first couple of weeks they were officially dating were horrendous, the whole school making snide comments, wolf-whistling or pretending to puke whenever they held hands, spoke to each other or kissed anywhere in school. It was just as bad in the common room but now no-one cared if Lily made frequent trips up to the seventh year boys' dormitory.

She helped him out of his Qudditch uniform dumping it on the floor by his bed.

"Lay face down"

When he was laying down eyes closed and eyebrows still knitted in a frown she stripped off her own clothes except her bra and underwear, took out a bottle of muscular relaxer from his bedside drawer and closed the drapes around them both. She straggled his firm boxer-clad ass and poured some potion into her hands rubbing to warm it up, kneading her hands firmly into his back, loosening the tension he carried on his shoulders. She ran her hands from the base of his spine up to his neck, fanning out around his waist, ribcage and shoulder-blades. She rubbed away the soreness in his biceps, forearms and hands. His breathing evened out as his body relaxed, loosened up and his mind began to calm. She found the easy repetitive motions relaxing lulling her into an almost dream-like state. But she needed to talk to him, tell him and live with the consequences. She only hoped he was tired enough to not really listen

"Am I forgiven?" she laid across his back, fingers still kneading, plucking at the muscular in his neck. Her voice soft in his ear.

"Mmmm, you're cheating" he murmured semi-conscious into his pillow "how can I be cross right now at anything"

She laughed lightly the warm breath calming him further, igniting his desire

"James?"

"Mmmm"

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to promise you won't flip out or go into melt-down"

"That doesn't sound good" he was more alert now although his face was still buried into the pillow, her fingers still rubbing his neck. He could feel the soft skin of her belly pressed into his back, her bare legs bent along his waist and thighs, the scratchy lace of her bra tickling his skin and her lips kissing him behind his ear. He had never known anyone to make him feel so calm, so blissed out yet so on edge at the same time.

"Do you promise?" she whispered in between kisses

"Mmmm"

"Sev asked to speak to me today. I'll be seeing him tomorrow"

"Absolutely not" James roared almost throwing her off his back.

She got off him and placed the vial of potion on the bedside table so it didn't get split. "I'm not asking your permission" she sniffed indignantly "I'm merely informing you where I will be before dinner"

"Are you stupid, after all he said to you, how he treated you last year, all the crying. You must be crazy if you think I'd let you near him with a ten-foot broomstick"

"You're not letting me do anything. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and it may surprise you but I want to see what he has to say. If you dare even think about interfering Potter we will be over faster than you can say 'Quidditch Cup'" she was fuming how dare he try and tell her what and what not to do. Her infamous, firey red-head temper was defiantly out now.

They were off the bed now yelling at each other from across the room. Lily picked up her wand & shot a particularly nasty jinx at James who was too quick; his Qudditch fast reflexes blocked it easily.

"What makes you think you have any say in what I do and who I speak to?" she yelled hexing him again, one that he yet again blocked.

"Because I fucking love you, because when you get hurt it's my job to make you feel loved, when you cry I'll dry your tears. I fought for you so fucking hard; I won't let that slimy lizard get between us now"

"Oi shut up both of you, who whole common room can hear you" Sirius bellowed from the doorway. They both turned to look at him, wands still pointed at each other. "Merlin's beard Evans' get some clothes on" he said lowing his tone.

"Stop staring at my girlfriend" James lowed his wand and glared at his best friend petulantly

"Don't be a prat Prongs, even you're not allowed to be that much of an idiot" Sirius said mildly he was almost too used to James' jealousy now, especially after living with him for over a year.

"I'm off" Lily grabbed the first clothes she could get her hands on and fixing both boys with a glare stormed out not before shooting a bat bogey hex at them both.

"Fucking men, are they all just born prats?" Lily fumed taking a drag and passing a cigarette to Marlene. They were sheltered from view on the castle by the Herbology greenhouses and judging from the number of cigarette butts that littered the patchy grass they weren't alone in their secret habit.

"You're wearing his jumper" Marlene stared down at her friend narrowing her eyes

"I know, I only realised when I got to the common room and there was not a chance in hell I was going back up there. What's his freaking problem anyway?" she took the cigarette off her friend's out stretched hand

"Well maybe, just maybe he's concerned for you. You were pretty devastated last time. Why did you tell him before you went, you knew he was going to go ape-shit"

"Because I thought he might be at least slightly reasonable, he's supposed to love me. Therefore he's supposed to trust me"

Marlene raised an eyebrow "we are talking about the same bloke here aren't we? When has he even been reasonable as far as Snape's concerned, and what on earth would make you think he'd be reasonable now?"

"Oh ha bloody ha" Lily squished the butt end into the earth with her shoe "come on let's get back inside, it's freezing out here and I have to go monitor patrols"

She left Marlene at the top of the seventh floor stairs and made her way to the heads office.

James had finished his patrols for the night on his own since Lily had stormed off somewhere. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to contemplate their row. Trying to understand why she had got so angry, he was just trying to look out for her. Snape was bad news he'd been telling her for years, but it was only after he called her that revolting name had she any sense to see him in less than golden light.

The door burst open and he opened his eyes, sitting up straighter in his chair trying to make it look like he wasn't dozing. Lily came in with a look of surprise to see him there bringing with her the scent of wet grass and cigarette smoke, her hair was damp but not wet so the rain must have stopped he thought absently and tied on top of her head in a high ponytail.

"I thought you'd be off with the boys" she said dropping into her chair

"unlike some people I don't sulk of my responsibilities to have a bitch, a moan and a fag" he said haughtily raising an eyebrow

"That obvious eh?" she sniffed the jumper

"I don't mind, I have a sneaky one myself sometimes. The bitch and the moan yeah I do mind, you have a problem with me, with us you come to me and we work through it like adults" he snapped "Lily I was just looking out for you." He leaned forward softening his tone "I had enough seeing you cry after the O. and all of last year. It broke my heart to watch you cry over another man while there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. As your boyfriend there is something I can do now"

"By preventing me from seeing him? I just want to hear what he has to say. I wasn't ready after the O. but I am now. I'm not like those silly giggling bitches I can look after myself."

"I know, you're stronger than even you give yourself credit for, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to protect you"

"I'm going to see him James, that's non-negotiable" his face set in a scowl "however" she continued leaning over the desk towards him "I'll come find you straight away after. I'll tell you as much as I'm willing to tell and you won't get angry and you and the rest of the boys won't go jinxing him. Anywhere."

He spluttered and stammered trying to come up with an argument for her very reasonable request "You'll tell me everything."

She got out of her seat and went to sit on his lap. His arms came to wrap around her automatically holding her closer, she leaned her head on his chest listening to the thud of his heart "It's not his bed I sleep in every night, it's not his clothes I steal and wear, I'm not with him Potter I'm with you"

"You sure are baby" he nuzzled his face in her hair inhaling the strawberry, apple smoky scent as they waited in contented silence for the prefects to report back

That night Lily followed James up stairs where the rest of the Marauders were playing cards

"Make sure cast a silencing charm and don't move the bed too much" Sirius cackled "Make up sex is the best sex"

"Shut the bloody hell up Black" Lily snapped grabbing a t shirt from James' trunk, pulling off his jumper exposing her bra to the rest of the room before slipping on the t-shirt and discarding her jeans "their tits, don't look like you've never seen a pair before" and with that she climbed into bed and shut the drapes

"Rather you than me mate, I'd rather face Moony at full moon" Sirius said under his breath

"Will you stop it all of you, it's an argument, we're trying to work through it the best we can but it's not easy when the whole school wants to know everything. You aren't helping, fuck Pads I thought you'd understand"

"Yeah, no not really. One the whole school isn't obsessed with my love life as some gossip fodder, two I make it a rule never to argue with girls, they mess with your head and your words, and three I don't love Marlene, what we have is a bit of fun, if we broke up tomorrow I'd be guttered yeah, but I wouldn't spend all day moping"

James gave his mate a questioning glance "I'm off to bed, I'll see you all tomorrow" he took off his jeans & t-shirt and placed them over his trunk. Now just clad in his boxers he crawled into bed where Lily curled into his chest.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in the muted light "I should have thought about how you'd feel me going to see him"

"Yeah you should've. However you're like me, we both react first ask questions later. I should've thought that you might want to see him. He was a big part of your life Lils I should've understood that"

"Do you now?" she turned her head up to look at him

"No. I hate the guy, I hate how he treats people, how he treats you. I hate his obsession with the dark arts. Lily to understand a man's character see how he treats his inferiors not his equals"

"Don't pull philosophy shit on me Potter, your still a git to the younger kids calling them brats, hexing them in the corridors, pulling pranks"

"Hey I'm changing, I haven't hexed anyone for fun since before last Christmas and the prank with the house elves dressed as fairies following them Slytherin's round all day singing to them was pretty funny"

Lily sighed "Well done Potter for not hexing anyone and alright then it was pretty funny until McGonagall gave you all a week's detention"

"I don't know how she found out it was us"

"Potter it's always you. The only time it's not you is when you're home for the holidays or in detention and even then there is a good chance it's something you left behind for us to 'remember you by'"

"Oh yeah" he grinned "but back to Snape, I want to be there with you, I don't trust him or his little band of death eaters." She was very quiet for a while and James thought she might have fallen asleep "are you alright?"

"I will be"

"What is it? Damn it woman we don't have secrets" it came out slightly louder than intended

"So you deliberately not telling me about Remus is what exactly? You forgot? Oh no wait you were trying to protect me. Grow up Potter I worked it out in fourth year."

James was stunned. How much did she actually know, did Moony know? "What?"

"I know he's a werewolf"

James was speechless, the complete acceptance of normality, the flat indifference.

"It never changed who he was, who he is as a person" she continued.

James let her go and stuck his head out of the hangings where the boys were still sat on Remus's bed to the right of James' playing cards. "Oi Moony, did you know Evans' knows about your furry little problem?"

"Yeah she mentioned it once during rounds either fifth or sixth year" Remus never took his eyes off the game partly because Sirius was an awful cheat and a worse looser and partly because this conversation was making him increasingly uncomfortable.

"And you failed to tell me this why?" he could feel his blood pressure rising again

"Wasn't important, she asked if you lot knew I said yeah and we never spoke about it again except to ask me how I was feeling"

"Why are you two talking about Moony, you're meant to be banging the fuck out of each other" Sirius asked in his usual eloquent way "pair of kings, pay up boys"

"Sod off Padfoot" Lily called from the bed "told you Potter" as he lay back down pulling her close again "what else have you got?"

"Might as well tell her Prongs" Peter called "she won't say a word to anyone else, besides I'm sure she'll be hanging around for ages yet, unless you majorly screw it up again. Running flush and a pair of fives, I'll have them sickles back Pads"

"I'll make you a deal, I'll go and see Snape then after dinner we'll go somewhere quiet and get all secrets out in the open."

"Fine, deal. I'm tired of arguing your right you can look after yourself, but I'll still be keeping an eye on you" his arms holding her right up close to his chest, a leg thrown over both of hers and his hand creeping up her shirt to rest on her belly. She turned her head and kissed him on the chin. The only part of him she could reach.

"Night James"

The next afternoon Lily was walking to meet Snape at the covered bridge she had just dropped her bag off in her dorm and grabbed her cloak as the weather was getting chillier by the day. She couldn't shake off the feeling she was been watched as she walked through the almost empty halls, down the marble staircase and outside. As she walked across the frosty ground she could've sworn she could hear another set of footsteps behind her yet when she looked there was no-one there. Just before she got to the bridge she turned abruptly.

"James if you're under that bloody cloak you can wait here right now. One foot on that bridge and consider us finished" she thought for a moment "Sirius, if it's you Remus or Peter you can also wait here. I'll be fine look you can see me perfectly fine if I need you I'll call for you. This is your last warning boys" she turned back to meet Snape who was stood looking down at the ravine hundreds of feet below him about half way across. Lily was pleased she couldn't hear any footsteps following her as she leaned over the railings next to her ex-best friend.

"What did you want Sev?" she sighed feeling the cool breeze flow up from the chasm

"Not come with your entourage today Evans" Snape bit back

"It took a lot of persuasion but now I left them in the castle last time I saw them" she said truthfully with the hint of a smile on her lips "What dya want Severus. It's been fifteen months"

"It's not that I wanted to talk about. I wanted to apologise for last year" he turned to face her "I'm sorry Lily, I should have been there, I should have stopped them"

She took a deep breath trying to keep her emotions in check "I don't completely blame you Sev. What do you see in them? Is this really the life you want?"

"I don't have a choice Lily"

"Don't be stupid of course you do, everyone has choices Sev, it's never too late to make the right one, to atone yourself for the wrong ones" her mind briefly wandered back to James

"I love you Lily" he said quietly staring at a place in the middle distance somewhere over her left shoulder.

"What?"

"I love you, I want you to chuck Potter and love me. Will you Lily, will you run away with me make me beyond happy, make me the man you always knew I could be?" she stood staring at him in shock her jaw slack. She had no idea how to respond. Severus (wrongly) assumed she was taking this time to think over his request. He lurched for her sealing his lips to hers his hands cupping her jaw forcing her mouth open.

She pushed at his chest until he let her go "what the bloody hell dya think you're doing?"

"I thought you loved me too"

"Yeah loved past tense, and it was as a friend. I loved you as a friend Sev, nothing more. I'm not going to mention this to anyone. I'm not sure either of us want to deal with the embarrassment or ramifications" she was breathing heavily to hold back her tears & bite her lip

"It hurts to see you with him Lily, all the times we teased him for being a prat. You used to think he was the world's biggest idiot too. It hurts because I wish it was me.

"I'm sorry Severus. I can't do this" she briefly touched her lips to his cheek & ran off towards the castle as the tears streamed down her face.

Ok what do you think of this chapter. Just a few things I thought I should mention:

1) The crush which Marlene talks about were quite common in our school. they tended to happen at lesson change overs in narrow corridors and on stairs. It's where you have a large number of people going in both directions. I don't think bones were actually broken in our school but my friend did sprain her ankle quite badly in one.

2) Also people who have being complaining of me using ampersands (&) look and notice I have stopped using them

Huge thanks to all my Followers & people who have favourite Persistance Is The Key, I love you all and also huge huge thanks to the 5,981 people who have read it.

Please review let me know what you like/hate/want more of/want less of reviews are like Ben & Jerry's & sunshine (I live in the north of England, we don't get much sun here).

Lilly x