A/N: Howdy again! I've got over 500 views on this fanfiction, and I honestly never expected that. It means a lot to know that people are reading my story because it means that I'm not a terrible writer, and the things I do which many of my friends wouldn't get are actually decent, and worth a bit of a read. :3
Thank you. It'd mean a great deal, I'd be so happy if you could review. My review aim is around 20, I don't expect many, just a small amount would mean the world to me.

ANYWAY, I'LL SHUT UP AND STOP VENTING MY FEELS.

Chapter 7
Or,
Of Death, Strip Poker and Chocolate cake.

Yesterday, everybody had woken up to a notice about the ball; it was a nice notice, a happy one. A one that made people welcome, and feel a lot better about the current situation. But today, the notice that people woke up to, wasn't happy or pleasant at all.

Everybody was at breakfast chatting excitedly about the ball, but when the post arrived, the hall broke out into hushed voices; all scared, concerned, and those at the Gryffindor table- for they were the bravest, more outspoken people in the room- were pissed off.

James glared at the words on the paper in front of him, he was chewing his lip anxiously as he read the paper and then he growled.

"This world is fucking terrible now." He spat staring at the Slytherin table for they were the main people in that hall who believed in all the turmoil being mentioned in the news, tossing the paper in the general direction of his friends.

Sirius- being the one who had grabbed the Prophet first- began to read the short article which read:

The Death Eaters Strike Again.

The parents of a muggleborn were found dead yesterday; along with two Muggleborn children themselves. It is official that they were murdered by the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, as the dark mark surrounded their residence. At the ministry, we are now certain that the Death Eaters are going to be constantly targeting Muggleborns due to their blood status, and their beliefs.

The well-trained Auror departments are currently seeking out all suspected Death Eaters to prevent this happening again. All Muggleborns are advised to be extra careful, and follow Ministry safety rules, along with abiding by the Muggle security rules.

Lily froze. She was being targeted; well maybe not her exactly, but people like her, those who weren't pureblood and didn't come from insanely rich families that had magic dripping through their veins for centuries.

And it made her feel sick.

Why should the Muggleborns innocent families be murdered in their beds because they have children who are different? In fact, they aren't even different at all. They have exactly the same skills, heck; sometimes they're even better at things than half-bloods and purebloods, they just don't have magical families. And now, they were targets. The Death Eaters were coming for them, along with their families.

They weren't safe.

Lily, even though she was at Hogwarts, still wasn't safe. And nor was her family. That small thought of her family made her heart ache, she had argued with them, and now families of Muggleborns were being killed. Could her family be next? Would it be her family who were the center of the Prophet, and her fury, next?

"Lily, are you listening to us? Lily!" Alice was waving a hand in front of Lily; she was frowning, simply being worried about her best friend.

Lily jumped slightly, and then remembered where she was and who she was sitting with. She saw the outraged looks on her friends' faces, and then spoke to them all.

"No, I wasn't, but I know exactly what you'll all have been saying without even paying attention to the conversation. That it's sick, and wrong, and we aren't any different, and we shouldn't have to live in fear. But now we will. We will live in fear. Every Muggleborn who reads that article, or whose friend tells them about it, they'll all be scared; not for themselves, but for their family. We've been branded! We've been branded with dirty blood and it'll not be long before we'll be targeted by everybody else. The ministry will start, and we'll lose everything we had. We'll be outcasts, not entitled to have jobs because our blood isn't pure. We don't have a magical background, so we'll be pushed aside. The purebloods will be protected because they can create purebloods, and the half-bloods won't be outcasts either. It's just people like me, and you're right; it is sick. It's vile. Who does this Voldemort even think he is? I bet there are wizard and witches out there who are a thousand times better than him, and they'll be Muggleborns."

"You're right, Lily, and we know that it's wrong, but I don't think you'll be outcast just yet. The ministry will sort it out. The ministry will stop this." Sirius replied.

"Of course I'm right, Sirius! And you don't think so, do you? So what's going to happen when purebloods get scared? The ministry will defend the purebloods before us, and you know it! It's not just wrong, it's fucking immoral. You don't get it, you're not the Mudblood." Lily's voice had risen and she had captured the attention of nearly the whole Gryffindor table. Lily's friends in particular winced when she used the word 'Mudblood' because they hated her using it. "My family basically has a death sentence; they could be murdered in their sleep because I am a witch! And what are we doing to help it? Nothing, absolutely fuck all. Oh, I tell a lie. Every Auror is looking for these Death Eaters and we have to follow ministry guidelines, and we also have Muggle security, well that isn't enough! Having the Aurors out looking for Death Eaters isn't going to stop these attacks, staying in houses after ten or not leaving the house along isn't going to stop a murder. A Muggle stands no chance against a magical thug who has studied god knows what, and knows nearly every dark magic charm in the bloody book! We need to stop them. We need to stand up against it all, make them see that we aren't racist against Muggleborns. It isn't down to the ministry, they won't do anything, and they're too blind to see what needs to be done. It is down to us. Only us- as a magical community- can come together and stop all of this, before it's too late. Before all the Muggle's are tortured, or killed, and before the Muggleborns are wiped out. Because let's face it, nobody wants that apart from the Slytherins; and they're not going to fucking get what they want." Lily finished her rant with a growl and then a long sigh.

The whole Gryffindor table broke out into applause. They were staring at Lily with awe. Nobody had ever heard her get so worked up about something before, and she was right.

"Well said, Evans. I vote you for minister of magic!" James bumped her shoulder and grinned at her. Now normally, Lily would have rolled her eyes or smacked his shoulder, but this time; she smiled back. It was a genuine smile that she gave him because Lily knew he agreed with what she said.

James knew Lily was correct, it was obvious she was right; clearly the ministry would protect the purebloods and hate against the Muggleborns just like Voldemort was doing. And he was actually pretty proud of Lily for that speech. She was the Muggleborn, and that could have been her family. And she was a fighter; she was determined to stop it.

And he had never been more ashamed of being a Pureblood.

Lily met up with Josh at the beginning of lunch, and they a basket of food from the great hall before taking it outside. Autumn was Lily's favourite season; she loved nature, and she loved it when the leaves would fall from the trees, and she loved how the air would start to turn chilly- just cold enough to see your breath, but not freezing so you had to wrap up just for bed.

A new found reason for loving autumn was it reminded Lily of Josh's hair. It was the delightful colour of dying leaves- the auburn, brown colour which leaves would turn before they fell, and Lily loved it.

Considering Lily and Josh had final lessons together- double Transfiguration- they decided on spending the rest of the day together. They would have a cute little lunch outside, unfortunately go to lesson, and then they'd be free to spend the night together. Lily had even checked, and she could get into Ravenclaw tower because according to the portrait; if you could find the answer to the riddle in which she presented you, you were entitled to enter the tower. Lily, being one of the smartest witches among her year, along with the entire school, she was definitely entitled to enter the tower; which meant Lily and Josh could have a nice and romantic night.

But for now, they were sat together near the black lake. The view was spectacular. The sun hadn't completely risen, so it was settle just above half way, and the sky hadn't turned completely blue or grey. It was a peaceful colour in-between, with flicks of orange and specks of pink. It really was beautiful.

They spent the entire hour for lunch sitting and doing nothing but talking. They laughed about random things, but the most important thing to the pair of them, was how their relationship had grown.

They had in fact been together for 2 months, and that doesn't seem very long. Around 62 days until Christmas, or a birthday, seems like nothing. But when you've committed yourself to somebody else, somebody you not only cared for but potentially loved, for two months; it's like a lifetime, especially when you're only 16. It didn't seem like Lily and Josh had been together for a long time, but now everybody could tell that they have something.

They could tell that Lily was falling for Josh, and hard. Josh was the perfect boyfriend to Lily, he was gorgeous and no matter how many people say that looks don't matter, they do; because it's the first thing you notice about somebody in a crowd. Now Lily wasn't shallow, like many people in Hogwarts were- many people only cared about looks- but Lily cared about a lot more. She believed that there was no good in having a pretty exterior if you were vile and cruel on the inside, and that's what Lily loved about Josh. He was gorgeous, but was smart and funny, and kind. He'd promised Lily that he'd be with her as long as they both worked, and that was what they were doing.

Everybody could also tell that Josh was falling for Lily. Lily was pretty, even beautiful. But she took very little time in her appearance unless it was a special occasion; otherwise it was just a lick of mascara and a coating of lipstick. But most of all, Lily was a nice person. She cared about everybody else, and she could always tell if somebody was upset.

They weren't the perfect couple, but they were pretty close.

Unfortunately, they only did have an hour for their lunchtime, and it's true that if they both didn't care as much about their studies, they would have skipped classes to spend more time with each other. Before they left and rejoined their friends, Josh stopped Lily and kissed her.

"Lily, I know we've only been together for two months, but it is a lot and I want you to know something. I love you." He kissed her again, and they walked hand in hand to Transfiguration.

Happiness was a great thing.

Unknown to Lily, that happiness wouldn't last forever.

James and Sirius had once again claimed the sofa, while Remus had claimed the armchair adjacent to it, and Peter had extra Potions because he had already managed to fall behind. Isabelle was sitting on the floor nearby the Marauders, and Alice and Frank were sat at a table in the far corner of the common room so they could study charms. Marlene and Hestia were both on dates, and Lily had just walked through the portrait, she was looking very agitated.

"I hate boys!" Lily declared when she was in the vicinity of Isabelle, and just in ear shot of Alice and Frank. The Marauders could also hear, but Lily wasn't too fussed.

"Finally, you've joined to dark side!" Isabelle joked, putting her Potions homework away.

"I think I'll be staying on the dark side, too." She replied, sighing.

"Josh?" Isabelle asked- although she already knew it was him- and Lily nodded. "He still hasn't asked you to the dance?!"

"No, he hasn't. He's also decided to have a boy's night out- which I have no problem with- but he's cancelled our plans, that we made a couple of days ago- and reinforced today! It's our anniversary tomorrow- yeah; it'll only be a few months, but still." Lily sighed again; she wasn't sure if she was being stupid, or if she was being reasonable. Josh had just blown her off to go with his friends- that she didn't really have a problem with; she just wished her plans weren't cancelled. But she was bothered about the fact she wasn't going to get to see him on their anniversary, and the fact he still hadn't asked her to the dance.

"Who has he gone out with?" Sirius- having been listening to every single word of the girls' conversations- asked, his head hanging over the back of the sofa.

"Matthew and Tom, I think. He said something about Quidditch." Lily replied and Sirius frowned. Isabelle noticed his face and shot him a warning glare that told him to keep his mouth shut, no matter what he knew- although she wanted to know what exactly he did know, she just wasn't sure Lily needed to know, yet. Sirius, being the person who actually kept the Hogwarts gossip chain running and also being the person who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut, didn't notice her look at all- well, he did, he just chose to ignore it.

"Nah, he'll not be out with them. Marlene's on a date with Matt, and Tom is with Hestia." Sirius told them, and Isabelle sighed. She knew Sirius must have known something, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut; now Lily was going to be paranoid and worried. Shit.

"Ah right, I don't know who he's with then. They're the only friends of his I've actually spoken too." Lily replied, shrugging it off.

"I think he's with Oliver, I'm sure they were talking about playing a game of Quidditch earlier in Defense." James said, kicking Sirius discretely. James knew that he wasn't with Oliver, but Lily didn't deserve to find anything out from Sirius and especially himself. She'd hate him even more.

But James knew exactly where Josh was. And he also knew who he was with.

"Oh, thanks." Lily told him, smiling again at James. She actually really appreciated James telling her that, her mind could rest, and it was because of James. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

James smiled back at her, although the smile didn't fully reach his eyes. He felt guilty for not telling her what Josh was up to, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when he could be classed as responsible. "You don't need to be thinking about him though, Evans, you need to be having some fun!"

He kicked everybody else out of the common room, so it was just the Marauders and Lily, Isabelle, Frank and Alice left.

And then he cracked open the vodka.

"Oooh, can we play strip poker?" Sirius asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"No." Alice and Remus said in unison, they would allow themselves to have a small drink, but they wouldn't take off their clothes.

"I would, but I'm not drunk enough." Lily shrugged.

"And I would, but I don't know how to play poker." Isabelle sighed.

"We can fix both of those problems, my loves." Sirius was already pouring large glasses of vodka- straight- and handing them to everybody, and then summoned a pack of cards.

The game began.

And it was one hell of a game.

They'd been playing strip poker for half an hour, but Lily and Isabelle were the best and had only shed their jumpers and ties. James, Sirius and Frank were sat in their boxers; Remus still had a bit of decency and had his pants on, while Alice was in her bra and skirt.

It was quite the sight.

"I want some chocolate." Sirius whined, downing a shot of tequila. They'd run out of vodka, and also went through a bottle of Sambuca, so it was now tequila.

"I could murder a chocolate cake." Lily added.

"That's not very nice, why would you do that?" Remus asked, causing the group to burst out into a fit of giggles.

"I'm going to get some, anybody coming?" Lily asked the group but got no response, so she left the common room and hurried down to the kitchen.

She was drunk, but she was certain she could manage to ask a house-elf to make her some cake, she was even sure she could get them to bring it up to the Gryffindor Common Room if she wanted. She'd had a good night, and she was breaking a lot of rules for a girl who was a prefect and aspired to be the next head girl; but it was worth it, because she was having a laugh, and a laugh is exactly what she needed.

She approached the kitchens in the basement, and she tickled the pear in the portrait of the fruit bowl and entered to be greeted by a happy house-elf.

"Hello Miss, what can I do for you?"

"I'd like some chocolate cake, please- it's for about…ten of us" Lily replied, smiling at the little elf. She couldn't remember how many people she was with, and 10 was an even number, so it would do.

"Of course, Miss." The elf bounced away, and Lily walked further into the kitchen to sit down. She briefly glanced around the kitchen; it was large and had several doors leading to random different areas of the castle. The little elf returned quicker than Lily had expected and gave Lily an extremely large chocolate cake. It was even in a box for her, so it was easy to carry.

"Thank you." Lily waved goodbye, and turned to leave, but she didn't get very far.

One of the doors opened after having pressure being applied to it, and standing were two people embraced in a very passionate encounter.

They weren't just any old two people though. It was Josh, and Grace Fitzpatrick.

And they weren't just kissing.

They looked like they'd been playing strip poker.

Josh was standing in his boxers, and Grace was her skimpy set of underwear, and their hands were all over each over. They obviously didn't expect the door to open, and they obviously didn't expect it to open to the kitchens.

And I bet they didn't expect Lily to be there.

Lily wanted to cry. She wanted to scream and cry, and stuff herself with the whole chocolate she held in her hands. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She felt the familiar sensation that told her she was going to cry, and Lily bit back the tears. She wouldn't cry, not yet.

Lily finally found her voice. "I'm glad you're enjoying that game of Quidditch, Joshua."

Josh freed himself from Grace, and his mouth hung open in shock. But Grace wasn't fazed by Lily's appearance.

"Oh, the game hasn't even begun yet, Lily." Grace teased, running her hands down Josh's chest and biting playfully at his shoulder. This made Josh release a pleasured sigh.

It also made Lily explode, and caused her to dive forward and punch Grace.

And then she punched Josh, just for good measure.