Chapter Two

Rainy Days and Quidditch Plays

He was staring at her again. It happened more often now, Lily noted from where she sat alone in the library. When they were younger she felt it all the time, but then it had stopped as quickly as it began sometime during fifth year. Now it seemed his penetrating gaze had returned.

She decided she didn't mind it.

She wouldn't mind knowing what he saw when he stared though.

"Lily!"

"Sirius?" The voice and the handsome face she recognized. It was the location the startled her. "This is the library."

He grinned enjoying her teasing and even more that he had surprised her. Sirius always took pleasure in giving a little shock, but it was hard to surprise the girl who observed everything. "I'm aware. I came to study."

His proud voice puzzled her further, but her emerald eyes remained expectant. She was waiting for the punch line.

"Oi! James, mate! I was wondering where you had gotten off to." Her boyfriend exclaimed much too loudly for the library, spotting his best friend a few tables away. "What are you doing here?"

The boy in question gathered his books together quickly and made his way other to them. Lily suspected it was just so Sirius wouldn't get them in trouble with the librarian. Taking a seat across from her, James placed a book in front Sirius.

"Quidditch, I should've known!" Sirius had a wonderful full laugh and Lily couldn't help but suppress her own amusement when the librarian eyed them severely. There was nothing quiet about his laugh. "You're bound to be the greatest captain in Gryffindor- no- Hogwarts' history as much strategizing as you do."

James just smiled and pulled the Quidditch book back from Sirius. For all the times Sirius talked about how funny and talkative James Potter was, he never had much to say around Lily.

They settled into their chairs and Lily passed Sirius her DADA book because (of course) he hadn't brought his own, and they began to study. It didn't take long for her boyfriend to lose focus though and even Lily had to admit her surprise that he lasted five entire minutes without speaking.

"It makes sense, really." Sirius said thoughtfully looking around the library.

Distracted Lily jotted down a few notes from her Potion's book. "What's that?"

"Lily Evans, James Potter, and Severus Snape." He stated.

Her face snapped up to meet his. She caught a glimpse of James mirroring her action. "What?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and gestured around the library to where Severus sat across the room. "The top three students of our year are the only ones holed up in the library on such a beautiful day."

"Sirius, it's raining outside." James pointed out ignoring any other observations.

"Exactly!" He exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much fun you can have in the rain? Not to mention, Lily's white shirt!"

This earned him a smack on the back of the head that Lily administered with her very heavy potions book. He barely acknowledged the blow from the girl wearing said white shirt. It was James' turn to disrupt the library with his laughter and it caused a third distraught stare from the librarian.

Sighing deeply, Lily packed up her things and gingerly pulled at Sirius's shirt beckoning him to follow her out quietly. She had planned on getting ahead in Potions' work, but it was no use with her easily distracted puppy around.

She felt his eyes again following them and maybe that was the real reason it was time to leave the library in peace. Because as much as she didn't mind his eyes staring at her like that, she knew Sirius would.

They made it halfway up to the common room before Sirius realized their unlikely position of being alone and having a free afternoon. It would be one their last before the long summer ahead of them.

"Let's go to the lake." Not bothering to wait for her reply, he had her by the hand dragging her along after him.

She would have reminded him that it was indeed raining, but Lily knew this would only provide a spirited rant.

Sirius loved the rain.

He could never understand why people let it hinder them. He would say 'We're bloody wizards for Merlin's sake!' whenever Lily had tried to deter him before.

She had to admit her rather muggle mind set, always forgetting she could cast a warming charm if she was cold or a simple "Accio…" when she couldn't find her hairbrush.

The rain had not cooled the air and she was thankful as they made their way across the grounds to their 'spot.'

The dainty alcove of the lake slanted back slightly into the trees, hiding them from the castle except for maybe a glimpse from the Gryffindor tower. It was a good thing that someone would have had to be looking very hard with a strong pair of binoculars to spot them, after all the naughty things Sirius had been able to talk her into doing in their secret 'spot.'

She was thankful for the cool drizzle that slid down her cheeks, as they warmed and reddened at the thought.

He got ahead of her somehow, always overly excited, and his bare feet were hidden beneath the glassy surface of the lake by the time she joined him. He was lounging on an overly large rock that was still too small to be classified as a boulder in Lily's mind- it was just big enough for two.

She shook out her mane of healthy curls to free them from water.

"Merlin…" He trailed off staring at her with a look Lily knew too well.

It sent crazy tingles all over her body, dipping low enough to make her eyes flutter shut for a half a second.

He splashed carelessly into the shin high lake, another thing Lily would not have done for her muggle mind set. Sirius would never consider letting his soaked pants dry the natural way. Why would he when with a simple swish and sharp flick to the left they would be dry instantly?

Drying his pants didn't seem to be on his mind in a muggle or magical way as he was simply taking the most direct route to his deliciously soaked girlfriend in her forgotten white shirt.

"Damn." She cursed quickly crossing her arms across her chest as he reached her. She had completely forgotten Sirius's other favorite reason for loving the rain- its likely hood of making her clothes translucent and/or stick to her like a second skin.

She also cursed the fact that instead of wearing a black bra (the only color she had laundered at the moment); she had opted to just wear a similarly white camisole underneath.

Sirius was having none of that, pushing her arms back down to her sides and staring at her.

She found herself wondering for the second time that day what boys saw when they stared at her.

She knew the logistics of course. She had very red hair that lingered toward a darker tone than orange with green eyes that somehow people always seemed to notice, despite the fact they only irritated Lily with their ever curious glint. If she was thinking something it showed right through her eyes, and the nuisance made it impossible for her to lie to someone's face.

She had been told she had a nice figure ever since she'd developed somewhere around fourteen- a little later than the other girls, she remembered. Her dorm mates were always sighing irritably when she dressed, complaining someone should never be blessed with a nice chest and a fit waist. She was taller than most of the girls in her year, but certainly not the tallest.

"You're perfect." He answered her silent question. She suspected it was her eyes again. They always gave away far too much. "Lovely Lily."

Any other time he used Professor Slughorn's favorite nickname for her, she would have most definitely resorted to annoyance, but now as he trailed the tips of his fingers along her bare arm she was left with thrilled chill bumps that had nothing to do with the weather. Again her eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed the intoxicating sensation of her body coming alive.

She knew from his cool breath on her face that he had moved closer to her, but it didn't stop a delighted shiver from running down her body when the rough fabric of his shirt brushed against her sensitive chest.

Shallow breathes encouraged him forward, as she waited impatiently. Her eyes helplessly closed. The attempts to suppress her eagerness were futile as she could not stop her lips from parting slightly and her face tilting up to him in anticipation. However when his lips finally made contact, her eyes shot open with a gasp.

The kiss started at the tender skin where her shoulder tilted into her neck before his teasing tongue followed a rain drop up to her ear. She got one look at the heavy canopy of trees above them before her eyes involuntarily closed again. She hadn't even realized she was clinging to him while his teeth sensually pulled her ear until he took a step away from her and she wobbled embarrassingly towards him.

As he watched his obvious affect on her, 'the smirk' made its first appearance of the afternoon.

'The smirk' was an apparent developed trait by all of the Marauders, in fact Lily had often jokingly wondered if they all practiced it in their dorm because they all executed it with an air of perfect confidence. It presented itself when one of them accomplished something they deemed (on the rare occasion) challenging.

Apparently driving her mad with want warranted such occasion.

To give herself credit, Sirius Black was ridiculously fanciable and any other girl at Hogwarts could be taken to the same frenzied state she was currently in by a simple brush of his hand or as she had once witnessed by a particularly eager fourth year, a glimpse of a smile. At least he was actually trying to send her over the edge. Not that he ever had to try very hard.

He was tall and sometimes she got irritated that kissing him forced her to her tip toes. Falling exactly perfectly at all times, his smooth dark hair was enviable as was his constant elegant demeanor that more often than not made her feel as graceful as a hippogriff.

Unlike the rest of the fawning girls, Lily was privileged to the knowledge that the height, the hair, and the elegance were all Black family traits. To everyone else they were the things that made him irresistible, but to Sirius they were just one more reminder of a family that had rejected him.

"You are perfect." She repeated the sentiment he had already bestowed upon her and because she knew he would shrug it off, she took his face in her hands running her thumb across a scar that marred his cheek. It was new and she hadn't even bothered to ask him where it came from. She knew there would be no satisfactory answer, but she had suspicions and they all accounted for the fact that Sirius was a good friend. Being a good friend, in Lily's opinion, was the greatest indication if someone was a good person. She leaned forward and kissed the scar slowly. "You are perfect because of this."

At some point the lazy drizzle had ceased and the only reminder of its appearance were the fat rain drops that slicked their skin. Even from its sunken position in the sky, the sun warmed their faces at the briefest touch.

He reached out to her, and instead of bringing her forward like she expected him to, he hooked his finger in the top button of her blouse and separated the moist material until he could push it off her shoulders.

She found herself unconsciously doing the same to his button-down, taking the time to enjoy his defined stomach with the pad of her hand making his breath catch in his throat.

"Merlin- Lily, I lov-." She stopped him with her lips on his and her hands running over his broad naked shoulders.

Lily doubted very much that this had anything to do with love. This was all about want. She could do this because she loved him, but she did it because she wanted him.

Her back hit a tree and she hadn't even realized they were moving. Her thoughts were wholly occupied with his soft lips running against hers and his tongue making contact with hers.

Sirius Black knew how to kiss. Long before they had been on kissing terms, Lily had noted that he had 'kissing' lips. She had been right.

As the lips in question left hers, she only had a second to feel their loss before his delightful tongue was flickering down her chest. He only took quick swipe at her taunt nipple above the fabric of her top and her head fell back against the tree and back involuntarily arched into him.

She would have been desperate against his teasing except she felt the effect she was having on him, his erection pressing into her where their bodies made contact. Flicking the buttons of his jeans she pulled them down slowly ducking out of his hold.

Teasingly she ran her soft hands from his calves to only inch past the fabric of his boxers. His cock jumped beneath the barrier and Lily grinned triumphantly.

Risking a quick look up from her grouched position, she found him using one arm to balance himself on the tree while the other had made its way to her scalp. His handsome face twisted with powerful lust: his eyes closed while forcefully biting his lower lip.

His eyes opened at her pause and they were dark and unfocused. The time had passed for teasing, she realized being pulled up and her skirt pushed down. Using the leverage she had as he undressed her, she pushed his boxers down as far as she could get them, which was to only about mid thigh, and took his thick length in her smaller hand.

At the contact he stopped all together and moaned deeply, his usually grey eyes focusing in on hers.

It was just for a moment though and as her hand settled into a rhythm; his actions grew nearly frantic trying to pull at her knickers.

She could barely utter "Knicker Rule" breathlessly before he settled for pushing them to the side and using his finger to work her up the same way she was doing to him.

He was the first to lose himself in a series of moans as he uselessly thrust his hips against her hand, while never losing pace with his fingers. After he'd ridden the last wave of pleasure, he took the challenge of making her forget her own name.

A task he spectacularly accomplished as she could only remember to call out his as she clenched around his fingers.

At some point darkness had made its cocoon around them and Lily shivered as they walked back to the castle despite the warming charm placed on their clothes and the arm Sirius draped around her.

"Knickers rule? Really Lily?" His eyes were lit with a teasing glint she knew too well.

She wondered if she would have blushed at his comment a year ago, but found it too difficult to take herself back to the person she had been. It was hard to be embarrassed about anything around him anymore.

They were too close.

She playfully pushed at his shoulder forcing his arm off her and back to his side. "I'm not a slag. A girl has got to have some morals even if she is dating Sirius Black."

He rolled his eyes, but this was a conversation they'd had a few couple hundred times and he didn't fancy another round.

She knew how he felt and she could understand his confusion at her rule that she never took off her under things, especially since she was perfectly content to let him shove them aside. He had reasoning on his side, but in the end it didn't change a thing. She had no reasoning, but the "Knicker Rule" wasn't going anywhere.

"Sirius, we've been looking all over for you!" Peter burst towards them when they were a few feet from the castle doors. James lagged behind him, but still had met them before Peter caught his breath.

Sirius cursed under his breath apparently needing no reminder as to what he'd let her distract him from. "Lily…"

It was an apology directed at her and not his friends, as he stepped away from her to stand between James and Peter.

The anxious look on Peter's face was the only explanation she was ever going to get, and she told herself sternly that he didn't need her to know. An errant irritation flicked through her mind at the thought that maybe SHE needed to know.

"I'll see you lot tomorrow." She smiled widely to overcompensate for the betrayal of her thoughts. "You all have better finished your DADA essay by lunch. It's due even if you disagree with work on Saturdays."

Sirius and James were already distractedly inching away from her and after Peter had stuttered out a request for her to look over his, he was gone too.

Watching them head out into the darkness under the glaring full moon, Lily had to remind herself again that if they wanted her to know where they always got off to then they would tell her.

Unfortunately, tonight it wasn't enough to make her feel better.

She carried a dejected attitude all the way up to the Gryffindor Common Room letting it swish around her emotions in solitude.

Ignoring the essay Peter had left out on table for her to edit, she marched all the way up to her dorm with a wicked gleam of unfamiliar rebellion in her smile. Even if it was ridiculously petty, not helping Peter would be the closest she'd ever come to doing anything 'wrong.'

"I might stage an intervention for that smirk." Her feisty roommate greeted Lily when entered their room. "If there has ever been a sign of over exposure to the Marauders it's that naughty little smile on your face right now."

"Overdose of Sirius Black seems like an excellent way to go out, if you ask me." The third roommate added with a sigh. Evie's head hung off the side of her bed facing Lily while her long hair settled into a white pile on the floor. Despite the inappropriate comment about her boyfriend, Lily laughed when Evie winked coyly at her. The effect ruined by Evie's fair face which was beat red from her upside down position.

"Ignore her. Everyone knows she fancies Vance." Kat said flippantly resituating her body at the end of her bed eagerly. "What's with the naughty smile? Did you finally lose your knickers?"

Ignoring them Lily pulled off her damp shirt and skirt taking the time to pull suggestively at her Gryffindor gold knickers proving she still had them.

She fell back onto the bed enjoying the feel of her mostly bare skin on the warm fabric. "So Emmeline Vance is it? I thought you were back to boys this year."

"Connor Vance." Kat corrected with a giggle, even though it very well could have been Connor's sister that captured Evie's fancy.

Evie Lowsley was an honest-to-Merlin free spirit with wicked long blonde hair that Lily doubted had ever been cut, and a laissez-faire attitude about everything from sex and love to drugs and authority.

"They are twins though so maybe if it doesn't work out with him." The only brunette person in the room continued.

This caused a loud round of laughter from both Lily and Kat that Evie ignored, only a smile giving away her good humor as she braided her thick locks. "You've distracted yourself again, Kitty Kat. We still don't know what's got Lovely Lily in such a naughty mood."

For a moment Lily didn't know who to be more irritated at; Professor Slughorn for that atrocious nickname, or Evie for not only reminding Kat about Lily's peculiar mood but also herself.

No matter how uneasy she became about the Marauders behavior, Lily knew her guilty conscious would be worse. "Believe me, it's not the type of naughtiness you two would be interested in."

Whether they accepted this answer or not, Lily didn't hang around to find out heading down to the empty common room after dressing in her night clothes.

Peter's essay was exactly where she had marched past if earlier. A nice quill sat unnoticed by the parchment that he had obviously left as token of his appreciation. Feeling rather guilty she couldn't stop from reviewing the entire essay three times before she felt like it would definitely earn an O.

Peter could sure use it.

There would be no making it up the stairs tonight and she considered it quite an accomplishment that she stumbled to the nearest couch before passing out.

"You're pathetic."

It was to this statement that Lily's eyes jerked open.

Instantly she was alarmed by the unfamiliar surroundings, but even more so by the thick layer of malice that encased his words. She doubted she'd ever heard anything so potent directed at her.

Merlin, she'd only been sleeping!

James Potter stood before her in the still darkened common room though Lily guessed it was probably almost morning.

Undisguised anger penetrated her through his glare. When she continued to stare at him baffled, he spoke again seemingly even more disgusted by her innocence.

"Waiting up on him all night like a stupid little tart." He almost spat at her the words coming out in a rush of furry. "Never questioning where he gets off too. What a good little puppet you've become, Lovely Lily."

Her mouth… her mouth wouldn't seem to work so she used her legs instead, shooting up from the couch. He wasn't as tall as Sirius but their eyes were still uneven. The slight height difference didn't make her doubt he could read every inch of shock she was experiencing through the green orbs though.

"Don't call me that." Out of all the things he said, she had no idea why that stupid nickname was what earned a reply, but it was out of her mouth before she even really thought about it.

When he laughed it wasn't the full laugh she'd heard before.

It was bitter.

It was belittling.

It was hatred.

Again her body reacted without her full consent and her hand burned from the contact. She stared at her reddened palm puzzled. His cease of laughter didn't register until James took her hand and began to study it the same way she had.

She had slapped him. This seemed to be the most shocking exchange of all to the girl who only knew of love. Lily could positively point this moment out as the first time she had ever been physically violent because of anger.

She desperately looked to him hoping to find gravity as her world flipped upside down.

She found no solace though; his attention enraptured by the hand that had just bruised is face.

He brought her palm so close she could feel his tingling breathe on the hot skin.

What the bloody hell was going on?

Distracted she missed his hazel eyes dart to hers as he laid his burning lips to the irritated skin.

"Pathetic." He repeated and then he was gone.

When she awoke in her bed the next morning with no memory of wandering up from the common room, she could almost convince herself it was a dream.

Almost.

The whole perplexing interaction seemed to enthrall her muddled mind and the more she thought about it the angrier she felt.

She'd always known James did not care for her, but calling her a tart was way over the line of subtle dislike. His words hadn't even made sense. Along with calling her a tart and a puppet, he'd insulted her for not questioning Sirius' behavior which happened to be the EXACT same behavior James exhibited.

Their fourth roommate, Marley, was now safely tucked in her bed and since Lily hadn't seen her pass in the common room it could be assumed that Marley had been in the fifth year's dorm. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence; in fact Lily would bet that she spent more time with the other girls of Gryffindor than her three muggleborn roommates.

Marley McKinnon was a pureblood from one of the most powerful magical families, while Kat, Lily, and Evie had all been plucked from their perfectly muggle childhoods and thrust into the exciting and sometimes frightening Wizarding World.

In the dark times they lived in, Marley's behavior might have caused suspicion except anyone who knew anything about the McKinnon family was well aware where their loyalties held. They were some of the strongest voices against you-know-who and more than once Lily had heard Marley defend them against Slytherins who never missed an opportunity to insult their heritage.

However as polite and brave as Marley was, it didn't reach across the cultural boundaries. The missed references and lack of common ground resulted in her friendship leaning to Honor Simmons who was a Ravenclaw from their year and also a halfblood. A year later she made friends with Emmeline Vance, a pureblood Gryffindor and the younger girl's dorm mates.

A few Slytherins, offended by the McKinnon's preferences, liked to whisper nasty things about the real reason Marley didn't hang around with the other girls of her dorm.

In their third year Kat had cursed a boy so severely he was in the hospital three days when she'd heard him gossiping that the three of them didn't want to be friends with Marley because she was fat and ugly. It was a lie, of course. Attractiveness had nothing to do with it and Lily thought their smallest roommate was fine looking anyways.

She was the shortest of anyone in their year, but not much more so than Kat. She had curly blonde hair that she always kept short, and while she wasn't a broomstick like Evie she certainly wasn't fat. She had a certain thickness factor, but it contributed nicely to her play as a Chaser for the house team.

Finishing getting ready for the day with the messiest bun she'd ever constructed, Lily stumbled down to the Great Hall a yawn catching her every few steps.

Between over reviewing Peter's essay and James 'Psycho' Potter's outburst, she'd only gotten around three hours of sleep and Lily had not ever been the type of person who could function that way.

Somehow instead of eating her porridge she became fascinated by the texture, staring into the colorless food until her eyelids fought against her with every blink.

"Quidditch today!" Kat informed cheerfully shaking a startled Lily as she plopped down beside her. "Oh sorry, Lovely, did I wake you?"

Lily bit back a growl at her petite dorm mate's mischievous smile. Instead of replying she used her remaining strength to shove her food away in favor of forming a nice cradle for her head with her arms on the table.

"Late night?" Marley joined them now with Vance in tow. "Should've known better than to pull an all-nighter before the last Quidditch match of the year."

The tables began filling up and an excited buzz intoxicated everyone it seemed but Lily. By the time Evie showed up, Lily had decided she did not care who won the cup even if it had come down to Slytherin and Gryffindor's match today- she was skipping it in favor of a pillow.

"You prats ready to see me and Prongs make a bunch of snake's cry?" The Marauders finally had made their appearance with Sirius leading the way.

Honor Simmons, who sat at the Gryffindor table occasionally despite her Ravenclaw affiliation, smiled sweetly at the lot of them and scooted down to make room before correcting Sirius. "Don't forget Marley. It might be kind of hard to win short a Chaser."

Sirius agreed taking a spot beside Marley and ruffling her hair until the tight curls started to frizz.

"Want me to fix it?" Evie motioned towards the frizzed ends.

At her nod Evie waved her wand and fired off a spell before Kat could stop her.

"Wow, thanks, Ev!" She exclaimed fingering the newly perfect curls. "I don't even know that spell."

Kat sighed regretfully. "That's because there isn't one. It's just Evie's experimentation with a simple curling charm which is why the tips of your hair are now pink."

"Oops." Evie looked properly guilty under Kat's hard glare. "Sorry Marley. I thought I had fixed that."

The girls launched into a conversation as they all suggested ideas of how to get her hair back to its normal soft yellow- all unsuccessful, while Lily assumed the boys were inhaling mass amounts of carbohydrates in preparation for the day's events.

She had to assume because with her head still on the table she'd drifted off to a sort of half state of consciousness.

"Any ideas as to why my girlfriend is having a lie-in on the breakfast table?" Sirius asked the group with the nonchalance of requesting the weather.

"I was up late with homework." This was a statement she wanted to make with her chin up while very pointedly not looking a James Potter. "I drifted off in the common room, but unfortunately I didn't get a lot of sleep. The couches aren't exactly made to stretch out on plus some rather obnoxious noise woke me up."

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I didn't mean to put you out. You shouldn't have gone to any trouble."

Now Lily felt horrible. She was trying to make James feel like a berk and instead she'd made Peter feel guilty. James, on the other hand, was shoving biscuits down his throat and grinning with his stupid bloody dimples at Honor and Emmeline acting like he hadn't nearly assaulted her the night before.

"No, Peter, I swear it was no trouble at all." She gave him her warmest smile. "I was up late working on a special project for Charms. Your essay didn't take long at all! -Very well written."

Sirius gave her a doubtful look, but Peter beamed with pride.

Breakfast ended and somehow Lily found herself being dragged off to the pitch instead of her warm bed, but she knew Sirius would want her there and that made it more bearable. Thankfully the match was so exciting she didn't even have to struggle to stay on her feet as she screamed encouragement to all the Gryffindor players (well except James Potter.)

"You were quite brilliant today." Lily told Sirius during the ritual victory celebration later that night. "Have I ever told you just how sexy I find Quidditch uniforms?"

"Lovely, why do you think I still have mine on?" He raised a dark eyebrow at her.

As her laughter filled the space around them, Lily thought her heart might burst it felt so full. They swayed exactly to the tune of the wireless for Sirius's impeccable upbringing also came with dance lessons it seemed. Lily would be the first to admit that she was a truly terrible dancer and at the moment her limbs felt like a weight charm had been placed on them she was so tired, but it was nice.

"Let's get a picture of the team that walloped Slytherin and won us the Cup!" A faceless student called out.

The idea was met with such enthusiasm that Lily found herself being shoved a bit as people were dragging Sirius away. She ended up on the couch watching the team line up: Sirius and the other beater, Devon Buttons, to the right with the Keeper, Charlie Taylor, and the other Chaser, Christos Savalas, to the left. Marley and the tiny blonde seeker, Ruby Greene, stood in front without even having to crouch because of their tiny stature. James Potter, Captain and Chaser, stood in the dead middle of them all.

Lily thought to herself that she might like to have a copy of the photo, but decided against it. She knew the only thing she'd see when she looked at the photo even years from now would be James. She didn't know what it was, but he seemed to overpower them all.

She closed her eyes because she didn't need to see to know that James Potter and his eyes would be staring at her now and for eternity in that picture.

And just like it had been doing all day, the palm of her right hand itched at the thought of him right where he'd placed his lips the night before.

No, that wasn't right. He hadn't placed his lips.

He had kissed her.

She rubbed the itching hand on the material of the couch hoping to ease the discomfort.

It didn't.

Somehow she knew it would be a long time, if ever, that the itching ceased.