A/N: Hello again, everybody. Another thank you to Lia and TrueHomiePiP for your nice reviews. I'm back with another chapter to keep us entertained during COVID-19 lockdown, I've honestly read way too many stories on here lately to try and keep myself amused.

*WARNING* There is reference to sexual violence in this chapter. As usual, nothing crazy but just to let you know, this story is M-rated.

Hope you enjoy.

(Saturday, 18 October 1976) The marauders laughed in hushed voices as they entered the common room, they'd gone down to the kitchens for some late night snacks and had just returned, they hadn't taken James' invisibility cloak, instead, carefully using the map they had made the journey safely. Peter had been given the job of holding the map whilst Sirius had two flagons of carbonated pumpkin juice, Remus an assortment of cakes and James a wide variety of other snack like foods. It was a Saturday night and they were going to have a mass prank planning session and needed sustenance. The common room was surprisingly empty for a Saturday with many of the students being tired from the Hogsmeade weekend and taking themselves and their purchases off to their rooms. The boys were almost halfway through when James stopped suddenly, he had just caught sight of a familiar red head facing away from them. Lily knelt in front of the fire, her shoulders shaking slightly. James forgot that he was meant to be mad at her, he forgot about their huge fight and before he knew it he began to walk towards her before stopping himself and motioning to Remus.

"It should be you." He whispered to Remus, running a hand through his hair. Remus looked torn for a moment before shaking his head and nudging James to go speak to her, he resisted but the other boys were also pushing him to be the one and after brief hesitation James walked quietly over to her. The other marauders quietly making their way up the stairs. He crouched behind her dropping the snacks he still held in his hand carelessly to the ground.

"Lil?" He asked softly, she stared resolutely into the flames swiping a hand across her nose. He shifted slightly closer, his eyebrows knitting into a frown and placed a hand on her shoulder, she flinched away, eyes clenched shut.

James' heart dropped. "Lily?" Concern and panic laced through his still quiet voice and she forced her eyes open, because that was the voice. The voice that made her feel like she could confide anything in him, the voice that she wasn't quite sure how she felt about. And it was just James who was behind her, just James who had touched her shoulder, just James who'd said her name and not him and before she knew it she had thrown her arms around him and as he hugged her back, tears began leaking down her face as sobs shook her. Alarmed, James was knocked off balance and sat down but she didn't let go. A thousand thoughts were racing through his head, predominantly of dread at what could possibly have happened to have this reaction with a small part perversely delighted that she was hugging him. He squashed that part down, she obviously just needed a friend right now. Her face was buried in his shoulder and he moved her hair away from his face so he could speak, tucking it gently behind her ear.

"Lily." He said her name softly again, tightening his grip. She didn't seem like she was in much of a state to tell him what was wrong so he just settled for being there and decided to just hug her until she was ready to let go. It turned out it was a while before her sobs turned to dry chokes and she loosened her grip. James let go, still staying quiet and as Lily sat on the floor leaning against the sofa, he just sat next to her, dragging a blanket off the sofa to drape over their legs. She scrubbed at her crusty eyes as he remained quiet, she wouldn't meet his gaze and he fiddled patiently with a frayed edge of the blanket. A few minutes passed before Lily was the first to break the silence.

"Sorry about that." She muttered.

"Don't be." James said simply, shrugging.

"I'm also sorry about what I said earlier." She said, quietly confessing. "I didn't mean it and shouldn't have said it."

"Do we ever mean it?" James asked pensively. Lily sighed, she had fallen out with Severus over him saying things he apparently didn't mean and she felt like a filthy hypocrite for using the same excuse with James.

"Are you not going to ask me what's wrong and what the hell just happened?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

James looked at her earnestly. "Not if you don't want me to." He said, voice soft. Lily stared at him and he shifted slightly under her gaze. "I mean I'd ask if you were ok, but it doesn't seem like you are so I thought that would be a stupid question." A small smile flitted across her lips as she studied him.

"So you wouldn't care if I just got up right now and went to my room with no explanation?" She asked him. He shrugged, turning to look at the fire.

"I'm gonna stay here until you leave and if you want to talk, I'm here and if you don't that's fine too." She looked at him in wonder and sat back, their shoulders were touching but she didn't mind.

"You are my friend you know." She said quietly. James looked at her, she met his gaze.

"Are you sure?" He asked softly.

Lily nodded. "Yes." Was her firm reply. They sat for a while.

"I think I want to talk." She whispered to him, also looking into the fire.

"Ok." He whispered back. She didn't say anything for a few moments as she collected herself and as she tightened the blanket around her she began to speak, still looking into the fire.

James and her had just had a huge shouting match in the Common Room with him throwing down the pages of answers and notes which he had done on his own when she was meant to be helping him. He had stalked off to his dorm and she had gone to her own after angrily sweeping up the parchment, crumpling it as she escaped from the inevitable stares she always got after her and Potter fought like this. And she felt bad, she really did, but Brendan had been so sweet to her all week and he'd been weird in Hogsmeade but he'd told her he was going to arrange a date for them that evening and explain when she was there. She hadn't meant to miss all three of their study sessions but she'd just forgotten, she had a sneaking suspicion Brendan hadn't bothered to remind her as well. She'd briefly read through his work but felt so mixed up about their fight that instead she just began to think of what she'd wear when she met Brendan that night.

He held her hand as they walked quietly through the corridors, from what she'd gathered he'd organised some kind of candle lit supper or something and he looked handsome in his blue robes which brought out his eyes.

"Ok we're here." He said as they reached a set of doors. "I hope you're excited for your surprise Lily." Lily grinned and he opened the doors. Lily didn't recognise the room but it was large with elegant columns rising to the high ceiling and large windows with an amazing view of the night sky. There was a table for two set, facing the windows, lit candles flickered on the table and there was a supper like spread. "I figured we'd already had dinner so thought some crackers and cheese and stuff like that was better." Lily squeezed his hand.

"I think that was a great idea." She said with a smile. He motioned to her and they moved to the table, pulling her chair out for her. This was strange, she thought to herself he had never been this polite to her. He tucked her back into the table reaching down for a kiss, he kissed her harder than she was expecting before sitting down on the chair next to her. His breath tasted funny. He pulled up an open bottle of wine, smirking at her.

"I took the liberty of trying it while I was setting up." Lily wasn't the biggest fan of wine but she didn't object as he filled her glass. They began to tuck into the supper as they looked at the stars and had some idle conversation. Lily took a few sips from her wine, Brendan hadn't drunk anymore. About half an hour of idle chat had passed before she turned to him.

"OK so we still haven't talked about what the heck you were doing in Hogsmeade." A flash of emotion crossed his face. "You were being so weird."

He smirked at her, taking her hand. Lily's head felt light as she looked at him, that wine must have been stronger than she thought.

"Okay, I'm sorry I was acting strange, but I was just excited to go with you." Lily frowned, he hadn't seemed excited, he had seemed to hardly pay much attention to her at all except for public displays of affection when in front of his friends.

"Brendan-" He cut her off.

"You're great, and you're really hot and I wasn't being the best boyfriend in the world. But that's what this evening was about. Making it up to you."

Boyfriend? Lily thought, she shifted slightly he hadn't even properly asked her out, they had just been seeing each other. A lot.

"It just seemed like you were showing me off or something, and you didn't even try to hang out with my friends, even though I was with yours for basically the whole day."

Brendan stifled a sigh, smiling at her again. "Well I'm sorry if I just wanted you all for myself." Lily smiled slightly, "c'mon." He said, looking at her intently. "I set this all up for you, the least we can do is not fight." She nodded, it was a lovely set up. He kissed her, his hand firmly on her shoulder. She kissed him back, smiling slightly. He deepened the kiss, placing his other hand on her knee. This wine was really kicking in, Lily thought, she felt almost giddy as he moved closer. The hand on her shoulder moved to her chest. She pulled back slightly, so he kissed her neck instead.

"Brendan." She began, she really didn't feel like herself and this was going really fast. His hand kept moving up her thigh, reaching under the skirt she was wearing.

"Brendan." He wasn't listening to her.

"Brendan!" She stood up sharply, knocking the table and spilling the wine, she almost fell over herself as the alcohol kicked in. "What are you doing?" She asked angrily, he stared up at her, his cheeks flushed.

"What do you mean what am I doing?" He demanded, annoyed. "What? You haven't been kissed like that before?" Lily clutched the chair, her heart fast in her chest.

"You weren't stopping." She said, dread starting to seep into her. He stood up and she backed away.

"You were moaning my name. You didn't want me to stop." He advanced and she backed away, stumbling slightly.

"I was saying your name." She said incredulously. "To tell you to stop."

He scoffed before a smirk was on his features again. "Well, Lily. I didn't think you were such a minx. Who'd have thought you enjoy role play."

Lily shook her head. "I mean it Brendan." He ignored her, striding forwards and then his lips were on hers again, she made a sound of protest as he backed her into one of the columns, one of his hands grabbed both of her struggling ones with the other moving to her thighs again, she fought against him, biting down hard on his lip, drawing blood. He sneered at her, his eyes dark and foreboding.

"Playing rough huh?"

"Get off me!" She shouted.

"Shut it." He growled. They struggled some more until finally Lily got a chance and kneed him hard in the groin. He fell back with an undignified yelp, releasing her. "You mud blood bitch!" He shouted at her. Lily leant against the column, breathing hard as her hands shook, her head still felt fuzzy.

"How dare you! I'm a pureblood, you should feel lucky someone like me wants someone like you." Lily was dumbstruck, this was what it had come to? How in hell had this happened? Brendan began struggling to his feet. "You're a filthy whore for leading me on like that. I'll show you." Lily backed away, her spinning vision desperately trying to find the doors. He was on his feet, moving towards her when she turned tail and ran. She found the doors and flung them open, she didn't know where her wand was, she couldn't even remember if she'd brought it with her and it was with a sweep of her hand and a wave of panic fuelled magic that she slammed the doors on Brendan, locking them as he tried to follow her.

"Fucking mud blood! I'm entitled to you, do you hear me?" His shouts rang in her ears as Lily fled back to the Gryffindor common room. She made it there in a blur of panic and wooziness still left from the wine. She'd only had a few sips how was she- oh Godric, had he drugged it? She stammered the password and collapsed to the floor in front of the fire. She felt freezing, she couldn't believe what had just happened, her breaths were coming in heaving gasps as a few stray tears ran down her cheeks. What the fuck? She wasn't sure how long had passed when she heard the portrait open, she hadn't brought herself to move quite yet and she had a fleeting lance of terror that Brendan had managed to get in which was quickly tamped down as she recognised the voices of the marauders. She didn't look away from the fire as she felt a person kneel next to her, she was so, so cold, and she didn't look at him even when he said her name and she was still so in shock when he said her name again and she didn't even know she wanted a hug until she had wrapped her arms around him and began to sob.

James' hands clenched and unclenched in his lap as he listened to Lily's story. His jaw was clenched tight as hatred coursed through his veins. He'd known Weathers was a dick, but he didn't know he was that bad, how dare he? The only thing stopping him from taking the map and finding him and beating the living daylights out of him was the fact that Lily was sat next to him, needing a friend and she sounded so emotionless that for anything in the world James couldn't have left her side. She finished recounting the events and fell silent, still gazing into the flames which were burning low and hot. He turned gently to her, crossing his legs.

"Your wrists are bruised." He said simply. "Can I heal them?" He didn't move to take her hands, just waited until she looked at him with sad, red rimmed eyes and mutely raised them so he could heal them. He looked at her earnestly behind his glasses and his eyes were hazel not that god forsaken blue and he healed the bruises quickly. His eyes scanned her, his jaw clenching when he saw the dark bruises left on her neck.

"Can I heal your neck as well?" He asked, Lily shuddered as she remembered Brendan's rough lips on her throat and she nodded quickly. James leaned forwards, hesitating slightly. "Can I grab your chin?" He asked slightly awkwardly, "just to see them better." Lily nodded again and he tilted her chin and healed her neck. "Shit Lil, you're freezing." He muttered. He accioed another blanket and placed it around her shoulders. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asked. Lily took a moment, mentally scanning for any other injuries, her head was starting to clear but she was pretty sure she didn't have any other injuries except for being traumatised so she shook her head. James ran a hand through his hair, "can I get you anything, shall I try get Alice or one of the girls?" Lily shook her head, clearing her throat, she'd just finished crying, she wasn't ready to see her friends and start crying again.

"Have you got any water?" She choked out, her voice hoarse, James looked around, standing to get a glass and the flask of water that always sat on the side in the Common Room. Lily drank the water quickly.

"Anything else?" James asked, his voice still concerned.

"Can we just sit?" Lily asked quietly. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." James nodded, sitting down next to her.

"I'm really sorry this happened to you." He said in a low voice, "I can promise you the marauders will make his life hell." Lily managed a weak smile, James turned to her, "you need to tell someone though. It doesn't have to be right now but the School I'm sure can do something." Lily nodded. "In other news," James said, changing the subject, trying to think of anything that could cheer her up, "the boys and I snuck down to the kitchens and I was the one carrying all the best snacks." He picked up the assortment of foods he'd picked up earlier. "So we can sit here and chat about absolute shite while we eat all of them." Lily managed a more convincing smile at this.

"Sounds like a plan."

"So we have biscuits, marshmallows and this muggle chocolate Remus somehow convinced the house elves to get for him." James listed the snacks, holding them up. Lily's ears pricked.

"Cadbury's?"

"It's- yeah that's what it's called. How did you-?"

"You wizards have got nothing on Cadbury's chocolate James, it's only the best chocolate ever. Remus and I have weekly chats where all we do is talk about how much we miss it."

James grinned. "Well ok then."

"Were you guys making smores?" Lily asked, looking at the pile of snacks. James frowned at her.

"Making what now?" Lily was flabbergasted.

"You literally have all the ingredients for s'mores and you're telling me you weren't going to make them?" James shook his head, grinning at her incredulity. "Well we definitely need to make them." So she instructed James to transfigure two quills into skewers (seeing as Lily had remembered that she'd left her wand in her room- never again) and they roasted the marshmallows before sandwiching them between two biscuits with a piece of chocolate and eating them and Lily kept forgetting for a few moments what had almost happened before she'd remember again. James noticed and would give her more marshmallows or tell an animated story about a prank Sirius and him had pulled on his parents. They stayed by the fire and hours had passed by the time Lily had leant her head against the sofa and drifted to sleep. James tucked her blanket more securely around her, anger coursing through him once more at the thought of Weathers, he considered seeing if he could somehow get Lily up to her dorm but with the late hour and the fact that the stairs would send him straight back down left him coming to the conclusion that he should maybe just wake Lily up early before people began coming down for breakfast and she could sleep in her own bed for a few hours. So he made himself comfortable, taking his glasses off, and leaning his head against the sofa, plots for revenge on Weathers lulling him to sleep.

James jerked awake at a sound from the dorms upstairs. He checked his watch, 5.55 AM and stifled a groan. He didn't know when he'd drifted off but he didn't think it was that long ago. He reached around for his glasses, putting them on. There was a weight on his shoulder and a pang of longing darted through him as he saw Lily, asleep with her head there. She'd had a hellish night and he didn't want her to feel embarrassed so he gently moved her head to lean against the sofa behind her before standing up. He stretched, his butt was killing him.

"Lil." He said gently, nudging her. She didn't wake. "Lily." He nudged her a bit more, she stirred but didn't wake, a smile tugged at his lips. "Evans, Cadbury's chocolate sucks." She opened her eyes to glare at him sleepily, and he burst out laughing.

"You better take that back." She said, voice croaky from sleep. "Wait." She cleared her throat, shifting, looking around in confusion. "What time is it?"

"Just before 6." James said, "we drifted off but I figured you'd wanna go to your dorm and grab some shut eye before everyone comes down and sees you asleep on the floor." Lily yawned, nodding, she stood up but hesitated, crossing her arms protectively across her chest.

"What am I gonna tell the girls." She whispered. James' eyes softened.

"The truth." He said gently, "they're your best mates, they're going to be there for you."

"I thought Brendan was there for me." She looked out the window at the still dark sky.

"Brendan is a piece of scum and I'll never let him look at you again if you want me to." James said fiercely as Lily looked back at him. "He'll get what's coming to him and I can bring you food for breakfast and lunch if you want to stay in bed all day." Lily laughed slightly. "But he doesn't have any power over you, ok?" Lily looked at her feet. "OK?" James said more firmly, his hands spasmed as if to reach out to her but he stopped them mid motion, he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want any bloke near her for the foreseeable future, he clenched them instead.

"Ok." She said back, grateful for his support. James nodded once.

"Ok then." They walked towards the staircase together. "Give me a shout if you want me to get you any food or anything." Lily smiled, "or if you want a wing man to beat the shit out of Brendan later." She chuckled, they had reached the foot of the stairs. She paused, looking at him.

"Thank you James." She said sincerely, "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch to you this week." James grinned lopsidedly at her.

"We'd been doing well, a fit of bitchiness from one of us was well over due." She laughed again.

"Seriously though, thank you." James looked openly at her.

"Of course." He said quietly. She hesitated for a second before giving him a quick hug. She had put one foot on the stairs when a stressed looking Alice appeared on the landing.

"Lily." She said, relieved, "thank goodness, we were waiting for you to come back last night and then we must have fallen asleep, and then I woke up and you still weren't back and I thought- James? What are you guys doing? Where have-" Lily scrubbed her eyes with her fists.

"I woke up early." James supplied, "Lily had fallen asleep in the common room, she was just coming up now."

Alice looked at Lily, confused. "So you were just downstairs then?" Alice asked.

"I'm coming up to bed now Al." Lily said, "I'll tell you everything." Lily shot one last grateful look at James before starting up the stairs. Alice shot James a questioning look behind Lily's back to which he shook his head helplessly at her. James' eyes followed them until they turned the corner before with a deep sigh, he too returned to his dorm.

By the time James had reached his own dorm he was filled with rage again. He stood at the foot of his bed, fists clenched and breathing heavily before suddenly picking up his sketchbook and throwing it with all of his might at the opposite wall which was covered in pieces of parchment filled with scribblings of prank ideas from the various marauders, stuck to the wall with sticking charms and what Remus called 'blue tack'. His sketchbook hit the wall with a thump, knocking a few pieces of parchment off the wall. A grunt came from Remus' bed nearest the door.

"Prongs?" Remus said, sticking his messy head out from the coverings of his four poster. He squinted at James. "What was that? What time is it?" He grunted. James took a deep breath running his hands through his hair as he sat on his bed.

"Something awful's happened moony." He replied, voice low. Remus opened his covers completely, looking at James with concern.

"Are we waking the others?" James nodded mutely, he needed to inform the marauders that they had to make Weathers' life hell. Remus stood, opening Sirius' curtains and nudging him.

"The hell?" Sirius grunted, "wha you doin?"

"Emergency meeting mate." Remus said, Sirius made a noise of protest, to which Remus physically grabbed his cheeks and moved his head to look at James glowering darkly at the floor. Sirius swore quietly before rolling out of bed, yanking Peter's curtains open and ripping his duvet off him. To which Peter grunted angrily. Soon enough they boys were blearily awake, sat on their respective beds looking at James expectantly. Peter had retrieved his duvet and had it wrapped around him like a cloak, looking like a moron.

"It's Lily." James said quietly. Remus sat up, his face worried, Sirius and Peter exchanged dark looks.

"Last night… what happened? Was she ok?"

"Are you literally just up from the common room now?"

"I swear I'll fuck up some Slytherins if they've hurt her again."

"It was Weathers" James said, his tone venomous. There were various noises of surprise. "He attacked her when they had a 'date' last night." Remus' face managed to pale even farther.

"God, no." He said quietly, "please tell me he didn't try to-" James didn't reply. Remus clenched his fists, horror crossing his features.

"Wait." Peter said, confused, "he didn't try to what?" Sirius was looking between Remus and James when the realisation hit.

"No. No. No!" Sirius growled.

"What?!" Peter said alarmed.

"He tried to force himself on her Wormtail." James said, rising to his feet, starting to pace.

"So he-"

"She fought him off. But he fucking tried!" James yelled. Various curses filled the room.

"How is she?" Remus asked, still pale. James picked up his sketchbook and sat heavily back down on the bed.

"Shaken, traumatised, sobbing." James replied. Sirius punched his pillow. Peter was frozen in shock. "She had some bruises. I healed them."

"She told you what happened?" Remus asked, voice faint. James nodded, sighing.

"I told her she didn't have to but she told me after she stopped crying." James shook his head, "I tried to cheer her up, but fuck! I didn't know what to do."

"You sat with her the whole night?" Asked Peter who had managed to find his voice again. James nodded.

"And then she just fell asleep on the floor, and I wouldn't have been able to get her back to her dorm so I just stayed with her." He pushed his glasses onto his head, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "We're gonna use every trick in the book on him. She says she'll tell a professor but I want him expelled." The marauders nodded as they stood to examine the wall with all the potential pranks and plans they had come up with other the years. Sirius frowned at him as James stood as well.

"Do you wanna grab some sleep and we'll let you know when we have a plan?" Asked Sirius still bare chested in his flannel pyjama trousers.

James shook his head, shrugging hopelessly. "I won't be able to." He said quietly and together the four boys set their shoulders and set about coming up with a plan.

A/N: Aw man, poor Lily. Hope everyone enjoyed and the next chapter was a particularly fun one to write after all the crap that happened in this one. Please fave or follow and feel free to drop a review for your suggestions or what you think of what I've done with our beloved Marauders and co. Thanks! :)