After almost a month, James completely recovered from his injuries and the whole school rejoiced. A big party was held in the Gryffindor common room and not even McGonagall had the heart to stop it. The party raged on all night and it was rumored that Professor McGonagall joined the infamous Marauders for a drink. For the first time in his seventh year, James fully enjoyed himself, he drank, he sang, he danced, he fired up fireworks and most of all, he was smiling again. Nobody knew the reasons behind his suddenly returned happiness. Only Lily would have known, but she didn't. Because. She was still hungover over the fact that James Potter loved another and avoided him at all costs.

"Hey, Lily?" James caught up with her. "Didn't you hear me shouting?"

He ran after her,

"No, sorry."

She lied, she had seen him, she had heard him but she just didn't want to face him. She didn't trust herself around him. Even though she liked him…..a lot, she felt he had a lot of secrets and she didn't want to get in the middle of that.

"Oh, look…..Alice is calling me." She said quickly and disappeared again, running away from him.

"Alice?" James raised his eyebrows, he had just seen Alice in the Great Hall, considering his own speed and the route he took, surely the girl behind the gargoyle couldn't have been Alice.

She disappeared before he could say anything. He looked for her all month but she managed to come to class late and leave early, she sent her friends to do rounds with him and that made Alice, Marlene and Mary all appreciate him even more (at which Lily was extremely annoyed, even when she was avoiding James Potter, there was no avoiding James Potter) She didn't go to Quidditch games even when everyone else did. But, praise for James Potter's quidditch skills and his sportsmanship reached her all the time. At weaker moments, she thought about giving it up. She thought about letting her guard down and letting James into her life. But, she recovered each time she remembered that she told James Potter that she loved him and he said another woman's name. After the final game of Quidditch and very near the end of the school year, James Potter won the Quidditch cup as well the house cup securing his positions for next year and became the most respected and admired man on campus. After the celebratory party in the Gryffindor common room, the Marauders snuck out because it was the full moon. Remus had already left.

They snuck out without being noticed after Sirius created a distraction by firing the fireworks. Once they were outside in the school grounds, James was positive that no one had seen them, they turned into their animal forms. But, one person did see them, and that was Lily Evans, who had remained outside, trying to avoid the party and James.

She was in the grounds, walking away. Thinking……she had spent a lot of time on the ground thinking.

She came towards the Whomping Willow as she looked for the wolf. She had her suspicions about Remus but she wasn't sure. She didn't know why she was so invasive but she just had to know. That day, she had seen Sirius, Peter and James……but not Remus. She wasn't sure.

She came inside and she saw him, Remus screamed as his bones cracked and his eyes became bloodshot.

"God…" She took a step back and stumbled on a root.

She fell on her back as her feet became tangled in some roots and her hands and legs were scratched. Blood trickled down her wrist as she tried to get up. The werewolf came running after her, the dog and the stag returned. James ran towards him but the smell of human blood made Remus uncontrollably vicious. He bit the stag, something he hadn't done in months.

James turned back,

"Hey, hey…hey. Moony." James stood in front of her, but his back was towards her. "Listen to me, this is not you….you know me, I am your friend. You don't want to hurt her."

He growled.

"Come on, boy…" James fondled his ears softly, "This is Lily Evans, she is a friend….we love her. I love her."

The dog came near them.

"That's a good boy."

Moony retreated and ran into the tunnel and James motioned Padfoot to follow him and the rat ran behind them,

"You okay?" He asked, offering her a hand, "You fine, Evans?"

She took his hand and he pulled her up. He turned back and disappeared. He just left her……….She went into her room and sat behind the door and sobbed. She sobbed like a little child. This time, James hadn't screamed at her, but it hurt more than the last time. He just…..left. The James Potter she knew would have never left her stranded in the middle of the night.

James Potter came back to his room and found Lily sitting on the armchair by the fire.

"Hey?" She asked. "James?"

He was really tired and didn't expect her to be awake at dawn.

"Can I talk to you?"

He ignored her and walked towards his room and took his scratched t-shirt. His chest was scratched and still bleeding.

"You are hurt." She said, coming near him, "Did….did Remus do that to you?"

He took a step away from her and took out a cream on his cut. And, put on another t-shirt. It wasn't something he wasn't used to. Remus scratched the, all the time, it was the bite they had to fear.

"It's bad…." She said,

"You knew." He said, quietly. "You knew about him."

"What?" She didn't know what he was talking about.

"You knew about us." He shouted. "You knew about Remus. About me……about Sirius."

She was shocked,

"What did you do?" He shouted, "Did you tell someone?"

"What?" She repeated.

"No one else knows." He pointed a finger at her, "So, it must have been you."

"I didn't…."

"Do you realize what you have done?" If he had screamed those words, she wouldn't have felt so upset. But, he whispered it. He whispered as if he was scared of something.

"You did this…" He sat down.

"James, I am…" She came near him and put her hand on his arm.

"No." He jerked away from her, "Leave me, Lily."

He held his head in his hands,

"James…." She said, softly. Sitting down next to him.

She absentmindedly took Florence into her hands.

"Leave the bear alone, Evans." He told her, "It's Charlotte's."

Lily bit her lip. Again……Charlotte. He mentioned Charlotte, fully awake. Granted, he was shaken up by something but he said it again. Who was she? She put the bear down and walked out. She didn't know why she was crying again but she was.