Lily

"I'm going to figure it out, Potter. And when I do, I won't tell a soul," Lily shouted after James. What sort of secrets were in that diary that would betray his friends?

"You need to work on your threats, Evans," Sirius said as he sauntered down the stairs. Remus and Peter followed behind him like a posse.

"You heard all that?" Lily asked, suddenly quiet. Embarrassed. Though she wasn't sure why.

"It was hard not to, love. You aren't exactly known for being subtle," Sirius said, flashing that trademark grin. His black hair framed his smirk perfectly—but thankfully, it didn't work on her. Marlene was another story.

"And I don't suppose any of you will tell me what the diary meant?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Depends on what you saw," Remus said through a yawn. He looked like himself again: exhausted, pale, with the dark bags beneath his eyes. All of the Marauders looked rough that morning. The limp Lily had noticed on the train was heavier now.

"It'll sound stupid coming from me, but I guess you all wrote it, so—'a furry issue,' a bunch of random animals like dogs and deer, Full Moon schedules, and three potion recipes way above our year," Lily said.

The boys exchanged glances. That silent, practiced look they always seemed to share. Wordless, but perfectly understood.

"I'm afraid we can't tell you, Lily. But—and I can't stress this enough—if you do figure it out, you really can't tell anyone," Remus said. His hand gripped the railing, knuckles white, fingers trembling slightly.

"Fine. But I am going to find out," she said, stubborn as ever.

"Only way you'd ever find out is if you slept with Prongs. He'd probably tell you then," Sirius smirked.

Lily huffed and turned to leave.

"Are you a prude, Evans?" he called after her.

"No. I just find you disgusting," she snapped. Her face was flushed with heat. Maybe Sirius was right about her lack of subtlety—but she didn't care. She saw Remus put a hand on Sirius' shoulder, likely telling him he'd gone too far.

"Really? Well—" Sirius started, but Lily had had enough. She raised her wand and hexed him mid-sentence.

The next words out of his mouth came out in what she could only assume was German. At least she thought it was German. She couldn't understand a word—and she was perfectly content with that.

She shot Remus an apologetic look, but he and Peter were too busy laughing to be annoyed. Lily smiled and walked off. She had breakfast to get to, even if she'd just lost her appetite.

Later, after Potions, Lily went straight to the library. She finished two essays, a Runes translation, and her Transfiguration homework in one sitting. This was what happened when Lily set her mind to something. She'd read stories about mothers lifting cars to save their children—Lily figured it was the same thing, except with her brain.

To start researching, she needed her homework done. So she did it.

"Madam Pince, where would I find books on advanced potions?" Lily asked. Maybe she'd recognize some of the recipes.

"Since it's you, I'd recommend Moste Potente Potions in the Restricted Section. As long as it's purely educational, of course," Madam Pince said with a smile. Her purple cloak matched the headband she wore—a miniature zoo marched across the top. A zebra, a giraffe, a lion mid-roar. Little birds zipped around her hair; one buzzed too close and she swatted it away.

"Yes, just researching," Lily chuckled.

"Try the back left, dear."

Madam Pince was a sweet woman—plump, short brown hair, mousy face. Kind, in her own odd way.

With her help, Lily soon had a stack of books about advanced potions and Full Moons. No obvious connection between them. Until–

"How could I be so stupid?" she muttered, hurriedly packing up. "Where would he be?"

Then it hit her. Everyone would be leaving the Great Hall after dinner. She hurried, hoping to catch him in time.

"Severus! Hey—Sev!" she called, racing to him just as he was leaving the Hall. He was walking with Avery, Rosier, and Mulciber. The usual Slytherin crowd. They all scoffed at her appearance, waiting for Severus to send her away.

"Lily," Severus said coolly, clenching his hands as she caught up.

"I need your help with something."

James

"I need your help with something," Lily said to Snape, using a voice James had only heard her use twice before—gentle, appreciative, genuine. It boiled his blood.

"What is it, then?" Snape asked, his jaw clenched, half-watching his so-called friends.

How could Snivellus talk to her like that? James fumed silently. Lately, everything made him angry—except for the Marauders.

"No need to take that tone with me," Lily shot back, clearly surprised.

"You're the one who needs help, not me."

The nerve of him. James nearly rounded the corner to jump in, but he held back. Lily didn't want his help.

"Never mind then. Come talk to me when you remember who your real friends are," Lily said, and turned away—straight into James.

"Ah! Potter—I didn't see you there," she said, her forehead bumping his chest. "Wait—were you eavesdropping?"

"No, er, well, it wasn't my intention," James said, scratching his chin. "I was leaving the Hall, and I remembered you said you didn't need my help and all, so... I didn't hex him."

She stared at him for a moment, visibly confused.

"You're a hard person to figure out, you know that?"

"How about we figure each other out at Slughorn's Christmas party?" James blurted.

He couldn't stop himself and he wanted to slap himself for being so tactless. But it was too late now to back down, he was all in.

"Are you asking me out?" she said slowly, like she hadn't heard him right. Disgusted? Shocked? He prayed for shocked.

"Well, that's the idea. I can spell it out if you need—me, the coolest bloke, goes with you, the fittest girl, to Slughorn's—he's our Potions Professor, by the way—Christmas party. Annual thing. I figured you knew about it."

His nerves were buzzing. Too much. Definitely too much.

"How can you be so... so egotistical? I'm surprised you even fit inside this castle with a head that big."

She looked like she might cry or scream—but her voice was calm. Measured.

"Evans, calm down. I know you know how the whole Christmas Party thing works—"

"How you ace your classes is beyond me, because you're missing the point. Again."

She turned and stormed off.

Good one, Prongs, James thought bitterly.

He scolded himself all the way down the corridor—until he saw a certain curly-haired Ravenclaw walking with her friends.

An idea sparked.

"Delia! Hey, Delia!"