Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

Lucky

Author's Note: read [bracketed] text as struck-through.

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The news about James and me spreads around the castle at an alarming rate, especially since, by the time breakfast rolls around on Monday morning, the only people who even know for sure we're together are our mates and the prefects. And even the surety of the prefects' knowledge is debatable.

But that sure doesn't stop what feels like the whole of the Hogwarts population from watching extra close at breakfast as I enter the Great Hall.

"Why do I feel like everyone's taken bets on where I'm about to sit?" I mutter to Alice as we walk down the space between our table and the Hufflepuffs. And I know I'm not imagining it because I keep catching people's eyes while they whisper behind their hands, and a couple of fifth years even point.

"Choose wisely, Lil," Marlene says. "Don't make me owe Wood five sickles."

"Marlene," Emmeline scolds, and I'm so grateful to have her here with us, backing me up, I throw my arm around her shoulder.

"What do you think, Em? Do I give the people what they want or keep the gossipers second-guessing?"

"Well," she says, and her eyes sparkle mischievously. "Maaaaaybe it would benefit me too if you wanted to sit by James this morning."

Alice and Marlene erupt into laughter.

"Not you too, Em," I groan.

"Time's up, Lily," Alice says, and she's right; we've drawn level with where James and the rest of the Marauders are sitting.

I cast one last look around the Hall and I swear every eye in the room fixes on me. Even the professors at the staff table seem to be watching, though at least they're doing their best to be discreet. Still, Professor Flitwick accidentally stabs the table instead of the food on his plate in his efforts to keep up appearances.

James grins up at me. "Need a place to sit, Evans?"

"Something like that," I say.

"You guys better make this good," Marlene says, hands on her hips.

Sirius shoves James. "Go on, Prongs."

Laughing, James gets to his feet and faces me. "I think they're all expecting something," he says.

"What are you going to do about it, Potter?" I tease.

In response, he takes my face in his hands and kisses me. I have the vague idea that the whole Hogwarts population is probably watching and I think there might be a couple people whistling, but I don't care. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him back.

When we sit down – together, of course – the odd mood in the Hall has broken and the usual morning chatter bounces off the walls, although I do indeed see gold swap a few peoples' hands.

"You know," Marlene says, smugly pocketing her recently acquired Sickles. "All you had to do was sit together."

***

Dear Mum,

My reason for writing this letter is two-fold: I have good news, and I have bad news.

Well, I guess it's three-fold. I did promise to write you every week when I came back for this term, and I think I've done a rather brill job following through on my word, don't you? So that's my third reason: fulfill my promise and keep up my letter-writing streak.

So, in my endless wisdom, I'll start with the bad news. That way, you can panic initially but end on a good note. Just promise me you'll read all the way to the end and not stop at the panic stage. Remember, if I wasn't perfectly fine, I wouldn't be able to write you this letter. So no panicking allowed!