Out of the Castle, into the War: A Marauder Fanfiction

Chap. Three

It was the second week of January, a little while after Lily's Death Eater encounter. She was walking down the hall, on her way to potions. "Hey, Evans!" She continued to go, but a little slower. "Evans! Hey!" She stopped and turned, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Potter?" She held her books against her chest, arms wrapped around them, her bag swaying peacefully from her shoulder.

James was in front of her, breathing a little heavy, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I wanted to ask if you'd wanna maybe go to Hogsmeade with me in February?" He asked cooly, but the nervousness was still clear.

Lily's mouth scrunched up on the side, thinking. James looked hopeful and shocked, she usually denied and/or hexed him by now. "I, I suppose. Yeah, sure Potter." She tried and failed at suppressing her smile. "Now, I've got to get to Advanced Potions." She left a little too quickly, feeling the heat rising on her cheeks. She heard James behind her running off and "SHE SAID YES!" echoing down the hall. She rolled her eyes and grinned to herself, practically jogging to the Potions room.

She finally arrived, a few minutes late. "Sorry I'm late, Professor." She told Professor Slughorn, who merely clapped her on the back.

"Not to worry, my dear, not to worry!" He told her as she slid into her seat beside Severus, she was no longer angry at him, though they weren't the friends they had been before, but still friends nonetheless. The instructions were given to the class and they all set to work. As the room became a little noisier Lily began to tell Snape about what happened in the hallway. They were the only two at their table, but she still spoke softly.

"Sev." She said, making sure she had his attention.

"Hmm?" He asked, scribbling in his book.

"I've a date on Saturday." She told him, grinning wide, looking up from chopping a slug.

"Ohh, scandalous." He replied, grinning. He was slightly heartbroken, but excited to rub it in a certain Potter's face. "Who?"

She hesitated for a moment, he looked up to make sure she heard him, and she was biting her lip. She sighed a little, then spoke clearly and carefully. "James Potter."

He immediately began to laugh. "Really, Lily, who?" He asked in between chuckles once he had calmed himself down.

"James Potter." She said resolutely and dignified. Almost like a principal. She sounded like this when she was being stubborn.

Severus was stunned. He stood for a moment with his mouth open, trying to form words. "But he's a prat." He told her, begging her to see reason.

"Yes, he is." She stated simply.

"And immature."

"He's matured, he's gotten better."

"He's a bully."

"Was. He hasn't done that for a while."

"He still does to me."

"And you do it to him." She said, her stubborn voice back again, with just a pinch of sass.

He was again floored, he didn't know Lily had even seen him. "He's arrogant." Snape sputtered out.

"Very."

"His hair looks dumb."

Lily snorted. "Is that your best argument?"

"It really is dumb."

"Fair enough. But I kinda like it."

"He's ignorant."

"No, he's not. He's clever. Very clever, actually."

"Are you actually defending him?" Snape asked in disbelief.

"No. I'm just stating the facts. I've agreed with you on most things, anyway. But, really, Sev., he's grown up. He's not eleven anymore." She ladled her potion into a vile and set it on Slughorn's desk and returned to clean her cauldron. "You're not going to talk me out of it." She informed him, and he knew it. But that wouldn't stop him trying.

The next night Lupin and Lily were walking up from one of Slughorn's parties."So." Lupin said as they climbed the stairs. "Does this mean you and James are together?"

"So you heard?" She asked, trudging up beside him.

"Heard? Lily, I'm not sure he even slept last night. He just sat in the dorm going on, and on, and on, and on. I put a Silencing charm on him and I'm not sure he's aware yet."

"Really?" Lily asked a bit too quickly, but Remus just laughed.

"So that's a yes." He nodded, walking down the corridor.

"Not necessarily..." Lily said, using her hands and biting her lip.

"So it is a yes." Remus raised his wand in triumph.

"I, I suppose...." Lily conceited, yawning. "I think this is the second-most time I've been excited to see that portrait." She told him, before slumping off to bed.