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

Chap. Five

Lily spun around in her chair, the tears on her cheeks glittering in the moonlight. She promptly slapped James across the face, leaving his smirk on the floor beside him. Before he could recover, Lily grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him full force on the mouth. Behind them, Lupin coughed loudy, "I'm gonna go tell the boys you're awake." James picked up his hand and motioned him away, and he moved quickly out of the room.

Lily sat back in the chair, her cheeks tinted pink and pretty satisfied with herself. "The slap is for the coma, the kiss-"

"-Is for waking up." James had picked up his smirk and placed it onto his face. He pulled himself into a sitting position. "I heard you the first 264 times. You promised me 264 kisses in the span of-"

"Three weeks," Lily stole the sentence back, "Of which, we actually had peaceful classes. I'm gonna miss-"

"Reading at my bedside? I heard you, Evans don't deny it-"

"Okay, okay, but only beside the common room was too full."

"You learn better when you read in your head and write it down, Evans."

"Okay, so maybe I did it for you. I didn't want you to get behind in classes."

"You thought I was dead, you'd practically given up on m-"

"I did not give up on you. I thought you were, gone, but I did not give up on you."

"Okay, Evans, I believ-" James started to say before stopping and raising an eyebrow, listening to the commotion in the hall. "Is that...?"

"PRONGSIE!" Sirius came running in wearing only socks and his boxers. "Oh, Jamesie-Boy, I thought you were done for!" James face was soon covered in shaggy hair as Sirius threw himself at him. "I thought you were dead!" He cried, hanging onto James' neck.

"I'm fine, Pads, I'm fine." James patted his back, winking at Lily.

"James? Yay!" Peter came in, fully clothed and gave him a hug too. "We thought you were gonna die."

"Are you two finished now?" Lupin asked as her wandered in, leaning on Lily's chair.

"Not quite. Evans owes me 263 kisses for waking up." James grinned. Sirius was now sitting on the end of the bed.

"I'll still hex you." She warned, pulling her wand out of her bun and pointing it threateningly at James.

"Students!" Madam Pomfrey walked in wearing her nightgown and curlers. "You need to- Oh, Mr. Potter, very nice to see you awake. But all five of you need some rest, you four can come see him in the morning. Off you go!"

They all 'Yes, ma'am'ed her and left, telling James goodbye and walking back to the common room. By they time they were in the common room, the euphoria had worn off from James' reviving and they all slumped off to bed.

The next morning James convinced Madam Pomfrey to let him out. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were sitting in transfiguration, the class just beginning when a knock on the door came. Lily shot a look over at Lupin, whose head was turned to her, but eyes glued to the door. Slowly it opened and James stepped in, closing the door behind him. "Sorry I'm late Professor, I couldn't find any socks."

"It's fine, Mr. Potter. I'll let you by this once." McGonagall smiled as she resumed her place at the front of the room. James took his stool beside Remus, across the little isle from Lily, who sat beside Severus with two other Slytherins. While McGonagall's back was turned, James pointed his wand and wrote on the corner of Lily's parchment, '263'. Lily didn't notice, but Severus watched it appear. He also made it disappear. James brought it back, shining this time. Severus vanished it away again, and the boys went at it for several minutes until Lily finally looked down to take notes. '263' was written diagonally in bold shining lettering across her parchment. She sighed with a smile as it disappeared. She looked to her left and raised an eyebrow at James. He gave a big smile and pointed to Severus behind her, whose wand still pointed at her paper. She turned to him, (who was sitting a bit to close) and crossed her arms, both eyebrows up. He smiled apologetically and faced the front automatically. Lily pointed her own wand to James, and then to Severus, both times bearing the same warning. 'I'll hex you.'

Class soon ended and they packed up to leave, Lily exiting with a laughing group of Marauders because of the look on Snape's face for the rest of the lesson. They went through their classes, everything back to normal, their best day in ages, Voldemort was forgotten, so was the fact they would all soon leave the castle.

Though Lily and Severus were no longer friends in her eyes, she was still, even to him, kind. Severus constantly tried to win her back over, to point out James' flaws to try and hide his own, but it never seemed to work. He began to worry Lily had been bewitched, but she didn't act that different. This particular day, Lily did not want to deal with Severus, so, when he went to walk with her to Advanced Potions, she stopped as she walked with the Marauders, turning to James. The height difference was her disadvantage, but an easy problem to fix. "Bring your cheek closer. But subtly." She said with a smile, like she was telling him goodbye.

"Alrighty. Why?" he asked, turning to face her and bending over slightly so his face was closer to Lily's. Smiling like the little tease he was.

"Severus." Was all she said before pecking his cheek and sauntering off.

"Aw, don't taunt me, Evans." James called after her.

"I've got to get to class, Potter!" She called over we shoulder, grinning. "262!" She called after, now standing beside Snape, but not yet going down the stairs.

"That doesn't count!" James also hadn't moved.

"Yes it does!" She waved and smirked as she descended quickly before he could reply. "That little dork." She muttered happily, entering the potions room.

"Good Afternoon, Professor." Lily smiled as she came in.

"It is indeed, Lily. It is indeed. I heard the news about James, how wonderful!" He told her, chuckling.

"It is, sir!" She grinned wide as she took her seat beside Alice.

"Too busy snogging Potter to get here earlier today?" Alice teased.

"Yes." Severus said moodily from across the table.

"I did not snog him. I kissed his cheek." Lily corrected.

"Oooohhhhh, his cheek. What, a whole three inches from his mouth?" Alice replied, smiling.

"Three and a half." Lily rolled her eyes, her smile still shining.

"Oh, excuse me." Alice rolled her eyes back, chuckling.

"What about Frank? Were you two snogging?" Lily smirked, pulling out her cauldron.

"As a matter of fact, we were." Alice laughed proudly, forcing Lily to roll her eyes again.