Lily and Marlene were steadily making their way to Charms, with their scarves tucked around their necks and books heavy in their hands, when someone called to them.
"Marlene, Lily, wait up!" a voice shouted, the sounds echoing on the walls. Lily turned around and smiled at the sight of the brown-haired boy.
"Remus, hello!" Marlene welcomed, pushing her dark-chocolate brown hair out of her face. Remus grinned back at her, his eyes crinkling at the edges. He then turned to Lily and gave a wider smile.
"James won't be bothering you anymore," he told Lily happily. "He's onto fancying Channing West now."
" West?" asked Marlene, turning around to stare at Remus in mid step.
Remus nodded, but watched for Lily's response.
He bit his lip as he and Marlene looked curiously at Lily, who had been extremely quiet as the others conversed. Lily seemed not to notice - she was two steps in front of them, a notable spring in her step.
Marlene laughed, "So you enjoy that he's no longer watching for you?" Remus darted ahead, and courteously opened the Transfiguration classroom door for his friends.
"Oh, I guess so," Lily nodded, thanking Remus as she flitted through the doorway. James was lounging with his feet on the desk in the back of the N.E.W.T. Charms classroom. Channing, usually called West, was sitting with him, her friends next to her.
Lily felt James's eyes drop to her- after all, she was staring at him. Moving to her desk, she waved at him, smiling politely. James raised his eyebrow, but waved back all the same. Channing, who thought that Lily was waving at her, smiled widely and waved amicably.
Lily sat in the front row seat that would `be her seating arrangement for the rest of this important N.E.W.T.s year', as according to Professor Flitwick. She was perfectly fine with that - she would never want to move too close to James Potter, despite their twisted sort of friendship.
"We'll be learning a useful charm for healing," chirped Professor Flitwick happily. But then his voice seemed to try to deepen, to tell of the danger of the situation, but all that came out was another spiel of his high pitched words.
The still high tone continued, but the short man frowned with his words. "Due to the continuation of these attacks by the one who is known as `He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named', this charm will help in those times of injury."
Lily glanced at Marlene. It was strange how the teachers used to fear away from the subjects of the attacks. Now, it was a widespread fear, with Ministry pamphlets being owled monthly and the dementors on the loose. The Daily Prophet brought news of wizard and Muggle death alike.
Marlene raised her eyebrows at Lily, as they began chanting, "Episkey!"
"I'm surprised that the teachers are finally admitting how horrible and close to us this war is. My Muggle next door neighbour's parents were killed. But of course, they thought it was from natural causes. I tell you, being killed by one of those Death Eaters is not a natural cause!" Marlene said.
"D'you think that Hogwarts might be attacked?" asked Linda Brown, leaning across the aisle to talk to Lily and Marlene.
Lily shook her head. "With Dumbledore here, Hogwarts will never be attacked. It's more about the people not at Hogwarts that worries me."
Marlene sighed. "I hope my family is all right."
"But you said they're Aurors, shouldn't they be safe?" wondered Linda.
Marlene looked at Linda with askance. "My parents are the ones protecting us from Voldemort! And stop wincing, Brown, it's not like saying his name means he's going to pop up and Avada Kedavra you!"
From right in front of her, Professor Flitwick summoned a trolley of cages.
"These are Professor Kettleburn's hurt flobberworms - they were treated roughly by a class of first years. Your assignment for this class is to heal them," squeaked Professor Flitwick.
Lily glanced at the flobberworm inching around her desk. It was slowly creeping towards the edge, and with a sudden movement, tumbled down to the dusty floor.
Marlene picked it up in disgust. "Great, now it's gone and hurt itself again!"
At that moment, a note whizzed in front of Lily.
Lily, you don't mind me being with James, do you?
Channing
Lily gaped at the parchment. Lily didn't care about who James was with, he could be with Marlene and she wouldn't mind! Not really, at least. It would bother her if James and West started snogging in the middle of the Great Hall, or in the back of the. . . Charms classroom?
West and Potter were looking rather red-faced as Professor Flitwick reprimanded them. Sirius grinned, catcalling. Peter seemed completely shocked and his jaw was hanging quite limply from his mouth. Remus was shaking his head, chucking to himself.
"Your flobberworm is racing out the door!" Flitwick cried, pointed at the worm inching away on the floor. Needless to say, the speed of the magical animal was far from racing.
Lily turned back to Marlene, frowning. "Can you believe the nerve of him? Honestly, I don't really want to see him snogging her in the middle of class!"
She picked her quill up and scrawled on the parchment.
Channing, don't worry. It's fine as long as your relationship doesn't take away from his Head duties!
Lily
It was strange, though. Lily never really cared about who James dated, so why was his girlfriend asking her for permission?
Then, she grabbed the flobberworm firmly with one hand and began to heal its cuts and bruises.
The second day at Hogwarts had passed them by in a whirlwind of lectures about the seriousness of their N.E.W.T.s year as well as the threat of the Dark Lord. But luckily, Hogsmeade visits were still allowed for sixth and seventh years. The younger years were banned from the wizarding village.
Lily poked her wand at the back of the flyer, applying a temporary Sticking Charm onto the Hogsmeade announcement. Pressing it firmly on the notice board, she stood back and admired her work.
"Evans, you need to bring it a bit more to the right!" shouted a voice. Lily was about to comply, when she realized who the voice was. She spun around and shook her head at the dark haired boy in the corner of the busy common room.
"Sirius Black, do you think I should ever listen to your advice?" she grinned at him, speaking over the murmurs of the crowd.
Sirius laughed loudly, his hair covering his eyes. "It was worth a try!"
Lily slipped onto the plump scarlet couch, next to the studious Marlene. Her friend was busily reading Potions with Purpose, writing an essay for Transfiguration, and muttering a charm under her breath. The fire in front of her flickered with her words.
"Aren't you overwhelming yourself?" Lily asked concernedly.
"No, not really. I was going to try to listen to one of those Muggle audio books, but I didn't have a tape player," said Marlene, crossing a t.
Marlene was bent on continuing her reputation as one of the smartest witches for her age even after Hogwarts. Lily, on the other hand, was more interested in a Charms-related occupation.
A figure sat on the end of the girls' couch. Lily looked up in the smiling face of Remus.
"Marlene, can I talk to you?" he asked, jerking his head outwards. Remus looked determined, ready for action.
Marlene looked up from her essay and book. "Oh, all right."
Lily noted the uprising of colour in Marlene's ears.
"Go on," she pushed. Remus and Marlene slipped out of the Gryffindor Common Room, to the laughter of the Marauders.
Lily frowned. "At least he has the guts to ask someone to Hogsmeade!" she called at them.
"Is that a challenge?" James asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I think Evans is challenging us, Prongs," agreed Sirius, looking at Lily with a grin.
"Well, I've already won," yawned James.
"Really?" piped up Peter, jealousy watering in his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm going with Channing to Hogsmeade, I asked her yesterday," James said loudly, grinning at Lily.
She shook her head, laughing. "Okay, James, you win."
"Who are you going with, anyway?" Sirius asked, walking towards her.
"Anyone but you," she retorted, as Sirius sat on the couch next to her.
"What about Peter, then?" Sirius asked in an undertone.
"Are you serious?" she gaped in disbelief. Her mouth dropped open a bit.
Sirius closed it with the tips of his fingers. Lily saw James watching through the side of her eye. Damn peripheral vision.
"No. I already know you're going with Davies," he said, shrugging. He got up, and wove back to his friends through the busy common room.
Marlene jumped into the couch, where Sirius had just occupied.
Lily brightened. "What did Remus want?"
Marlene's cheeks deepened into a garnet red. "He asked me to Hogsmeade."
"And?" asked Lily, prodding her to go on.
"I accepted," replied Marlene, looking at her feet whist blushing madly.
Lily grinned at her friend, smiling with delight.
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