A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, and sorry this one is so long.
Disc: All this, I own naught.
Scavenger Island
James was in the middle of an intense dream when Mrs. Longbottom woke him up. He blinked at her sleepily and confused. She was wearing her dressing gown, covered in a robe made of silk. Her hair was still tied up in a scarf and a thick, now crumbly mask of seaweed was on her face. James screamed.
"James, your mother is on the phone," Mrs. Longbottom said quietly as she continued to shake his shoulder gently. James stopped screaming and blushed.
"Sorry, Mrs. Longbottom," James said sleepily as he put his glasses on. He threw back his blankets and headed down to the beach house's only phone. There by the refrigerator in the kitchen. Yawning, he stumbled to the phone and picked it up, placing the receiver to his ear.
"James Potter," his mother started in on him. "You told me that you would call and assure me that you and Sirius made it to the beach safely. I'm disappointed in your lack of responsibility."
"Mum, I'm sorry, really," James said as he closed his eyes, resting the back of his head against the refrigerator. It couldn't be any later than eight in the morning.
"You know how much your father and I worry about you, and to be honest, I'm starting to wonder if you are old enough to be at the beach," Mrs. Potter chastised her son.
"Mum, I really am sorry," James apologized. "You know I'd never make you worry on purpose. I was going to call, but then I just kind of got caught up with everything and I was out late last night playing around with the guys."
"And the girls? Mrs. Longbottom told me that Alice and Lily are staying in the house next door," Mrs. Potter said.
"Honestly, I didn't know that they were going to be here," James promised. "I plan on being a gentleman, Mum. Nothing less than what you and Dad would expect of me, I swear. I'm planning on keeping my hands to myself and my junk in my pants, Mum."
"I don't want to hear about anything related to that! I want grandchildren, James, but I want you out of school first, preferably married," Mrs. Potter laughed. "You had me worried about you, though."
"I know, Mum," James said remorsefully. "I'm sorry. I'm safe. Sirius is safe, and we're going to behave."
"I know, I just worry," Mrs. Potter said. "I'm sure I woke you up, so I'll let you head back to bed. I'll see when you get home. I love you, James."
"I love you too, Mum," James yawn. He replaced the phone and started out of the kitchen.
"That was just too sweet, James," teased Lily. James turned to look at the girl sitting quietly at the table. She had her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee.
"Lily, what are you doing here?" James said in surprise. He blushed slightly. Lily left his face, traced his body, and met his face again, a smile playing on her lips.
"Mrs. Longbottom makes the best coffee, so I stopped in with Alice to have a cup. Alice disappeared upstairs to wake Frank. The half naked look suits you," Lily said suddenly. She blushed deep red. James grinned.
"I should get something more than boxers on," James said. "If I pass Alice, I'll send her down to you."
"I'll make you a cup, if you like," Lily offered. James looked back at her surprised.
"Thanks, but I'm particular about the way I like my coffee," James said.
"I know, 2 parts coffee, 3 parts sugar, 1 part cream," Lily rattled off quickly. James smiled and nodded. Lily blushed bright red, but didn't say anything further. James raised an eyebrow, smile playing on his lips, and nodded once before bounding up the stairs.
"Potter," Alice said. James continued down the hall way.
"What's up Alice?" James asked. She let her gaze leave his face for a second. He signaled to his face, causing her blush ever so slightly.
"Be nice to Lily, will you? This is her vacation, too," Alice said. James grinned.
"When am I never nice, Alice?" James asked. "If you recall, I've not asked her out once since I've gotten here."
"The week is still young," Alice said. James nodded.
"It is, but as you recall, I only ask her out to aggravate her at Hogwarts," James said. He shrugged. "Since neither is a deciding factor, its safe to say I'll not be asking her out on this vacation."
"Why not?!" Alice demanded in a whispered voice. James looked at her confused.
"I don't understand," James said. "I thought you wanted me to go easy on Lily."
"I swear," Alice said storming off. "Boys don't know anything!"
"Nutter," James tossed back at her, laughing as he headed in to the room he was sharing with Remus and Sirius. The two of them were just dragging themselves out of bed.
"You know Prewett is wandering around out there," Sirius said as he nodded at James.
"I ran into her," James said laughing. He fished a pair of swim trunks off the floor and discarded his boxers in a hasty manner for the swim trunks. He pulled a plain tee shirt on, covering his chest, and slipped his feet into his shoes sockless. "No big deal, but she's completely nuts. She got on to me about being nice to Lily but then got completely pissed when I practically promised I'd not ask her out."
"That's a woman for you," Remus said. Sirius snorted.
"As if you would know," Sirius laughed clapping Remus on the shoulder.
"I'd know," replied Remus as he pulled away. "There was Shale Kinsley, Annette Doughty, and Leslie Palmer."
"That was the beginning of the third year," Sirius said. "I haven't seen a girl on your arm since."
"Man-whore, you've made up for it for me," Remus laughed shoving Sirius.
"Now, boys, let's not rough house," James chastised. The two looked at him skeptically. James burst into laughter and shoved them both. "You know I have room to talk."
"I swear, if you could get a disease from dating the number of people you dated, you'd be festering," Remus said. James laughed and nodded until he got the hiccups. Sirius started laughing hysterically at James who couldn't stop hiccupping.
"Attractive," Sirius gasped between his laughter.
"Not-hic-funny," James gasped.
"Yes, it is," Remus laughed.
"No-hic-it's-hic-not!" James said shaking his head as the three of them headed out of the room and down the stairs.
"What was all that noise upstairs?" Mrs. Longbottom said at the stove as she looked up from the mountain of scrambled eggs she had just finished cooking.
"Noth-hic-ing," James hiccupped. Sirius and Remus started laughing hysterically.
"James has the hiccups!" Sirius laughed.
"Do you now?" Mrs. Longbottom said with a smile.
"Try sugar," Lily said. Sirius made a kissy face at James and batted his eyelashes tauntingly. Remus laughed.
"Mature," Alice said rolling her eyes. Lily stood and headed over to the counter. Pulling out a tablespoon, she dipped it in the sugar bowl and signaled for the hiccupping James.
"Open your mouth and swallow this slowly," Lily commanded. James shrugged, starting to get really annoyed with the involuntary spasms of his diaphragm. Within a minute or so, the sugar had dissolved and the hiccups were gone.
"Wow, thanks Lil," James said. Lily nodded once as she places the spoon in the sink.
"Muggle remedy," Lily said as she retrieved the cup of coffee she had made him. She handed it to him and rejoined the others at the table.
"Ooh," the others cooed playfully. Lily and James both blushed but said nothing more. James joined the table and the group ate breakfast.
"So, the scavenger-hunt," Alice said as she pulled several copies from her messenger bag. "I figured that right after breakfast we'd head down to the dock and take a motorboat over to the island for the day."
"What happened to sailing?" Sirius asked frowning. "I was so hoping to play pirate on the way to the island."
"One of the many reasons we are not taking a sailing vessel," Alice said raising an eyebrow.
"That, and the fact that the wind to wave ratio is odd because of some strange weather pattern," Lily said absentmindedly as she stirred her coffee. Every looked at her with grin.
"You're such a book worm," Remus laughed. Lily laughed back.
"Such words from someone who was one of the top of our class," Lily teased. Remus blushed.
"We don't know that," Remus chuckled. "We haven't gotten our O.W.L.s back yet to know what we all scored."
"I'm sure you goobers scored perfectly," Sirius said. He shook his head and grinned. "Just like James and I probably scraped by with an acceptable or something."
"Hey," James complained. "Don't lump me in with you."
"Whatever," Alice huffed as she held out a small bag. "Take a stone and see who you've been paired with for the hunt. I still have to dart back next door to get the lunch."
Each person reached into the small bag, their hands closing on a small stone. One by one they opened their hands to see the stones. Alice and Frank both had blue and were thrilled to get each other. Remus got James, and Lily was paired with Sirius. James laughed and patted Sirius on the back good naturedly. Everyone could tell that they were going to drive each other insane. Only a tiny bit of James was jealous and disappointed that he was not the one paired with Lily.
Picnic packed and stored with their knapsacks, the six of them strapped bright orange lift vests on. For a second, James panicked. He could find his wand. Just as he was about to blurt out that he thought he had lost his wand, he remembered he had stowed it in his underwear drawer back at the beach house. They had all talked about it over breakfast, and thought it would be best not to bring them.
"The island is protected naturally by antimagic spells," Lily had rattled off absent mindedly as she perused the Daily Prophet. Her endless supply of seemingly random and useless information never ceased to keep the others from teasing her about it.
"Damn muggle life vest," James swore as he dropped the buckle for the third time. Lily rolled her eyes and snapped the final buckle into place. "Hey, I would have gotten it eventually if it wasn't for the fact that they insist on putting like twelve on here."
"You are such an exaggerator," Lily teased quietly as she pushed his shoulder lightly. He laughed and pushed her back, sending her head first into the water. Her head broke the surface of the water as she sputtered and coughed.
"You're an idiot," Alice told him as James reached down to Lily to help her up.
"It was an accident, Alice," James snapped at her. He turned his attention to Lily. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to push you into the water."
"It's ok," Lily said rolling her eyes. "I'd have ended up there sooner or later. Now, I just get to sit in my wet clothes all day."
"No, you don't," James said as he retrieved his back pack. He pulled out a spare shirt. "Wear this until your clothes dry, you know, over your swim suit. It's better than sitting around for a while in wet jean shorts."
"Gee, James. I don't know what to say," Lily said surprised. She hadn't expected him to be so nice to her. James shrugged as they climbed aboard the small motorboat. James headed to the bow of the boat, kicking his feet up on the seat across from him. Sirius joined him, knocking his feet aside to sit.
"You are mighty suave," Sirius teased. He leaned forward. "Do you want me to chat you up good while she and I are off doing that stupid scavenger hunt Prewett thought up?"
"No, that's ok. I don't think I really like the idea of you discussing me," James laughed. "I know how your mind works and I am liable to get run through."
"If you say so," Sirius said shrugging. He hesitated, thinking for a minute before he added. "You mind if I pursue since you're not this summer."
"Go for it," James said absent mindedly as he looked over at Lily. She was standing there, the sun hitting her just right. Her hair was darker because of the water, but the sun caused it to look like it was aflame. Her wet clothes had been discarded to the floor of the boat and she was in the process of unfolding James' favorite tee shirt. At the moment, she was clad in her bathing suit, the white bikini contrasting nicely with her gentle tan. She glanced up at that moment, her eyes meeting James.
"Uh-huh, right," Sirius replied, seeing the momentary charge of electricity between the two. Lily smiled slightly, almost uncertain, and pulled the shirt over her head. The hem of the shirt just barely covered her bottom. Alice asked Lily a question and she broke eye contact with James. "Like I'm to believe that there is nothing there between you?"
"Believe what you want man," James said looking back at Sirius. He grinned.
"You sure you're not looking for a little summer romance with Lily Evans?" Sirius asked. James shook his head.
"We are only here for the week," James replied. "I'm here for one thing: having a good time."
"You know," Sirius said suggestively as he glanced back at Lily, wiggling his eye brows. James laughed and rolled his eyes.
"If you want to go after Lily, you won't find me standing in your way," James said. Sirius grinned and patted his shoulder firmly.
"You've always been a great friend," Sirius said as Alice started the boat, its engine roaring to life. James nodded without any other words as Sirius leaned back and the two sat in the roar of the wind as whipped through their hair. It was too loud to talk anyways, even if there had been more words to say between them.
They ran the boat pretty close to shore, anchoring it in the sand before they hopped off the stern into thigh high water, holding their belongings above their heads like soldiers wading in the jungle rivers. They set up a base camp for the day, stacking their bags and the picnic beside a huge tree. The milled around for a few minutes before heading off in various directions to start their scavenger hunt.
"Are we really going to do this?" Remus asked as the two walked down the beach. James shrugged and looked at the list.
"I don't really care too," James said. "I'd rather go exploring the island instead."
"Me, too," Remus said balling up the paper and throwing it into the water. James looked at him surprised. "What? I can be a rebel like you and Sirius, too."
"Yes, I suppose you can," James said grinning. The two took off running down the beach at full speed laughing and running in and out of the water, soaking their shoes. James rushed at Remus to shove him into the water, but Remus anticipated such from James and the two tumbled fully clothed into the ocean water.
"Thought you'd get me huh?" Remus laughed.
"I'll get you yet, Moony," James threatened good-naturedly as they stripped off most of their wet clothes. Remus made a face, shaking his head.
"In the end, I'll always get the last laugh," Remus boasted as they both sat down on the beach.
"Yeah," James said nodding. "Probably."
The two sat in silence, the sun warming their skin. Remus shifted slightly, obviously looking to break the silence with something important he wanted to discuss. James waited, knowing that his best friend would spit it out when he finally was ready. He didn't want to rush Remus so he remained silent and still.
"Do you like Lily?" Remus asked. James glanced over at him.
"Of course," James said.
"I don't mean like-like, the reason you asked her out every day while we're at school. I mean really honestly like her," Remus said uncomfortably. "Like the way Frank likes Alice."
"Frank doesn't like Alice. Frank loves Alice," James corrected quietly. Remus hesitated.
"Do you love Lily?" Remus asked. James looked at him with skeptical look on his face.
"Why do you ask?" James asked suspiciously.
"Lily is my friend," Remus asked. "Not as good of a friend as you, but still a good friend none the less. I just wondered how much of you asking her out and this flirting thing the two of you have been doing is part of your persistence to get everything you go after, and how much of it is because you really like her."
"What?" James asked with a look of confusion. "Are you asking me if I am in love with Lily Evans?"
"No," Remus said. He paused. "Well, yes, actually. Are you in love with Lily Evans?"
James opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. He closed his mouth and looked back over the ocean. Thoughts swirled in his head. It was true. James was a persistent little bugger, always eventually achieving whatever he sought. It was that persistence that had him asking Lily out every day like clockwork. It was habit, maybe, but could it mean he felt more? Remus remained quiet and join James at the oceanic stare down.
"I don't know," James said suddenly. Remus glanced at him.
"Maybe that is why you're not pursuing her this summer," Remus offered. James grunted in response but didn't confirm or deny Remus' statement. He didn't know.
"We should start heading back," James said as he glanced at Remus' watch. The two gathered their stuff and walked back toward the other's should be.
"I'm starved," Remus said as he threw his stuff down near their picnic. They both looked up as Alice came running down the beach. Frowning, they watched as she yelled for them, her words lost on the breeze that had begun to pick up. James and Remus both looked at each other and started towards her, slowly at first and readily picking up speed.
"You guys have to come with me!" Alice shouted hysterically. She looked like she was crying and there was blood on her hands.
"What happened?" James and Remus shouted back at her.
"An accident," Alice cried out. "Come on!"
Alice grabbed them both by the hand, ignoring the stickiness of her hands, and the three ran full force down the beach to where sharp, jagged rocks jutted out of the water. On this side of the island, the water was rougher. Alice wasn't able to tell them anymore, the wind was howling on this side and a storm was starting to roll in. Alice pointed at a point in the jagged rocks.
"Sirius," Alice cried. James jerked away from them, and headed out across the rocks, glancing up at the sky for a moment as he carefully made his way through the uneven rocks, his hands gripping other rocks to steady him. It seemed to take forever, but James finally made it to where Lily and Sirius were. Sirius was still, splayed out on the rock. The water lapped at Sirius' shoes as his lower legs hung into the water.
"I told him not to climb up there!" Lily cried out. She was standing over Sirius, trembling. James looked at his best friend. The rock behind Sirius' head was dark. James squatted down and touched the rock. It was covered in blood. James felt a wave of blind panic well up in him.
"Sirius? Sirius?" James begged as he touched the other boy's shoulder. Sirius didn't stir.
"I told him not to go up there! It's all my fault!" Lily cried. "I told him we had to win, and we needed just a feather from a sea gull. I told him we had to win."
"Lily, just SHUT UP," James snapped at her before he returned his attention to Sirius. Sirius was breathing but he was still. Without hesitation, James ran his fingers through Sirius' hair, checking for lumps or damage. His fingers found a three inch gaping gash in Sirius' scalp just beyond his left ear. James frowned, worried, and yanked his shirt off wadding it up and pressing it against the gaping cut in Sirius's scalp.
"Is he going to be ok?" Lily asked. James looked up at her and shrugged, unable to speak. A lump had formed in his throat, threatening to choke the life from him.
"We need to get him on the boat and back to main land," Remus shouted over the roar of the ocean and the rumble of thunder. They all shivered in the rapidly dropping temperature.
"He's bleeding really badly," James shouted as Frank joined them out on the rocks. Frank and Remus lifted Sirius up off the rocks as carefully as they could while James continued to hold his shirt to Sirius' head.
Sirius groaned. James couldn't have been happier at his friend's auditory complaint. The six were heading back to mainland as fast as the boat would take them, the wind causing the rain to sting like little needles. James laughed in relief as Sirius tried to get up.
"No, you hit your head really hard," James said as he tried to force Sirius back to the supine position.
"Explains why my head hurts like hell," Sirius groaned. "What happened?"
"You fell on your head," James said as they pulled up to the dock.
"Thank god there's nothing in there to damage," Sirius said laughing and wincing.
"Sirius, thank goodness," Lily cried as she practically crushed him as she threw her arms around him. "You are the stupidest person I know! I told you not to climb up there! But did you listen? No! Of course not!"
"Easy Lily," Sirius said. He held out his hand after retrieving something from his pocket. "We won. I got the feather."
"I don't care about the stupid scavenger hunt," Lily cried out at him in anger. "You could have been killed."
"You worry too much," Sirius said as he struggled to a sitting position. He took over holding James' shirt to the gash.
"My mom will be able to heal you," Alice said as Frank started to tie the boat to the dock. Sirius was a little unsteady on his feet but refused to let James help. They headed straight home. Mrs. Longbottom immediately sent Sirius up to bed while Alice went to get her own mother. Mrs. Prewett didn't seem surprised that it was Sirius that had went and cracked his skull. As a skilled healer, Mrs. Prewett was able to un-crack Sirius' skull and fused the skin.
"He'll need to stay in bed today but should be back on his feet in the morning," Mrs. Prewett said to Mrs. Longbottom. "I don't even want to know what you kids were doing on the island."
Peter joined the others in the room, everyone randomly hanging out on the other two twin sized beds. Lily sat on James' bed, rearranging his pillows behind her as she made herself comfortable. James sat in a chair, it flipped backward and his arms resting on the back. Alice and Frank crashed on Remus' bed. They were quiet.
"So, how did Sirius end up with his head cracked open?" Peter asked.
"What do you think?" James laughed. "Sirius was being himself."
"Hey, at least we won!" Lily and Sirius both said in unison. The others laughed.
"Yeah, we didn't even find one item," Frank admitted blushing. "We were distracted."
"Ooooh," teased the others as Alice lightly slapped Frank's arm with a grin on her face.
"I can't believe you told," Alice said to him.
"I can't believe you made us do that stupid scavenger hunt. If you wanted some happy alone time, you could have just gone off," Sirius said. He looked at them with a remorseful look. "Now I have brain damage."
"Now? Haven't you always?" Remus laughed and teased. The others, including Sirius, laughed.
"I guess we're `camping out' for dinner up here," Frank said. "Who wants to tell ghost stories since it's storming out?"
"Sounds like fun," the others cheered.
At ten that night, the rain started to slow and Frank went to walk Alice back next door. He volunteered James into walking Lily back. Alice and Frank asked James and Lily to give them few minutes, so they did. They stood in the misting rain while the other two disappeared for a few minutes. James had his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Lily wasn't exactly standing still, leaning against the tree near the hammock.
"Want to sit a minute?" Lily asked. James nodded and the two sat on the edge of the hammock. He grinned.
"I plan on sleeping out here on night, this thing looks so comfortable to sleep on," James confessed as he wiped the back of his hand against his forehead.
"It does, doesn't it?" Lily replied as she reclined back in the hammock. She grabbed James by the shirt and pulled him back, almost making the two of them spill out of the hammock.
"Lily, wow, you could've warned me," James complained as he gripped the edge of the hammock.
"I didn't think you'd have resisted so much," Lily confessed. "You've been chasing after me for years."
"I don't know if I'd go that far," James laughed. "I've asked you out, yeah, but James Potter doesn't chase after girls."
"Right," Lily said as the two of them swayed in the breeze that was picking up. They were getting soaked.
"I only ask you during the school year to annoy you," James said nonchalantly. "You've noticed I've not asked you out once since school let out."
"So, you don't really like me?" Lily asked frowning. James hesitated.
"Well, sure I like you," James said. "If you weren't so annoyingly smart and a know it all, I'd want to hang out with you more."
"What a hell of a thing to say, James," Lily said frustrated.
"Well, it's not like you make it easy to like you more than that," James said huffily.
"You don't exactly make it easy to like you either," Lily snapped. "You walk around like you're some God's gift to women. You're always ruffling your hair to look like you just got off your broom. You're a bully."
"I'm not a bully," James interjected angrily.
"Yes, you are," Lily snapped. "Severus tells me all the time how you bully him because he's poor."
"No I don't," James defended. "I don't bully, and if I did, it'd be because he is so weird, not because he is poor. Remus is poor and we don't bully him."
"Severus is not weird! He's just intense," Lily said.
"If he's not weird, how come you've stopped hanging out with him?" James challenged.
"What's my friendship with him got to do with me liking you?" Lily snapped angrily. James hesitated.
"You… like me?" James asked hesitantly. He tried to turn to look at her, but the hammock was unstable and they nearly fell out of it.
"I… no… I mean," Lily stuttered. She blushed red. "You're James."
"Yeah," James said slowly. "So, then, you don't like me?"
"I don't know!" Lily said suddenly. "I mean, you act one way when we are at school, and that James' I don't like. But the James you've been since you've gotten here, even though you yelled at me on the island, I like that James."
"I'm sorry for yelling at you," James said after a minute or two. "I was worried about Sirius."
"I know," Lily said as she as she turned towards James. Her face touched his shoulder and her hand rested on his chest.
James thought about kissing her suddenly. Her eyes seemed to twinkle in the porch light that managed to meet them from the porch. The desire to kiss her twisted his stomach and caused his heart to start racing. She looked at him in surprise, her hand registering the increase in his heart rate. James blushed and pulled away.
"I… I think it's time for us to say good night," James said quickly as the two of them climbed off the hammock.
"Is it something I said?" Lily asked uncertainly. James forced a smile and shook his head.
"No, of course not," James said. "But I think we should part for the night. I think I heard more thunder and frankly I'm a little damp from the rain."
"Ok, then," Lily said as she stood beside him. "Until tomorrow?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," James said. He hesitated before swooping down, intended to kiss her cheek. She turned just in time and their lips met. James found his hands tangled in her hair and her soft hands on his face. They stepped away from each other, breathless and hot.
"You kissed me," Lily said surprised.
"You kissed me back," James said with the same surprised sound in his voice. Lily smiled and shrugged.
"I guess we can talk about it tomorrow," Lily said shrugging again with a smile. James grinned.
"Yeah," James said. "We can talk about this tomorrow."
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