I'll Fight For You
By Hazelmist/Summerskies
Disclaimer: I don't think I'd be here if I owned anything.
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Thanks so much to those of you that took the time and effort to review. I love you guys! This chapter takes place 3 months after the last chapter in December of Lily and James's Sixth Year.
Chapter Ten: The World Never Stops Turning
FLASH!
A green bright light explodes before me.
I can't see a bloody thing with this blinding green light surrounding me. It's as if the light's been frozen, stopped in its tracks, or maybe it's me that's stopped time. I'm not quite sure, but it's creeping me out. Cautiously, I raise a hand and slowly reach for the light. My fingers quiver, my heart thuds in my chest, and sweat slides down the side of my face.
What am I so afraid of?
I touch the light. My hand burns, but I feel no pain. Suddenly, the light's gone, swallowed up by a wand. I'm moving backwards. In awe I watch, as everything suddenly seemed to back up.
I'm rewinding it.
FLASH!
"Lily! Wake up, Lily! Lily! Come on, wake up!"
My eyes open, a blinding light pouring in through the windows. Immediately, I close my eyes again. Someone tugs on my arm, shaking me frantically, but I cover my eyes and roll over.
Rewind. Concentrate. Rewind.
"I think she's tired," whispers a voice that sounds like Alice's.
"I don't give a damn if she's tired; she's not missing this," replies the undeniable voice of Grace Adams.
No, not now. Let me sleep, I'm almost there, I almost had it! Not now!
But Gracie, true to her word, did not intend for me to miss, er, well I'm not exactly sure, but it must be important.
"Lily Evans, get your arse out of bed before I throw you in the shower. A cold shower."
She's not kidding, either. Last week, I overslept and Gracie threatened me. Of course I thought, "What kind of girl would put their best friend in a freezing cold shower when it feels like it's below zero in the dormitories already?" I mean, I would've gotten hypothermia and died. So I rolled over just to show that I didn't believe her, and suddenly I was waking up in the shower, cursing and freezing to death.
Some best friend.
Gracie paid her dues, of course, but it's still an experience that I have no intention of repeating.
I'm out of my bed in less than three seconds, wide-awake.
"That was close, Lily, real close," Tiffany whispers, earning a glare from Gracie. Both of them are perched on the windowsill with Alice, looking out at something.
I notice that they're still in their dressing robes and pajamas, and none of them have bothered to take a shower, change into their uniforms, or gather their books.
"It's Saturday," I realize with a frown.
"Yep, no classes today!" Alice chirps cheerfully, rubbing a spot on the icy windowpane with the sleeve of her robe.
I turn to Gracie, and fold my arms over my chest.
"You better have a good reason as to why you woke me up before eight on a Saturday morning," I scowl.
"Because we felt like it," Tiffany snickers. She must have seen me reach for my wand because she sobers and hastily adds, "Just kidding!"
"Why'd you wake me up?" I growl.
"It's snowing," Gracie says simply, shrugging her shoulders and turning back to the window.
"You woke me, because it's snowing!" I cry. "It happens all the time-wait, it's snowing? Really? You mean it's really snowing, right now?"
Gracie nods, a small smile stealing across her face.
I run across the room and jump onto the windowsill. I press my face against the ice laced window pane, staring out at the swirling, feathery light flakes spiraling down to greet the snow-covered ground below. It's the first snowfall of the winter! My heart leaps into my throat, childish excitement and anticipation rushing through my veins. Before I can stop myself I'm undoing the freezing latch on the window.
"Lily, what are you doing?" Tiffany makes a move to stop me, but I throw open the window and she gives a shriek and scampers back to her nice warm bed.
I lift my head, laughing as the snow lands in my hair, on my face, and in my open mouth. The cold air rushes into our room, the snowflakes melting and dripping down my neck. Gracie giggles, stretching out her arms, holding out her open palms. Alice shivers and wisely runs back to light a fire in the room.
"Shut the window; it's freezing!" Tiffany shouts.
Gracie and I ignore her. She grabs my arm and we dance around the room laughing in the midst of the swirling snowflakes, leaving the window wide open.
*
"Achoo!"
I offer Alice another tissue along with a sympathetic smile. She blows her nose, and crumples it up, adding it to the growing pile beside her. Gracie flicks her wand and the pile disappears. The three of us are sitting around the fire in our room, wrapped in many blankets and warming charms, trying desperately to get warm.
"It's your own fault you know," Tiffany says, making sure the latch on the window is securely shut before coming over to join us with three mugs of steaming butterbeer. "If Lily hadn't opened that window and let all the cold air and the snow in-"
"Give it a rest, Tiffany," Gracie laughs, accepting the mug. "You're acting like an old hag."
"I am not!" She protests, sitting down on the floor beside us and handing Alice a bigger box of tissues.
"I thought you were supposed to be the fun one in the group," I tease, taking a sip.
"I am!" she insists indignantly.
I exchange a look with Gracie and we roll our eyes.
"ACHOO!"
The three of us jump and I almost spill hot butterbeer onto my lap.
"Sorry," Alice mumbles.
"Don't apologize, it's not your fault you're sick," Tiffany says, patting Alice on the back and turning an accusing glare in our direction. "It's Lily and Gracie's."
"Mine? Lily was the one who opened it," Gracie says, quick to point the finger at me.
I have such loyal friends.
"You weren't exactly closing it either, doing that jig around the room and singing Christmas Carols," I tell her. Gracie blushes and the other two laugh.
"Ah-Ah-ACHOO!"
"Keep that up, Alice, and you might get out of our exams tomorrow!" I say brightly, referring to the Mid Year exams that we're given every year right before the holidays.
"ACHOO!"
"You know what, I think Alice passed it on to me. Achoo, Achoo, Achoo. Cough. Cough." Gracie fake sneezes and pretends to cough.
"Yeah, me too. It's very contagious. ACHOO! COUGH!" Tiffany's hand flies to her throat and she starts hacking as if she's on her deathbed.
"Nothing Madam Pomfrey's Pepperup potion can't cure," I reassure them with a grin.
"Um, actually, this is a very special case of the common cold. I don't think it can be cured by the Pepperup Potion," Gracie says hastily.
"Yeah," Tiffany nods furiously in agreement, continuing her deathbed theatrics.
"Well, we'll just have to find out now, won't we? Come on, let's go." I stand up and hold out a hand to both of them.
Abruptly the coughing and the sneezing stop.
"You know what, suddenly I feel fine," Gracie grins.
"Never felt better in my entire life," Tiffany agrees.
"ACHOO!"
"Yeah, me-ACHOO-too." Alice sniffles, blowing her nose again. "What? I-ACHOO-feel-ACHOO-fine. Honestly! ACHOO!"
Right Alice, and I'm going to marry Potter. I sigh and go to get another box of tissues. She's going to the infirmary, whether she likes it or not.
*
Alice and I stroll through the empty hallways of Hogwarts. The rest of the school's sleeping, outside, studying, or still at breakfast. It's nice sometimes to walk through these halls without the sounds of people bustling to and from classes or fighting with the Slytherins or laughing or cursing about the infamous Marauder's latest prank. It's freezing, though. Honestly, you'd think that being magical and all that they'd think about investing in heat. I know for a fact that electricity doesn't work at Hogwarts (bad experience with a muggle radio that I don't plan on repeating), but wizards must have an alternative other than old-fashioned fires. Right?
"I'm not going." Alice stops in her tracks.
She seems to have noticed that we're not exactly heading in the direction of the Great Hall. Took her long enough. She couldn't honestly have believed that I was going to eat breakfast after all the stuff we just ate in our dormitory.
"Oh, yes, you are. It's my fault you're sick, so it's my job to get you to the infirmary."
"Lily, I'm fine. See, I'm not sne-ee-eez-" She clamps a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from doing it. "See, fine." Again she ducks her head, covering her face with her hands.
"The Pepperup potion will only take a second!"
Alice turns around and starts walking quickly in the other direction. Or she would've if I hadn't caught a hold of her cloak and dragged her back.
"It won't take long and you'll feel so much better," I reason with her.
Alice glares at me, but it's ruined entirely when she starts sneezing again.
"Hey, Alice!" a voice calls from behind us. "Lily!"
"Oh, no," Alice groans, instantly recognizing the voice.
Oh, yes! I grin broadly, turning both Alice and myself around to greet the slightly chubby teenager hurrying to catch up with us. Frank Longbottom couldn't have better timing.
"Hide me!" Alice whimpers, running to hide behind me. She knows, just as I do, that once Frank sees the state she's in, there's no way she's going anywhere until she gets the dreaded Pepperup potion from Madam Pomfrey. If Alice even shivers, the boy's in overly concerned mode, ready to carry her off to the infirmary. He's crazy about Alice. It's a shame that she's too stupid to notice.
"What's wrong?" Frank asks, eyeing his best friend, who's currently crouching down behind me.
"She's scared of Madam Pomfrey," I explain, peeling her hands off of my shoulders, and forcing her to move out in front of me.
"Madam Pomfrey?" His brows knit, and, here it comes, the color practically drains from his face and suddenly he looks almost as ill as Alice. Only his eyes shine brightly with concern, worry and love. Though Alice, of course, never seems to catch onto this last part.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you sick?" He grabs her by the shoulders, inspecting her closely with a keen eye.
"I'm fine, Frank." But she sneezes. Alice never was a very good liar.
"You're not fine, you're sick. We've got to go to the infirmary right now." Frank wraps an arm around her shoulders and marches her off to the Infirmary.
"It's only a cold!" Alice protests weakly, but she's losing the battle miserably. "You're acting like I'm dying!" she complains, blushing, and shooting a glare over a shoulder when she hears me laughing.
Oops. I turn my back on them and start walking back to the Great Hall. That was a piece of cake. I'm good, I'm so good. Everyone thinks the Marauders are the masterminds, but I beg to differ. I think it's someone by the name of Lily Marie Evans. That's right, moi. Only a woman could set up something like that.
"These halls are freezing, and where's your scarf? You could catch a cold and die!" Frank admonished.
"Frank! Will you - no, no, you put me down right now!" Alice squeaked.
I can't help myself; I have to turn around. I catch a glimpse of them just before they turn the corner; Frank has boldly picked Alice up, cradling her like a child in his arms (though rather clumsily, considering it's Frank and Alice). Oh dear… I hope he doesn't trip. And Alice's face is the exact shade of my dark red hair.
I giggle and wave to Alice, but luckily Frank's back is to me, and Alice is too busy clinging to Frank (she's probably terrified he's going to stumble and drop her) and embarrassed to do anything. Later she'll probably try to kill me, but I know that secretly she's enjoying every minute of this.
She'll thank me some day.
I hope.
*
"Lily? LILY!"
I jump, knocking the Transfiguration book off my lap. Tiffany catches it, finally grabbing my attention.
"Should I say yes or no?" Tiffany asks, as if she's picking up where we had just left off in a conversation. I realize that she is, but that unfortunately I wasn't listening to any of it.
"What?" I try not to look too confused.
"Should I tell him yes or no?" she repeats.
"I don't know, what do you think?" I say wisely.
Unfortunately Tiffany isn't buying it.
"Lily!" she groans. "You weren't listening to anything I said!"
"Of course I was!" I lie.
Tiffany rolls her eyes.
"You know Lily, Hogwarts could be on fire and as long as you have a book, I doubt you'd notice."
"Well at least I'll die happily," I say sarcastically, pulling my Transfiguration textbook into my lap once more, and opening it up to where I had left off before Tiffany had interrupted my studies.
"You're impossible!" Tiffany mutters with a frustrated sigh.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ms. Evans."
I don't have to look up from my Transfiguration textbook. I already know who it is.
"Potter," I groan.
"Hey, James!" Tiffany waves.
"Hi, Tiffany. How's the weather down there?" He nods to Tiffany, who's currently lying on the floor in front of the fire.
"It's heating up," she says, tugging on her blouse in a jokingly flirty manner.
"That's because I just walked in." He winks at us, and Tiffany and I both roll our eyes.
"I'm going to go cool off," Tiffany quips, and before I can tell her to wait, she's left me with Potter and no way out.
Some friend she is.
He plops himself down on the sofa beside me. I knew it was a bad idea to study in the Common Room. Why didn't I stay with Gracie in our dorm? That's the one place that Potter, or any guy for that matter, can't go. And the lady's room, of course.
"What are you doing?" he asks, scooting closer to me in an attempt to look at the book, and brushes his hand against my thigh. He accomplishes nothing though, because I pick up the books Tiffany abandoned and place them between us.
"What do you think I'm doing Potter?" I retort, trying to find my place again.
"Thinking of me?"
I snort. He thinks way too highly of himself.
"Potter, we have exams tomorrow," I inform him. No doubt he hasn't picked up a book, let alone opened one.
"Really?"
"Really." I roll my eyes at the mildly surprised expression on his face before returning to the book in my lap. "You know Potter, maybe you should actually do something useful," I suggest.
"Like what?" Potter asks grinningly, taking the opportunity to sweep his eyes over the length of my body. I'm sure I know what he's thinking and I definitely do not categorize that as being useful.
"Like studying," I frown.
"I am studying," he says with a wicked grin that has sent many a girl into a near nervous break down, and once a dead faint. Luckily, despite this insult to my sex, I am completely immune to Potter's so called "charms".
I grit my teeth, begging myself silently not to lose my temper, but still I'm glaring, letting him know he got under my skin and it doesn't help that my wand's currently pointed in his direction. Breathe Lily, breathe. He's not worth it.
He must have gotten the idea though, because out of the corner of my eye I see James Potter stand up and leave. Finally, now I can get some studying done in peace.
I lean back, pulling the book toward me. There's hardly anyone in the common room so the only sounds to disturb my studying are those of a crackling fire. I hear a whispering in my ear, and turn my head slightly. Then something touches my opposite cheek and I reach up and brush back my hair. I lower my head, ready to find my place in the book again, but there's something breathing down the back of my neck. I twist around and come within millimeters of Potter's face.
"POTTER, what do you think you're doing?" I shout in alarm. He falls back a step, giving me some breathing space, and a better look at the sly grin spreading rapidly across his face.
"Studying," he says innocently.
"Breathing down the back of my neck? Scaring the living daylights out of me? You call that studying?"
"I was merely reading over your shoulder," he explains mock seriously.
"Go read your own book!" I snap, suddenly at a loss for any witty, snappy comeback to make him go away. Sometimes looking at the almighty James Potter does that to me. He's not ugly, I'll give that to him. He may be a prick but he's a good-looking one.
"I can't do that," he says, leaning on the sofa. "I lost my book."
Believe it or not, he's telling the truth. Trust me, I've seen his room at home. It's a wonder the boy can find anything in that pig sty. Can you imagine what the boy's dormitory, which he shares with four other slobs, looks like?
"Borrow Sirius's!" I say exasperatedly.
"Can't, he's the one who lost it," Potter says smugly.
"Why don't you share your books with Remus? Maybe then you won't lose them all the time."
"He's always reading them!" he complains.
"Well, you could take a leaf out of his book!" I snap.
"I can't if he's always reading it!" he whines, completely missing the point.
"Potter! You're wasting my time!" I rub my temple, wondering why he has to be so insufferable. Another five minutes in his presence and I'll end up with a head-splitting migraine and a shot temper. His hand strays to my hair, and for a moment the gentle strokes are almost soothing. I close my eyes, only to immediately open them.
"What do you want?" I groan, swatting his hand away from my hair.
"You," he whispers.
He's so damn close to me that I shiver, feeling his breath upon my cheek. One part of me shuts down as his hands move to my shoulders, but the other half is still operating in full mode, and it's this part that chucks the Transfiguration book at him. He catches it, being the Quidditch player that he is, but it gives me time to get my defenses back up before he makes another pass at me.
"Evans, will you go out with me?" he asks as I gather up all my stuff-actually, it's Tiffany's stuff-preparing to go back up to my dorm where I should've stayed in the first place.
"NO!" How many times do I have to say it before it gets through that thick skull of his? I stomp off to the staircase but the git calls me back.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
I turn around, fully intending to give him a piece of my mind and a little bit of ego deflating, but James is grinning, holding out my Transfiguration textbook. I shove all Tiffany's books into one arm, and reach for it with my free hand. But Potter, the jerk, steps back holding the book to his chest.
"Give it back!" I demand, but Potter takes another step back, and then another. He smirks, seeing my predicament and not doing a thing about it. I have a whole stack of books in my hand, and he is at least six inches taller than me, at least!
"I'll give it back on one condition," he says, holding it high above his head.
I know what he's going to say, and I don't need to hear it again. Whether he likes it or not the answer is still-
"NO!" I drop all of Tiffany's books on the floor-she left me with Potter anyway-and take out my wand. "Accio Transfiguration textbook!" The textbook flies into my arms and I run upstairs, leaving Potter with a shocked expression, and Tiffany's stuff a mess at his feet.
"Hey, what happened?" Gracie asks as I stomp into the Sixth Year Girl's Dormitory.
"Potter was born, that's what happened."
I toss the stupid book onto my bed, kick off my shoes, and sit down on the windowsill beside her. It only takes her a second to realize what her cousin did this time.
"James asked you out again?" she asks incredulously.
I nod, glaring at the snow-covered grounds, pretending that it's Potter's face, instead of my own, that I see reflected in the glass.
"What's this, the third time?"
"Fourth," I correct her quietly.
"Four times in one week!" Gracie's eyes widen. "I think that's a new record."
"No, there was that one time last year when he asked me out four times in one day," I remind her.
"Oh yeah, who could forget that?" Gracie chuckles.
"His head's so thick with thoughts of himself that he has to ask four times before he's able to process the word no." I shake my head, marveling at the boy's arrogance, determination, and stupidity. "Maybe he doesn't understand English?"
"Try telling him in Spanish," Gracie suggests.
"Good idea," I say, seriously considering the suggestion. There's only one problem. "I think it's still no."
"Oh really? Try Chinese."
"You know Chinese?" I ask her hopefully.
"No."
"Darn."
Scratch that idea. Even if I did know another language, Potter doesn't speak anything other than Troll as far as I know. Then again, he's always full of surprises.
My mind wanders back to the first week of September, recalling a very different side of James Potter that was revealed in the wake of the Adam's tragic murder. I still remember how broken and lost he'd been, but at the same time he'd never been stronger. I close my eyes, watching him in my mind, tenderly helping Gracie, clinging to me as both of us cried. While my heart was torn seeing him like that, another part of me wishes that James could've stayed that way. He was so different, so caring, so humble, so… not Potter. As soon as we arrived back at Hogwarts he snapped back to normal. That side of James, the side that I actually liked, was either hidden carefully or the responsibility of an alien power that had been inhabiting his body. Right now, after getting asked out for the thousandth time this year, I think it's the latter.
"Why won't he give up?" I groan, banging my head on the window.
"You know why," Gracie sighs. We've gone through this several times and it's always the same silly but possible theory that hardly answers my question.
"Oh, come on, Gracie, there must have been some girl who's told him no before. I can't be the only female with a brain in this school."
Gracie clears her throat meaningfully.
"You're his cousin, so you don't count," I add quickly.
"Thanks, Lily," Gracie says, feigning a look of hurt. "Better make sure that Tiffany and Alice don't hear you say that." She grins. "They'd kill you."
"Tiffany was only fourteen and his first girlfriend, so I guess she doesn't count. He never asked Alice and it wouldn't have mattered if he had because she already wants to kill me," I point out.
"Why?" Gracie looks at me, curious, quickly noticing the mischief in my expression. "Lily what'd you do to our poor little Alice?" she asks grinning, obviously knowing where this is going.
"Nothing." I smile innocently.
"Come on tell me!" she begs.
I smirk and hurriedly give her a recap of our eventful walk to the infirmary. Gracie laughs and gives me a high five.
"Nice move," she congratulates me. "I doubt the Marauders could've done any better."
"Psssh. It was like taking candy from a baby. Frank is mad about her. He'd jump off the Astronomy Tower if she told him to," I say, brushing it off with a smug smile.
"I know, but -"
"-we're only best friends!" Gracie and I quote, imitating Alice, right down to the slight blush and the smallest stammer that only we, who have bunked with her for nearly six years, could always catch.
"She's so blind," Gracie chuckles with a shake of her head.
"I know; I can't believe she passed her O.W.L.s."
"You and me both," she agrees.
It's right in front of her face. Why can't the girl see it? Everyone else can.
"She's going to be livid," Gracie snickers.
"Not if she snogs Frank," I say slyly.
"She won't until she comes to her senses, and you know that Frank's too much of a gentleman to do anything."
I sigh, knowing that she's right.
"Well, it was nice knowing you," I say solemnly.
"Since we're on the subject, I get your records, right?" She asks, dead serious.
I smack her and she laughs.
I roll my eyes. I have such wonderful friends.
*
Knock. Knock.
"Someone's at the door," Gracie murmurs.
I lift my head, wondering who could possibly be knocking.
"Did you lock her out again?" I ask Gracie, referring to the banshee of a girl that Gracie, Alice, Tiffany, and me are forced to room with.
"No."
Gracie likes to lock the door sometimes because she's never been able to do a simple unlocking charm without blowing something up. All of us find it extremely amusing to listen to her banging on the door, begging us to open it, and throwing out colorful words and empty threats. She deserves it, believe me, if you met our roommate you'd probably never let her into the dorm, ever. Though, come to think of it, she's hasn't been around much lately…
Knock. Knock.
I have a strange desire to ask who's there. Instead I tell them to come in.
It's not our beloved roommate but my favorite Marauder that struts into our dormitory.
"Hey, Gracie. Hello, Evans," he says smugly as if he's just broken a particularly tough school rule.
"James," Gracie frowns.
Alarms start going off in my head. I gasp, realizing that James is in forbidden territory.
"What are you doing in here?" I exclaim, leaping to my feet.
"I just wanted to-"
"Can't you read? This is the GIRLS' dormitory!" I point out the sign on the door that clearly says 6th Year Witches.
Maybe he can't read. It is, after all, in English, and as Gracie and I concluded today, he doesn't seem to understand what the word "no" means, which is one of the most basic two letter words in the English language. They should translate it into Troll. Hang on, do Trolls even have a written language? I don't think they can read.
"Look I only-"
"GET OUT!" I push him toward the door.
"No, wait!" James slams the door shut with his foot, and leans against it.
"What makes you think you can come in here?" I ask, reaching around him for the doorknob.
"I wanted to bring you your books!" James scowls, shoving the stack of books into my chest, hard. I catch my breath and practically drop the unexpected weight of several Hogwarts textbooks and various stacks of notes. Luckily James lunges, and together we stop the potential catastrophe less than a foot before it spills upon the ground.
For a moment, I can feel James's hands over mine, our eyes move from the books to each other and lock.
"Careful, Evans," he says softly, taking most of the weight, and helping me up.
"I don't need your help," I say, shrugging out of his grip and grabbing the books away from him. "You're not supposed to be in here." I narrow my eyes.
"I know, but you left your books in the common room and I thought it would be nice if I brought them to you, since you've been so busy studying." He sends an amused glance in Gracie's direction who's currently taking a break from cramming for tomorrow's exam, and is flipping idly through a Witch Weekly magazine that was left out.
"I am studying!" Gracie protests.
James raises an eyebrow and I snort.
"I was before-oh, shut up!" Gracie grumbles and continues to read their featured article ("25 Ways to land the Perfect Wizard") instead of opening her Potions textbook.
James and I exchange a look, and perhaps we were having a moment, but then Potter's ego kicked in and his hand jumped to his hair. He was going into the "look-I'm-so-unbelievably-sexy-so-why-don't-you-go-out-with-me" mode. He coughs, his voice becoming deeper.
"So, Evans…" he starts.
"Potter, get out of here before I get the urge to blow something up!"
"Your gratitude is overwhelming," he says sarcastically; obviously he had been hoping for a thank-you. A thank-you is the very last thing he deserves. I never thought he would sink this low.
"These aren't mine!" I throw the books and notes of whoever is his latest flavor of the week or head of his fan club at him. I don't take Divination!
"They're not?" James catches the books, confusion flooding his face. "But I thought-then who?" he stammers, trying to make it look like this was actually an accident and not another scheme to get me to go out with him.
"Hey, guys!" Tiffany chirps coming into the dormitory. "Have you seen my books by any chance?" She checks under the bed, and then suddenly her face lights up.
"Hey, thanks James!" she grins.
"These - these are yours?" James asks, transferring the books into her arms.
"Yep, thanks, that was so sweet of you to bring them up here!" she laughs and gives him a sloppy exaggerated kiss on the cheek. Hopping onto her bed, she dumps the books beside her.
"Oh, no problem, just being a gentleman," James says slowly, though his eyes remain on me.
I snort. Potter and gentleman do not belong in the same sentence.
"I guess I'll..." He grabs the door but hesitates, still watching me.
"I'm thinking of summoning Professor McGonagall," I threaten.
"I was never here!" James runs out, shutting the door behind him.
I lean against the door snickering.
"How'd he get in?" Gracie asks, looking up from the magazine.
I shrug.
"He's a Marauder, Gracie," Tiffany answers exasperatedly from her bed.
And strangely enough, this explains everything.
A/N: Again I apologize for the delay. All I have to do is look over the next chapter and then I'll have it up next week, I promise! Thanks so much for reviewing and I would sincerely appreciate your thoughts on this one especially any constructive criticism. Next up, we get to meet Lily's final room mate!
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