Author's note: Gosh, I hate waiting forever for updates and now I'm doing it! :s Sorry guys but here it is!

The Potter-verse is defiantly not mine

Chapter 7

***

"James?" He turned with a frown on his face, already knowing that the distinctly feminine voice did not belong to Lily Evans. Again.

"Yeah, Ellen?"

She looked apologetic. "Lily's not feeling great tonight. She's really sorry you have to patrol alone again."

James raised an eyebrow. "Sick today? I guess she can't say she's studying every night..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Ellen shrugged. "Ok, well, just tell her to get better soon."

Ellen nodded and watched him leave through the portrait, sighing. She vaguely wondered how long Lily could keep this up. Boy could red-heads be stubborn... She pushed open their dormitory door to see the red-head in question sitting moodily at the window.

"Lily, you should just talk to him."

"About what?"

"well..."

Lily turned defensively, "I do not like him like that, Ellen!"

"Then why haven't you been able to face him since-"

"Nothing happened!" Lily replied shrilly, jumping down from the window sill.

Ellen quirked an eyebrow. "It all sounded like something did."

Lily glared and stomped over to her four-poster. She grabbed a book from the night stand and hid her face in the pages, hoping to deter her friend's incessant questions. When silence descended over the dorm, Lily breathed a sigh of relief, but putting the book down revealed Ellen's curious face mere inches from her own.

"Ok, ok." Lily put the book down and sat back against the headboard while Ellen grinned broadly and lay down, looking at the other girl eagerly. "Something did happen," Lily continued, "but not something." She amended, giving Ellen a pointed look.

"Ok... so what did happen?" Ellen asked, though looking slightly disappointed. "Must have been big. Not only have you avoided James for three days, but you didn't even tell me!"

Lily sighed and slowly explained everything, careful not to make eye contact. How he took her by the lake, how happy to be with him she was, and all the confusion that the night ended in.

When Lily finally looked up, Ellen was looking at her with a calculating gaze. "So?" Lily asked.

"Irony sucks, doesn't it?"

Lily threw a pillow at her.

"But seriously." Ellen rolled onto her back. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Lily looked down, knowing exactly what was being asked of her.

"James."

Lily flushed and rubbed at an imaginary stain on her shirt. "He's well, he's James..."

Ellen glared. "Thanks Captain Obvious. Now what does that mean to you?"

Lily turned three shades redder. "The other night he was so, sweet. He was understanding and, well, great." She smiled a little. "I wouldn't mind having that adventure again..."

Ellen grinned. "And?"

Lily looked her square in the eyes. "I think you may have been right, Ellen..."

"Hallelujah!"

Lily took the pillow back and threw it once more at her friend.

Ellen caught it, grinning wickedly. "So what are you going to do?"

Lily covered her eyes with an arm, falling back on a pillow. "I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for that. He's James. I'm Lily. Maybe it's just something that's not supposed to happen."

***

James sighed. This corridor looked an awful lot like the last one he was in. He yawned, letting his mind wander to other things. Like Lily. He frowned. Why is she avoiding me? He shook his head. It definitely wasn't just his imagination. After every class, she would run off before he could talk to her. She had been avoiding patrols... When had he ever seen her miss an obligation because she was sick? Bottom line, he must have done something.

But what? He wracked his brain, starting down the stairs. Nothing he could think of. They had been getting along just fine. Great even. Hadn't they? James jumped the trick step and pushed open a portrait into another corridor. He sighed again. Women...

Just as he was beginning to think he should get back to Gryffindor tower, a faint rustling sounded from behind him. He paused, listening. After a few seconds he grinned. "Well," He said aloud, "I guess all my duties are done. Good thing to, or Gryffindor would be short some fifty points." He turned around just as Sirius threw off the invisibility cloak with a flourish and mischievous grin.

"Well said Prongsy!" Sirius rolled up the cloak and shoved it in his bag. Peter looked from behind him and waved merrily.

"So what's going on?" james asked. After all, they had no particular plans...

"Well," Peter piped up, "You have seemed kind of down lately so we thought we would cheer you up!" Sirius nodded eagerly.

"Where's Remus?" James looked behind the other two, waiting for Remus to jump out.

"Waiting for us! We'll see him on the way to the surprise!" Sirius grinned playfully and put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. "Besides, with Peter's noble bulk, there's no way we could have all fit under the cloak! No offense, Pete."

"None taken." Peter waved him off. "Now come on!"

James grinned and let them drag him down a number of corridors and stairs before coming to a halt beside a statue of a rather ugly one-eyed crone. James raised an eyebrow as they crouched in the shadows for a moment, checking all directions. "This sucks since Filch snagged the map." He hissed in aggravation. Sirius nodded solemnly in agreement before putting a cupped hand to his mouth and 'coo-ing' into the darkness. James shoved a fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud, but Peter's barley stifled 'guffaws' echoed slightly. Sirius shot them a reproving glare as an answering noise reached their ears.

The 'caw' answering Sirius' call stopped short and Remus' voice pierced the dark in irritation. "I can't believe you just made me do that, Sirius." James and Peter laughed even harder as the last member of their group stood from a corner. "It's all clear, so let's go."

Sirius placed his wand on the hump of the crone's back and said 'Dissendium' with a rather business-like air. James grinned and began to step into the passage that formed when a shuffling sound made him stop in his tracks. The others had frozen too, all staring into the darkness behind them.

'Nox' Remus whispered amid protests from his friends, but seconds later as the beam fell on the person watching, they fell silent.

"Evening, Snivellus." Sirius bit out cruelly. Snape sneered and drew his wand. "Now, I wouldn't do that, in front of our Head Boy and all." He continued casually, gesturing towards James.

"Ah, but what will happen when I tell McGonagall that her precious Head Boy was leaving the school after curfew by unauthorized means?" Snape sneered again, slowly positioning himself for more stability.

"Watch it, Grease-ball." Sirius growled.

Snape glared at him coolly. "I know it's not just tonight. You leave the school periodically at night once a month." Remus' gulp was nearly audible. "And I will find out what you are up to."

Sirius drew his wand. "Oh, really? I wouldn't have thought you had the guts for it. Sneaking around in corners, and all."

James' adrenaline kicked in and he pulled out his own wand. Snape studied him, a smirk playing at his mouth. "Look who's calling me a coward. What about you, Black? Can't face me one-on-one?"

Sirius outstretched a hand and lightly pushed James' wand down, grinning maliciously. "That's not the case at all, my dear Snivellus. I merely like to share the opportunity to watch you wet yourself." Peter snickered in appreciation. Remus backed up another step.

"Poor Regulus. He used to think so highly of you..."

Sirius froze. "What are you getting at?"

Snape merely smiled. "You are the coward. You 'saved' your own neck from the 'dark-side', but who did you leave behind?"

Sirius' hand showed white, as he clenched his wand. "I would stop now, if you know what's good for you..."

"C'mon, Sirius. Let's just go." James, stomach tight with apprehension, made a grab for his friend's wand. Snape was smirking in contempt now.

"You saved yourself, but poor Regulus wasn't so lucky was he? But he loves it. He can't wait to serve the true master. I would know after all, he is in my house..."

"You had better stay away from him." Sirius' voice shook with barley contained anger.

"But he so looks up to me. I'm like the brother he never had..."

"Furnunculus!" Sirius shouted. It missed Snape by inches as he dodged left.

"Impedimenta!" Snape's answering spell shot wide and hit a painting of a rather portly man, who shrieked and ran into his neighbouring portrait.

James aimed his wand and shot his own curse at Snape, making the greasy, unkempt hair grow at an alarming rate.

"Incarcerous!" Snape was suddenly tied in rope and Remus was pulling Sirius towards the stairs. "Not the time, Sirius!"

James kicked Snape's wand as far away from the trapped boy as he could and turned to help Remus with Sirius.

"Let me go! He's dead meat! James tell him!" Sirius pulled at the hands restraining him, his eyes murderous. James frowned.

"Peter we need you." As Peter grabbed an arm, James looked at Sirius. "We'll get him back, Sirius."

"But my brother! He's-"

"We know." Remus answered sympathetically.

***

James sighed and sank gratefully onto the couch. The common room was empty due to the late hour but the fire still burned merrily, entertaining its audience of four. Sirius was sitting in the arm chair glowering at the embers, Peter was watching him warily from the floor and Remus was calmly standing at the window.

James ran a hand through his hair after a few minutes of silence. Sirius hadn't said anything since they pulled him into the common room. "Sirius?" He ventured cautiously, "I thought you had, you know, left all of them behind?"

Sirius' clouded face slowly melted to one of regret. "My parents, most of my cousins... not Reg. It's not his fault that our parents brainwashed him." Sirius buried his face in his hands. He had known that Reg wouldn't be the same little brother that he was before Sirius ran away from home. He was escaping the dark arts and the Voldemort mania. Not Regulus.

"Did you hear Snape?" Sirius' voice barley crossed the barrier of his hands but he knew they heard. "'Like the brother he never had.'" James' hand was a comforting pressure on his shoulder.

"Yeah we heard. And I think he's full of it."

"But we'll get him back anyway, Padfoot, don't worry about it." Peter yawned loudly.

"The planning can wait. But for now I think we should go to bed. Class is in four hours..." Remus was the first up the stairs. Sirius stood, his face full of anticipation.

"Yes, the planning can wait."

***

Four days later, Lily was still avoiding James. Thankfully, her mission was aided by all of the homework the teachers doled out after every class, and the helpful sixth year prefect who jumped at the chance to patrol with James Potter. So once again, as Ellen had said more than once over the years, her honed avoidance skills had successfully thwarted her issues. So why did she feel like the world was ending?

Scowling, Lily shoveled porridge into her mouth and turned the page of the Profit. The news of three more deaths in the past week at the hands of what's-his-name's supporters did nothing to brighten her mood.

"Miss Evans?"

"Professor?"

McGonagall slid onto the Gryffindor bench beside Lily and looked at her sternly. "It has come to my attention that your duties as Head Girl have been rather neglected lately."

Lily flushed and looked down. McGonagall sighed.

"Professor Dumbledore and I have come to the conclusion that something must be preventing you from doing your job." She frowned. "Is Mister Potter not taking this seriously? Is he the problem at hand?"

Lily willed her face to return to its pale pallor as she looked up. "No Professor, not at all."

The Professor breathed a sigh of relief. "It was quite difficult to even half-convince the other Professors of his credibility. It is good to hear that he is performing well." Lily felt guilt flow through her. "However Miss Evans, if you wouldn't mind informing Miss Hagleton..."

"Of course Professor." Lily watched as she left and miserably began planning how to inform the poor love-sick Ravenclaw that she no longer needed to patrol with James...

***

"So."

Remus looked up from his Potions essay. "So?"

"The full moon's tonight."

James rolled his eyes. "Thanks Captain Obvious." He signed his name at the bottom of the parchment and rolled up the letter.

"I'm just saying..." Sirius rolled onto his back.

"Shouldn't you be packing, Moony"

"Already did. Just finishing... done! Want me to take your letter to the owlery James?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later, all four boys were in the common room merrily waving Remus on his way.

"We'll be there as soon as we can." Peter told him in an undertone. The room was packed, and they were all painfully aware of the eyes on them.

"Have fun at, er, your cousin's wedding!" James grinned. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I'll try!"

"Yeah, and say 'hi' to Dorcus for us!" Sirius elbowed a laughing James. Remus snorted and only managed a weak wave as the portrait closed behind him.

"Dorcus?" Peter managed between giggles.

Sirius shrugged. "Saw it in a baby names book once."

"Ok well I have to patrol for a bit and I'll meet you guys back here?" As his friends nodded James left the common room and walked down to the entrance hall where he had agreed to meet Charlotte. He sighed. She was very clingy...

"Hi, James." He turned in disbelief.

"Lily? Hi."

She looked down. "Shall we?" James nodded and they headed off. It was a few minutes before Lily spoke again. "I'm sorry, James."

He shrugged but stopped walking. "Can you tell me what I did to offend you, at least?"

Lily flushed. "It wasn't you, really. I just..."

"Yeah?" He took a step towards her.

"Ever since that night, I've been..." She struggled to find the right words. "You've been so great to me, even though, for as long as I've known you, I've..."

"You think that ever put me down?" James smiled softly and pushed her chin up with his hand. Lily made the mistake of obliging, and immediately lost all coherent thought. "That's why you've been avoiding me? Really? Well, I forgive you."

Lily shook her head mutely. They were so close. "James? I..." She found her eyes involuntarily closing as she subconsciously leaned towards him.

"Yeah?" His voice was a whisper.

"James! James!" James turned in a daze and barely registered that Peter was running frantically down the corridor towards them.

"Pete?"

Peter stopped and bent over, trying to catch his breath. "Padfoot, he, he" He gasped for breath. "Snape knows, secret, knows Moony..."

James snapped back to reality. "Sirius told Snape about-?"

Peter nodded, his eyes wide. "How to get there."

James swore and ran down the corridor he had just come from. "James?" Lily turned and watched him disappear around the corner and made a split second decision. "Hey wait! What's going on?" She dashed after him, finally able to see him as he tore through the large oak doors guarding the castle. "James! Where are you going?" Lily knew something was horribly wrong. James was in a panic as he darted towards the Whomping Willow, only pausing to grab a large branch from the ground.

"Watch out, James!" She stopped and stared in horror as the Willow brought its branches forward towards James. But he thrust his branch towards the base of the tree, and the assault came to a halt. Lily stared in disbelief as James disappeared into the roots. And followed.

Once she navigated her way into the earthy passage, Lily became aware of voices shouting at the end, and cautiously followed their echoes. Suddenly a boy was running towards her in a blind panic, robes billowing out behind him. "Severus?" He ran by her and up to the castle grounds.

"Lily?" Now James was coming.

"James, I-"

"Go Lily! Now!"

"Wha-?" But at that moment Lily saw movement behind James' shoulder and was instantly rooted to the spot.

The Werewolf was moving slowly through the cramped tunnel, its mouth dripping saliva, a low-growl in its throat. James had grabbed her wrists and shoved her out of the tunnel before she screamed, barely registering that the opening had closed and that the danger was far away now.

"Lily? It's ok. I'm here." He held her close for a moment before releasing her. "Do you want to come with me?" She nodded as he hauled her up and made the way to the castle.

"There was a Werewolf in there, wasn't there James?" Lily marvelled at how steady her voice was. James looked her over and nodded. "It was Remus." This wasn't a question. Somehow she just knew, and James seemed to realize this.

They were at Dumbledore's office before she knew it. Inside, Severus was shrilly telling Dumbledore all that had happened.

"It was Black! I knew they were all capable of murder, sir! Haven't I said so hundreds of times? And they're hiding a Werewolf on school property- worthy of expulsion if I do say so myself, sir-"

"Ah, Mister Potter. I was expecting you. But not Miss Evans." Dumbledore frowned gravelly at the pair. "If what Mister Snape says is true then I believe I should be thanking you, James, for saving his life."

James nodded stiffly. Lily looked up at him and frowned in confusion. Severus looked murderous. "Now, how long have you known, James?" The Headmaster continued.

"Since second year, sir."

"Ah." There was silence. The only sounds were the whirring and whistling of the Headmaster's contraptions. "Now, Mister Snape, please understand that the staff is aware of the situation, and that Mister Black will be dealt with in good time. But you must also understand that the students are not to be made aware of the situation at hand."

Severus opened his mouth in protest but Dumbledore spoke before he could. "I apologise, but you must be sworn to secrecy. You as well, Miss Evans." She nodded in a daze. "Now, James, please send Mister Black to see me immediately. Good night."

James and Lily left the office and made their way back to Gryffindor tower. It was incredibly sad, Lily realized, that Remus would be the one cursed with such a life. Nice, sweet Remus...

"Poor Remus." She said out loud.

"You mean, poor Sirius." James growled as he said the password to the fat lady.

***

Well, there it is! Lots going on this chapter, and I think it was rather exciting! Read and Review!