Oh my lovelies! I'm such a horrible human being! It's been over a MONTH! I am so so sorry! Hopefully this will make it up to you
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the beautiful reviews! They make me smile every time I read them.
Disclaimer: Sigh. I don't own it. No need to remind me
Now onto the story!
It's was 9 a.m. and Lily lay peacefully in her bed. She was awake but decided it wasn't quite time to open her eyes just yet. Bright sunlight streamed in the room and she rolled over to avoid it.
"That's better," her thoughts sighed as she hugged her warm pillow tightly. Hang on. Pillows don't breathe. Nor do they smell inexplicably like James Potter. "James?" she thought. "Why would James be in my bed? Oh, Lily this is what you get for eating cheese in the middle of the night," her thoughts berated her. Cautiously, Lily peeked one eye open to confirm that this was in fact a dream. To her surprise, it wasn't. James Potter was in her bed and he was smiling lovingly at her. "What in the bloody hell happened?" Lily thought.
"Good morning, Flower," James smiled sweetly as he brought his lips down to hers. When they touched, Lily felt a jolt like lightning racing through her. This jolt jump started her memory. The club came back and there was drinking and dancing and excessive snogging. As James pulled back, Lily grinned widely.
"Good morning, James," she sighed happily as she stretched, her top riding up as she did so. James looked at the delicious skin and a deep growl bubbled up his throat. Before Lily realized what was happening, James had her pinned on the bed beneath him. He rested on his elbows and put just enough of his weight on her for her to feel every plane of his body.
James smiled mischievously. "You're gonna have to not do that around me, love," he grinned. "Apparently it brings the animal out in me."
Lily smirked as she wrapped one leg around James's hips and turned them so she was on top. "What if I like the animal?" she breathed. James's breath hitched and his hazel eyes turned dark as he pulled Lily down to him. Their lips crashed together with force as the tasted each other greedily. As James's hands explored her body, Lily suddenly realized she was only in a tank top and underwear. Deciding it wasn't fair for James to be fully clothed, she inched her fingers under his shirt and started pulling it up. She did it torturously slow and James finally had enough. He flipped them again so he was on top. He broke the kiss just long enough to yank his shirt over his head. Lily's hands eagerly traced every muscle of his chest and stomach as his hands continued to search her body. Just as James's finger started to trace the line of her underwear, Lily broke the kiss.
"We have to slow down, James," she panted. James groaned and rolled off her. Lily curled up against his side and laid her head on his chest. She traced light patterns on his stomach as they both regained their breath.
"You're right," he sighed. "I've waited too long for you to mess this up over hormones," he smiled as he caressed Lily's face. She planted a light kiss on his palm and got up to get his shirt. James stretched his arms out like a child and let her slide it back on him.
"Lily?" James asked.
"Yes, James?" she responded.
"Will you please put a pair of pants on? This would be a lot less difficult if you weren't in your knickers," he said shyly. Lily laughed and kissed his cheek before going to the bathroom to shower. Ten minutes later she returned in a green cotton sundress with damp hair. She sat back on the bed and leaned into James. He swept her hair to one side and placed a kiss on her neck. Lily smiled contently and stood up.
"Come on," she said as she offered her hand to James.
"Where are we going?" he asked, taking it.
"Someplace fun," Lily grinned. As they walked out of the room, Shadow walked by and gave James a slight growl.
"I don't think he wants to share you," he laughed. Lily crouched down to the dog.
"You know you'll always be my number one guy, big man," she cooed as she scratched Shadow behind the ear. He butted her affectionately and followed Lily and James downstairs.
"Morning," Sirius said groggily from the couch. Lily looked at James questioningly.
"He's never been much of a morning person," James chuckled. "Hangovers just make it worse." Lily laughed and ruffled Sirius's hair affectionately.
"Come on, Sirius," she grinned as he grumpily batted her hand away. "I've got somewhere fun for us to go today!"
"Tell me in about an hour," Sirius groaned as he lay down and covered his head with a blanket. James smiled down at his friend and pulled Lily into the kitchen.
"He can hold Firewhiskey better than anyone I know but when it comes to Muggle drinks he's a lightweight," he chuckled as he bustled around the kitchen in search of the components of the official Marauder hangover remedy. "Ah-ha," he smiled as he found what he was looking for.
"What?" Lily asked.
"This is the best cure for Sirius. Better than any potion," James grinned as he made a peanut butter sandwich and poured a glass of milk. "The bread will soak up any alcohol left in his system and the milk will sooth his stomach."
"What will the peanut butter help?" Lily asked, curious now.
"His attitude," James laughed. "Sirius loves peanut butter more than any other food. I think it's a dog thing." Lily laughed as she grabbed some Muggle aspirin too.
"This will help his headache. It works like a charm," she winked. James smiled and added the two pills to the tray before going back to his slumbering friend.
"Sirius," he said quietly as he lightly shook Sirius's arm. "Come on, mate. Wake up. I've got you some food."
"No, Prongs. No food," Sirius whined pitifully, his voice muffled by the blanket.
"It's peanut butter, Padfoot," James chuckled. "The crunchy kind." At this, Sirius poked his head from beneath the blanket. At the sight of the sandwich his eyes lit up.
"Thanks, brother," he said gratefully as he sat up. He took a large bite of his sandwich and smiled. "You're the best sandwich maker ever, James."
"Sure, sure, Padfoot. You just say that so I'll make them more."
"Hey what are these white things?" Sirius asked, pointing at the aspirin.
"It's muggle medicine," Lily explained. "It'll help your headache." Without a second thought, Sirius popped the two capsules in his mouth a swallowed them with a gulp of milk.
"Thanks, Lily," he said with a mouth full of peanut butter. "Now what did you say about going someplace fun?"
"How does visiting the aquarium sound?" Lily smiled.
"Bloody fantastic, whatever that is" Sirius grinned back as he finished his sandwich. "I'll go back to my place and get ready," he said as he stood. He gave Lily a friendly peck on the cheek and ruffled James's hair who punched him in the arm lightly.
With a contented sigh Lily fell onto the couch until she had a revelation.
"James?" she said nervously.
"Yes, Flower?" he asked.
"Did you all sleep over here last night? We didn't do anything did we? Oh bloody hell! I don't even remember getting in bed! James what happened. Oh this is—" James cut her rambling off with kiss.
"Take a breath, Lily," he smiled sweetly. "We didn't do anything. Moony and I slept at Sirius's place. We only left him here because he's too big to move. I came over this morning about half an hour before you woke up." Lily breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. James rested his cheek on her head as he drew lazy circles on her shoulder blades.
"Lily I want you to know I would never hurt you or take advantage of you in any way," he breathed into her hair. Lily pulled his face down to eye level and smiled.
"I know," she answered before giving him a gentle kiss. "I'm gonna go wake Katie and Sara now."
"Yeah, alright. I better go get Remus up and make sure Sirius is getting dress," James said as he hugged Lily tightly to him. He planted a kiss on her head before releasing her and walking to the door. "Oh, and Lily?" he asked, one hand on the doorknob.
"Yes?" Lily asked.
"Go out with me, Evans?" he said, impersonating himself from the past. He even threw in a roguish wink for effect.
Lily tapped her chin and pretended to think. "Not on your life, Potter," she smiled mischievously. James crossed the room in six long strides and backed Lily into the wall, wresting his hands on the wall beside her head. Once again, Lily was shocked at his height and found his proximity intoxicating. Chills erupted through her body but she refused to let them show.
"Come on, Evans. Just give me a chance," James purred against her collarbone as he planted scorching kisses on it. Lily took a deep breath to steady herself.
"I don't know, Potter," she teased. James grinned at her naughtily and kissed her so deeply Lily's knees buckled. Sensing this, James pushed his body flush against hers and pinned her to the wall. Lily's head was spinning wildly. The estrogen in her body pumped through her veins quickly as James tugged at her lips with his teeth. He eventually broke the heated kiss but Lily wasn't finished. She attacked his neck and sucked at the sensitive skin there. James moaned quietly as she hit the sensitive spot underneath his jaw. Lily grinned against his skin as she continued her delicious torture. The fact that she had made James Potter moan was a definite boost to her confidence.
"Hey Lil—Oh sorry, guys!" Sara exclaimed as she walked in the living room. Lily pulled back from James neck and saw a dark mark forming.
"Oops," she chuckled as she kissed the now tender spot. James walked to the mirror in the hall and swore under his breath.
"Remus and Sirius are going to have a field day with this," he said as he looked at the mark from different angles. Lily laughed throatily and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly in his back. James spun himself around and held her close.
"You can feel free to mark me as your own anytime you like, love. As long as I can return the favor," he smirked the Marauder smirk and Lily kissed it from his lips.
"Go get the boys," she said as she went to the stairs.
"Alright, see you in a bit," James smiled as he walked out the door. As soon as the door clicked shut, Lily began to sprint up the stairs to the safe haven of her bedroom. James may be worried about Sirius and Remus, but their teasing would look like playground bullying compared to Sara and Katie. Lily quickened her pace at the thought. Relieved, she shut her door and locked it for good measure. Comforted by her solitude, she slid down the door and took a deep breath.
"And where were you planning on going, Lils?" Katie snickered from the bed. Lily's eyes opened in shock. So much for escaping.
"Yeah, Lily. You didn't think it would be that easy did you? I'm disappointed to know you think so lowly of us." Sara was sitting on the spiral staircase basking in the warm sun from the skylight.
"Bloody hell," Lily mumbled.
"You could probably put Hoover out of business with the way you suck, Lily," Sara snickered. And so it begins.
"You always call me a vampire because I sleep in," Katie chuckled. "At least I don't suck unsuspecting blokes' necks." Lily groaned.
"I don't tease you two about Sirius and Remus," Lily whined.
"That's because we never signed a self-written contract that said we wouldn't date them even if it was an option between them and the Giant Squid," Katie laughed.
"Oh yeah," Lily mused. "I should probably rip that up."
"So tell me," Sara said, standing up from the staircase and sitting by Katie on the bed, "is James Potter really that good of a snogger or is it all hype?" Lily's cheeks burned to match her hair but there was no denying that James was a good kissing partner.
"He definitely knows what he's doing," Lily grinned. "I don't think he's snogged as many girls as his fan club seems to think."
"Well I'll tell you one thing," Katie said as she sat up, "Sirius is more than experienced and I'm bloody glad for it too. I like a man who can take charge." Lily and Sara laughed at Katie's outburst.
"We'll let you slide this one time with only minor teasing, Lil," Sara smiled, "but next time you're fair game."
"Yeah," Katie agreed, "keep it in your room next time and if you're gonna give him a hickey like that one you need to put it somewhere he can hide it," she finished with a nod.
"You talk like you're speaking from experience, K," Lily said, quirking her eyebrow.
"Never said I was, never said I wasn't," Katie responded grinning like the Chesire cat himself. Lily ruffled her hair and shooed her friends out of her room.
"Go get dressed," she said as she pushed them out the door, "we're going to the aquarium." Katie and Sara whooped with joy as they headed to their own rooms. Lily grabbed a white wife beater and tucked it into a high-waisted, coral skirt that fell mid-thigh. She finished her look with mascara, lip gloss, and leather sandals. As she finished fastening them she heard a bang followed by bickering that announced the arrival of the Marauders.
"Padfoot, do you have to be so careless? You don't just sling doors open as hard as you please," Remus scolded.
"Good Godric, you sound like a mother hen, Moony," Sirius grumbled as he gently shut the door. "Prongs, quit rubbing your neck and trying to hide it. I saw that hickey the second you walked in the door. Show it with pride! Lily, did a real number on you there."
"Padfoot, shut up!" James said, followed by a smack. "I don't want you guys teasing Lily about this."
"Teasing her?" Sirius exclaimed. "I want to congratulate her on a job well done!" This was followed by two loud smacks. "Ow! Bloody ow! What is wrong with you two? I won't take the mickey out on her! I swear!" Lily smiled at their bickering as she headed down the stairs.
"Thanks, Sirius," she said as she walked into the living room. "Your congratulations are much appreciated." Lily walked to James and plant a wet kiss on the mark on his neck. "Hi James," she breathed. James smiled at her and enveloped her in a hug.
"Hello, love," he said into her sweet smelling hair. Katie and Sara walked down the stairs and shook their heads at the sight of their friends.
"I'm not going if you two are going to be all lovey-dovey like that," Katie chuckled as she slid under Sirius's arm. He grinned down at her and kissed her hair.
"Well isn't that the pot calling the cauldron black," James laughed. Katie stuck her tongue out at him as she went to get her shoes. Once they were all dressed and ready, they walked out the door. Lily threw Shadow a dog treat as she shut the door and locked it.
James and Sirius were horsing around to determine who would drive. Lily laughed as she walked over and the boys were wrestling on the ground with absolutely no intention of harming the other.
"I told you, Prongs," came Sirius's muffled voice as his face was pinned into James's shirt, "I'm driving and there's nothing you can do for it."
"Oh contraire, Padfoot," James said as he pulled Sirius's arms back, "I'm driving, not you."
"Maybe if you two would quit mucking around," came Remus's amused voice from above them, "you could see that Lily was driving." The redhead in question grinned innocently from the driver's seat, seatbelt fastened and door locked. James and Sirius groaned at her playfully as they helped each other up and dusted each other off.
James walked around to the passenger seat only to find it locked. Lily grinned at him and rolled the window down just enough for him to hear her.
"I want Remus to sit with me," she smirked. "He doesn't romp around in the dirt." James huffed theatrically and climbed in the back. Remus hopped up front with Lily and laughed as James pouted.
"Remus," Sara whined playfully, "don't leave me back here with these animals."
"Come up here, Sara," Remus smiled as he patted his lap. Katie shrieked as Sara began to climb over the console and pulled her back down.
"You are NOT leaving me in the middle of these two alone," she hissed. Sara pretended to pout as she crossed her arms and jutted her lower lip out. Remus unbuckled his seatbelt and twisted around to kiss her pouty lips. Sara's frown turned into a daze as he smirked the Marauder smirk and twisted back around.
"It's always odd when Remus smirks," Katie chuckled. "It seems so out of place, yet I think he pulls it off better than these two oafs," she said, pointing at a stunned James and Sirius.
"But we taught him how to smirk!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Well it looks like the pupil has become the teacher," Lily laughed as she pulled out on the highway. James and Sirius continued to argue about their smirks being far superior. Then, this led to an argument of who smirked the best between themselves. Lily, Katie, and Sara kept arguing that Remus was the supreme smirker and this seemed to irritate Sirius and James to no end so naturally they kept it up. Just as they were disputing the advantages of dimples or no dimples, they pulled into the parking lot.
"Oh, look!" a blushing Remus shouted, thankful for an end to the analysis of his face, "Let's go!" Sara ran after him as he bolted from the Jeep.
"I think your dimples are absolutely handsome," she smiled as she kissed the corners of Remus's mouth. He grinned and sure enough, the boyish dimples showed. His eyes danced in delight as he captured Sara's lips in his own. Their sweet moment was broken by Sirius's catcall.
"Moony, you can have your fun later," James laughed as Remus's eyes shot daggers at Sirius. Sara grinned as she skipped beside Remus, slipping her tiny hand into his much larger one.
"Don't worry," she winked at James, "he will." With that, she hooked arms with Lily and Katie and walked to the ticket booth, their hips swaying tauntingly.
"Bloody birds are gonna be the death of us," Sirius grumbled as he looked after Katie longingly. "Well, come on gents. We have three lovely ladies over there and they sure as hell aren't going to pay for their own way in." He gave James and Remus a shove and they took off at a sprint. Lily was reaching into her wallet when James skidded up to the booth. He deftly slid Lily's body behind his own.
"Two, please," he smiled courteously at the attendant. Lily protested when he paid for her, but he paid her complaints no mind. Tickets in hand, he turned to the slightly miffed redhead and tapped her nose with the tickets.
"You didn't honestly believe I would let you pay for yourself did you?" he smiled down at Lily and swept her bangs from her eyes.
"You're too charming for your own good, Prince," Lily smiled dreamily.
"I'm not sure, but I think you just called me Prince Charming," James grinned.
"You're my Prince Charming," Lily said as she stepped into James's open arms. He tucked her head under his chin and looked to their friends who were still getting tickets.
"Then that makes you my princess," he sighed into her hair. Lily looked up at him, a beautiful smile on her face. James placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose and Lily grinned up at him. "And if you are my princess, I shall start treating you like one."
"You already do," Lily smiled.
"Well I guess I better keep it up then," James said softly as he hugged Lily tight to him.
"Come on, you two," Sirius boomed from the entrance. "Let's go see the fishes!" James chuckled at his best mate and took Lily's hand in his. He pulled her along behind him as he ran to the door.
When they stepped into the aquarium, the Marauders and Katie gasped as they had never seen an aquarium before.
"Wow," Katie breathed as she pivoted in a circle, trying to take in the entire building.
"Come in!" Lily exclaimed with a childlike excitement. "You haven't even seen the best parts!"
The group traveled around the aquarium excitedly with many laughs along the way. While in the shark tunnel, it took all five of them to restrain Sirius from Apparating into the tank so he could go scuba diving. At the stingray habitat, they were allowed to pet the stingrays. In the shallow pool, stingrays and baby sharks swam close enough for bystanders to touch them. Unfortunately for James, he leaned a bit too far just as Sirius gave him a playful shove. The result was a dripping wet teen boy who was screaming like a girl that the sharks were "trying to take his legs off". Remus had mercifully grabbed James by the shoulders and hauled him out of the pool before the attendants noticed. James shook from the cold water and Lily cast a drying charm on him. Sirius had dramatically apologized, even going so far as begging on his knees for forgiveness.
"Shut up, Padfoot," James said as he playfully pushed Sirius's shoulder. The boy in question stood and wrapped James in a rib-breaking hug.
"Oh, James! I thought you were lost forever, mate!" Sirius shouted as he pulled James impossibly closer.
"Sirius—can't breathe—ow!" James whined as Sirius abused his ribcage.
"Oi! Sirius!" Lily grinned as she pulled Sirius away from James. "I would appreciate it if you didn't crush my boyfriend. I just got him," she laughed.
"Sorry, Lils," Sirius smiled as James melodramatically rubbed his chest, trying to suppress a smile.
"I honestly worry about your sexuality sometimes, Padfoot," Remus laughed. "Katie, you better watch out. He may run off with James into the sunset one day." Katie feigned concern and wrapped her arms tightly around Sirius's waist while shooting James a dirty look.
"We're an odd group," Sara chuckled as some bystanders stared at the group, bewildered by their antics.
"Nah," James said, waving them off, "they just don't understand the deep complexity of our relationship." They all smiled at the truth behind his words. They were quite the odd group being magical and all.
The day ended after the dolphin show. Sirius and James had volunteered Remus to assist the trainer during the show. He had been made to feed the dolphins fish and wrinkled his nose in disgust each time. At the end of the show, he had conspiratorially whispered to the trainer who had nodded with a grin. As the dolphins made a final lap around the pool, they stopped in front of Remus's friends and sent a colossal wave rushing over them with a flip of their tails, effectively soaking them all to the bone. The girls had shrieked as Sirius and James shook their dripping hair from their eyes, laughing at Remus's prank.
"Remus! I can't believe you did that!" Sara playfully shrieked as they walked back to the car. Remus laughed and stooped so she could jump on his back for a piggy back ride. He smirked devilishly and squeezed her thighs as he pretended to drop her. "James! Sirius! Look what you've done to him!"
"I'm so proud, Moony!" James laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder.
"All our hard work has paid off, James!" Sirius exclaimed. "We finally did it! We corrupted Prefect Remus John Lupin! Welcome to the dark side, Moony, where mischief and mayhem runs rampant." Remus's eyes twinkled with happiness as he laughed with his two best friends and the most beautiful girl in the world, in his opinion (Sirius and James may have another argument for that position), clung to his back. Katie and Lily skipped beside them, arms linked.
The sun was just setting when the Jeep pulled in the driveway. Lily began to walk towards the house when James grabbed her hand and pulled her on the beach with him. With a flick of his wand, he conjured a blanket for them to sit on complete with a picnic basket.
"Hungry?" he asked as they sat down.
"Starved," Lily admitted. James reached into the basket and pulled out two peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he passed her a sandwich, "this is all I know how to make." Lily smiled as she bit into her sandwich.
"I think it's delicious," she said as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. James had other plans and turned his face at the last second to capture her lips with his own. "Potter!" Lily pretended to be offended.
"You may be my girl now," James smirked, "but that doesn't mean my debonair Marauder charms will go away, Evans," he said cheekily. Lily playfully pushed his face away from hers and James placed a kiss on her hand. Lily smiled happily and entwined their fingers. They leaned in to each other, foreheads touching and smiled at one another.
Unbeknownst to Lily and James, their friends were spying from the deck at Sara's house. Katie and Sara were giggling like the girls they were at how sweet Lily and James were.
"Who would've guessed?" Katie laughed.
"No one at Hogwarts is gonna believe this," Sirius chuckled.
"Oh yes they will," Sara grinned as she zoomed in on the two with her camera. Click! went the camera as she snapped the picture.
Remus smiled as he saw the Polaroid spit the picture out. "We should start taking more pictures to remember this summer by."
"Already on it," Sara grinned.
"She's an avid photographer," Katie smiled fondly at her friend. "She has an entire shoebox of pictures from this summer under her bed,"
"Brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed as Katie sat on his lap. "Did you get pictures from Disney World, Sara?"
"Naturally," Sara smiled. "I'll show them to you if you want." Sirius nodded as he stood and followed Sara and Katie into the house. Remus stood to go with them, casting a final glance at James and Lily. She was resting her head on James's shoulder.
"Congratulations mate," he smiled to himself. "You really deserve her." With that, he turned and jogged lightly to catch up with his other friends.
How was it my dears? Are you happy or was it too much? I'll cut back on the fluff if you want! Anyways, this fic is nearly complete. I think there will be two or three more chapters to finish it up! Yay!
Do you guys want more Remus/Sara or Sirius/Katie in the fic? I don't want to neglect their romance if you want to see it. Let me know!
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