The Fifth Marauder

In the next weeks Sirius and Remus were markedly quiet to each other. They were smart enough to pretend as if nothing had happened between them, when they were around the others. They laughed at the jokes and talked but not directly to each other. And it killed Lily. She believed that part of it was her fault too. Why did she had to lie down on the couch?! If she had done her homework as she planned instead of teasing Remus they wouldn’t be here. She completely understood Remus' decision on being distant from her for a little while and she didn't force him to do otherwise.

Wednesday morning Lily was eating her breakfast and doing the last bit of her homework that she still couldn't complete. She was too frustrated to concentrate on it last night. She crossed out a few words but then her mind wandered off again. She angrily threw away her quill and rested her face on her palms.

“Mornin’ Evans!” she heard James’ voice as he sat down next to her.

“What now, Potter?” she rolled her eyes as she looked at him.

James had quidditch practice almost every morning so he was wearing his quidditch robe and his hair was messy and wet from the early morning rain. But even a hurricane and thunderstorm couldn’t stop James Potter from practicing quidditch a little rain was nothing for him. And as Lily could see the other girls at the Gryffindor table was overly satisfied with his look.

“I was just wondering about y’know…” he ran his fingers through his hair. Lily followed his hand and those familiar butterflies woke up in her stomach again. James must have noticed it because he smirked at her.

She coughed awkwardly.

“Come on fess up! I haven’t got all day.” she said but she regretted that she sounded so rude.

“Well, Sirius said that he saw you and Moony… Well, like sleeping together on the couch, but then Moony started to talk about already having a girlfriend or something called Evelyn…” he gabbled.

“Emily.” Lily corrected him “Emily Smith. I introduced them over the summer. But I don’t see why this concerns you. I don’t recall you being Remus’ mother so he doesn’t owe you an explanation about his love-life.”

“Yeah, for sure, you’re right. I Just wanted to know if it’s true.” he shrugged as his face started to become red.

“What part?” she asked “Remus dating somebody or him dating me?”

“There’s no part! I was just curious if he really had a girlfriend.” he mumbled looking away.

“A girlfriend who might be me, right?” she was surprised how much she enjoyed teasing him, and James being slightly embarrassed made her smile.

“Merlin’s sake Lily, I just wanted to know if I still have a chance!” he said quite angrily still avoiding Lily’s eyes.

“A chance for what?” she asked taking a sip of her tea.

“To ask you out” he admitted “I was wondering if we could go to Sirius’ birthday party together but if you’re dating my best friend then I obviously will not do that.” he sighed.

Lily smiled. One of the things, that she loved most about James (although she would never actually admit that) was his loyalty to his friends. It was obvious that he fancied Lily since first year, and everyone knew that. He had been trying to ask her out ever since, but if Lily was dating Remus, she was sure that James would back off for that time, and respect it.

“So this was your attemption of asking me out, again?” Lily smiled.

“Sort of. A messy one” he shrugged finally looking into her eyes.

“And your thousandth try” she laughed teasing him. There had been a few seconds of awkward silence or at least for James, Lily quite enjoyed it, already knowing what her answer will be. But James had been a pain in the ass most of the time, so she was ready to give it back to him.

"So?" James coughed awkwardly.

“Well, it’s a birthday party.” she shrugged taking another bite of her toast.

“Yep.” James nodded.

“In the Gryffindor Common Room.” she said trying hard not to smile so wide.

“Yes.” he nodded again not really knowing where’s this conversation was going anymore.

“So I’ll most likely will be there anyway.”

“Well, yeah” James agreed.

“Meaning that I won’t be needing an escort.”

“Alright.” James nodded, gave her a fake smile and in that moment Lily could see that this time he was actually hurt. She felt bad. They had been getting closer over the summer and a kind of friendship developed between them. Which was a huge step in their relationship knowing their past.

James was about to stand up, and walk away.

“James!” she touched his hand. He turned around to face her again and hope appeared in his face “Alright. I'll go with you. But it's not a date! We'll just have a dance or talk a little, OK?”

“And we could walk around the prak or I could show you the quidditch pitch in the dark, because it’s beautiful or I could show you the best parts of the Forbidden Forest…” James became excited and he talked so fast that Lily could hardly understand him.

“James!” she interrupted him even thought she couldn’t help but smile “You’re testing my patience here.” she warned him.

“Right.” he nodded, trying to hide his burst of excitement “Then, I’ll see you there, Evans.”

James left the Great Hall barely being able to walk as a normal people keeping his cool image and not jump around in his excitement.

When Lily finished her breakfast, and her homework, she grabbed her backpack and walked out of the Great Hall. While heading to the Arithmancy classroom she saw Sirius, Remus and Peter shouting and jumping around James, patting his back, ruffling up his hair, shaking his hands. It was a very bizarre picture as if Lily was watching a goal feast in a football match.

“What are we celebrating?” Mary asked them as she walked past.

“Prongsy here had his first time asking Lily out which didn’t end with her hexing him!” Sirius said and he looked like a proud mother whose children just won an award.

“Victory, innit?” James smiled in ecstasy.

“Lest pee your pants in your excitement, Potter!” she laughed as he walked away.

She walked away, and stepped onto one of the moving stairs which for her luck was moving towards the Arithmancy classroom. When she stepped off, and took a right turn Remus suddenly appeared next to her.

“How did you caught up with me so fast?” she asked surprised.

“Oh, I just… knew a shorter way.” he said while tucking a crumpled, used parchment – most likely one of his notes – into his bag.

They walked in silent for a little while. It was weird because Remus had been keeping his distance for the last two weeks especially when Sirius was around. They haven’t really talked since the Sirius-incident, so she wasn't sure what to say.

“Look, Lily. I’m so terribly sorry.” he sighed breaking the silence finally.

“Remus, it’s not y…” she tried to hush him.

“No, please let me… Let me finish. It’s really important for me that you know this.” he said and stopped. He turned around so he could face Lily.

She had to look up to him as Remus was extremely tall. He was almost two feet taller than her, which somehow always made Lily feel safe around him.

Remus ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his scruff.

“You’re like a sister to me, who I never got to have." he started "My family is not the best one. My father always hated my guts ever since I became a werewolf, as if it was my fault. And now, with the whole gay thing he can’t even look at me anymore. My mother tries at least but my father has too much influence on her and she always does what he tells her.” he gabbed while looking at his foot “I never talk about my family, so this is hard.” he admitted.

“It’s alright, love!” Lily touched his arm.

Remus finally looked up and his sparkling green eyes met with Lily’s. She was surprised to see tears in it.

“And even though you’re not my family, I think of you as if you were. A sister, who accepts me, who’s there for me, and who hugs me when I need it. Someone I can cry in front of and won’t judge me.” he shrugged “What I’m trying to say, is that the reason why I’ve been so distant from you, is that Sirius and I… We’re…”

“Rem, I know.” Lily smiled.

“You know” he repeated and sighed relieved “How is it that you always figure out everything?” he laughed “How long have you known?”

“I see the way he looks at you.” Lily admitted “He loves you Remus, even if he’s being a jealous arrogant drama queen right now. But when you turn around, he still looks at you as you were the only person in this world.”

Lily could see some hope appearing on his face. Remus smiled wide and hugged Lily. It was true: they really had found the missing supportive brother or sister in the other one that they both so desperately needed.

“You always know what to say, Lils.” Remus smiled, as they walked to the classroom together.

“Not always. Last time when Marlene asked my opinion about something quidditch related I told her: ‘I don’t know, just catch the tiny gold ball, I suppose’. She got so mad that she didn’t talk to me for a whole day saying that her whole attempt at trying to teach me about quidditch in third year was a waste.” Lily laughed “How was I supposed to know that it’s not the Chaser’s job to catch that thing?!”

“I’ve made the same mistake before. Ever since I act as I was reading something very interesting when the quidditch topic comes up.” Remus laughed too.

The 7A classroom was on the seventh floor so they arrived more than 10 minutes after the class had started. Professor Vector was so mad that she gave them extra homework for the next class. Lilly had no idea when to prepare it because with Sirius’ birthday party, tons of homeworks for other classes and her Head Girl duties her calendar was full. She might have to give up sleeping soon, if she wants to keep up with everything.

“Oi!” Mary elbowed her while Professor Vector turned around the draw something on the board “What are you going to wear tonight?” she whispered.

“Why does it matter?” she asked copying down in her notebook the rune that the professor draw as precisely as she could.

“‘Why does it matter’ she says” Dorcas laughed “Because James Fleamont Potter will be your date, silly. Half of Hogwarts dream you’re living.”

“I bet almost one girl in every dorm is crying right now.” Mary replied.

But Lily couldn’t hear them laughing anymore. Those damn butterflies woke up in her stomach again, and she nervously started to bite her lips.

Oh my God - she thought - James Fleamont Potter will be my date tonight.