𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒

Where is Slughorn?

"So, are you and James going to go public with your relationship or is it going to be a secret?" Mary asked.

"Well, I sort of wonder how long James would actually be able to keep his mouth shut, but we haven't really talked about it, considering how many Head duties we've had to deal with this year," she said placing her book in the leaf-covered grass.

Lily had finally gotten around to reading Pride and Prejudice, the book Remus had recommended to her earlier that year during their summer. She was quite enjoying it and she was intrigued by Mr. Darcy's character since Remus said she was Elizabeth and James was Mr. Darcy.

"Speaking about me, I hear?" The one and only James Potter swung down from an above tree branch just as a monkey would in a jungle.

"Eavesdropping, I see?" Lily countered when he sat, putting his head in her lap.

Lily and James had had extremely busy days with prefects coming up to them just to ask nonsense questions they had just answered in the latest prefect meeting, professors assigning them ridiculously long essays, and losing multiple objects (for James that included his glasses and Lily her wand.) Yet, the day had not even finished because their last class of the day, Potions, had yet to start.

"Lovebirds, we have ten minutes before class starts. I'm leaving with or without you," Mary said, getting up with her own flower crown almost falling off her head.

"Actually, Sirius wanted me to meet up with him before class started to discuss something important,"  James got up with a smirk while Lily turned a blind eye.

"Remember, if I don't hear about it, I don't know about it. So, for Sirius's sake, I would keep your trap shut!" Lily said with an amused tone.

"Yes ma'am!" James ran off towards the castle, saluting Mary on his way past.

"I still can't believe you're dating him."

"Neither can I."

...

At Hogwarts, sometimes the unexpected happened, in which you must adapt or watch the smarter students and staff adapt around you. The Marauders had become masters at adapting so quickly you would not even be able to list one-sixth of their detentions.

The Marauders happened to be late to Potions class, but were pleasantly surprised to see Professor Slughorn was not in the room.

James traipsed to the back of the classroom where Lily was sitting with Marlene discussing something clearly not school-related as their facial expressions gave them away. He crept up behind Lily and stole her flower crown, placing it on his own head.

"Does anyone know where Sluggie happens to be?" James asked Marlene and Lily while the latter just narrowed her eyes at him for his previous crime.

"Nope and there seems to be no substitute either," Marlene said rolling her quill between two fingers.

"Brilliant!" James said and stalked off to find where Sirius and Remus were fighting over some potion ingredient.

"Why is that brilliant?" Marlene asked in a quiet voice.

"I have no clue, but I think it might mean the Marauders have just gotten a prank idea."

The girls sat and watched as the four Marauders deliberated, voted, and finally convinced Remus whatever it was happened to be a good idea. While watching, Lily wondered if she should shut down whatever it was, but James looked far too happy and the wink he gave her as he walked to the front of the room almost made her swoon.

"Well, here we go," Marlene muttered as Sirius, Remus, and Peter followed James.

The four boys settled with grins on their faces in the front of the classroom, making everyone in the room silent, almost as quickly as Euphemia did when she was angry.