The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

When Did You Get to Be So Bleedin' Stupid?

Lily was rather impressed, honestly, with the amount of effort that James put in during April. He was actually on par with Remus and herself for raising his hand to answer questions and was usually right or at least close enough to get nearly full marks. His notes were very detailed and if James Potter was caught drawing in class, it was because he was making diagrams and sketches of the things the teachers were talking about. McGonagall noticed this, peering down her nose through her spectacles after suspecting James of doodling notes to Sirius Black, and Minny's lips twitched ever so slightly in amused approval.

"I swear, you're her bloody favorite," Sirius said, shaking his head, "You can do no wrong. Even now that they aren't giving you special treatment."

"Of course I'm her favorite," James said, grinning, "I'm bloody amazing. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I should be Minny's favorite," Sirius said.

"You are her favorite," Remus intoned. "You both are."

"You can't have two favorites," Sirius argued.

"You do," Peter pointed out. "James and Remus are your favorite friend."

Sirius made a thoughtful face. "True, that's true."

And nobody noticed the hurt flicker in Peter's eyes that Sirius didn't correct him and say that he had three favorites, actually.

"Besides," James said, " I was actually doing no wrong. I was taking my notes."

"A likely story," Sirius nodded.

Lily cut in, "He actually was."

Sirius gave James a look like he'd gone mad. "Why?"

"Dunno, maybe so I can pass?" James asked, then, "You might try it sometime." And Sirius and James ended up wrestling each other down as a result of the attitude.

Toward the end of April, Lily got a handful of muggle magazines about films that her parents forwarded her by owl. She was sitting in the common room flicking through them one night when she looked up. "James."

"What?" James looked up from a Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment he was working on, which required them to design a defensive plan against use of the imperius curse.

Lily said, "There's a new space film coming out this year. It's opening in May - well, in the United States. Here it's in December. It's supposed to be even better than Doctor Who, it says!"

James say up, "Better than Doctor Who?" He shook his head. "Impossible. What's it called?"

"Star Wars," Lily replied. "We should go."

Remus and Sirius both looked up, their eyes locking on James, waiting.

"Alright," James answered.

They both looked at Lily expectantly.

"Alright," Lily agreed. Then, voice tremulous, "Alright. It's - it's a date." She bit her lip.

Remus and Sirius looked at James.

He'd turned back to his homework. "Yeah," he agreed cluelessly.

Lily stared at the top of his head. "Yeah," she said. Her heart was racing, and she didn't dare say another word. When Sirius opened his mouth to speak, she shook her head and he looked very much like he might combust, but he held his tongue.

Which, Remus thought, was a bloody miracle.

It was especially a miracle when, two days later, James mentioned the doe he'd seen in the woods again.