After the Christmas holidays the seventh years got more work than ever. James and Sirius spent nearly every night studying. They also had Quidditch practises, which were going quite well. James and Lily studied together, Lily helped James with his Potions and James helped Lily with Transfiguration, although they always ended up kissing instead of working.
The threat of Voldemort grew larger and larger and the Marauders started hearing more about a secret organisation, started by Dumbledore. James' parents were in it, and Frank Longbottom, Alice's boyfriend had recently joined. A few teachers were in it and that was about all they knew.
Finally the Easter holidays arrived. They threw a party on the last night of term, Sirius put on music in the common room, Remus and Peter got heaps of food and drinks from the kitchen and James pulled Lily through a secret passageway into Honeydukes, where they threw on the Invisibility Cloak, collected a pile of sweets, dropped some money into the till and left the shop. They snuck into the Hogs Head and jumped over the bar into the back. James stuffed his jacket with bottles of Firewhisky and mead and poured a few Galleons into the till.
At half past eight the party was crazy. Sirius, James and Remus were very drunk, dancing and singing. Peter was sitting by the fire watching, Alice, Marlene and Lily were talking near the snacks table, with bottles of Butterbeer, spiked with Firewhisky.
The party died out around three in the morning. Peter had followed most of the house up to bed, and Alice and Marlene had followed not long after. James and Lily were asleep on the couch, James still clutching a half full glass of mead. Remus and Sirius were cuddled up on the floor, both of them snoring. The music was still pounding, the floor was a mess, empty glasses were scattered around the room and a few other fifth and sixth years had fallen asleep on the floor or in armchairs.