"I heard she blasted him right out the window and the only reason he's alive today is because someone managed to perform the arresto momentum - just before he crashed through the roof of the Great Hall!"

James glanced at the over excited first year - Archibald Haddock - as he chattered away to two other Ravenclaw first years as they crossed through the Entrance Hall.

"And I heard she used an EXPLOSION curse to break down his door and nearly killed Mister Frek with the broken bits of wood as they gone flying through the air!"

"Well that's just embellishing things. Blimey," James asked, "Were we ever that stupid?"

Lily looked over her shoulder at Archibald, who was now re-enacting the scene that was rumored to have taken place between Professor McGonagall and Garm. She turned back to James. "I seem to remember a herd of First Year Gryffindors hiking through the Forbidden Forrest, counting their steps until they were outside of the protective charms, and summoning You Know Who with the aspirations of taking him out with a combined five stunners."

James said, "Yeah? So? What's your point? That was entirely plausible." He grinned that crooked grin as Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes, very plausible. Obviously none of the aurors that had faced off against You Know Who had tried a stunner to stop him," she rolled her eyes, smirking at him, "Never thought of that, did they?"

"I mean, there's only a fair few aurors that aren't brainless tossers, really," James shrugged.

"Mmhm," Lily said, "And you'll soon be adding to their ranks, yeah, Potter?"

"Yeah!" James said enthusiastically, then he paused as Lily laughed and he said, "I mean adding to the fair few, obviously."

"Right, of course," Lily replied, "That's what I meant too."

Sirius threw his arm about them both, coming between them as he launched his weight onto James's shoulder. "Besides that, you were there with us, Evans, so you're just as stupid as we were... are... am?"

"Are," she said, shrugging him off her.

Sirius grinned, "Somebody took her sassy pills today. You're positively vicious darling."

Lily's eyes sparkled, "You'll survive the verbal assault, I assure you."

Sirius chuckled. "You've got yourself a keeper, Potter."

"She's a chaser, actually," James intoned.

"I'm not either," Lily countered, "Somebody didn't pick me for the team."

"You're my co-Captain!"

"Co-Captain!" Lily snorted. "Free snog in the locker room is more like."

Sirius looked delightedly between them. "The locker room, you say? Oh that would be an interesting place - perhaps I'll try on Moony out there one day... Oi! Speak of the handsome devil and that devil will doth appear -- hellooo Moonshine lookin' fine."

"You do realize," Remus broke in, ignoring Sirius and straightening the jumper Sirius obviously fancied rather a lot as he was coming up behind the others, Peter in tow, "That this entire school is talking about McGonagall's rampage to the Defense corridor?" Remus and Peter were both carrying bags of food from the kitchen for the weekend adventure to the Shrieking Shack, which was what had slowed them down in keeping up with the others.

"We were just talking about it," Sirius said, circling 'round and snatching the bag from Remus's fist, lugging it over his back like a peddler. "I fucking love what a badass persona Minnie's got now."

"There are firsties who are actually afraid of the woman," Peter squeaked. "We just heard some Huffepuffs worrying about their classes next week."

"Brilliant!" Sirius announced. Then, to James, "See what you've done? You've elevated Minnie to the status of legend."

James snorted. "Minnie was already at the status of legend, long before any one of us came along, mate."

A cluster of Slytherin first years clomped by then, whispering in low undertones about Gryffindor's wicked head of house that ought to have been their head of house. "Much more interesting than Slughorn!"

James smirked and looked at Lily, who was frowning after them in disapproval. "You can't really argue them that."

"Still, one ought to respect their head of house."

James said, "Oh I respect Minnie, for sure. After seeing how she took care of ol' Garm --"

There was a clearing of the throat and James whipped around to see Minerva McGonagall standing behind him, her eyebrows raised. "So is it you, then, Mr. Potter, that's been spreading all of these ridiculous rumors about what it was that occurred in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room this afternoon?"

"No professor," James replied as Sirius smirked wildly and McGonagall's eyes rested on him, keen that she may have found her actual perpetrator. "I reckon you've got a Ravenclaw fifth year to thank for that, seeing as it seems to be the eagle firsties that are spreadin' it like wild fire." He paused, then, out of the side of his mouth as though it were a great secret, "Might want to talk to Mr. Haddock on it. He's got quite the fabrication."

McGonagall nodded slowly, looking over the clan of them, hanging around by the large vials of gems that counted the house points. Gryffindor was in lead thus far, followed closely by Ravenclaw. Her eyes traveled from Peter, whose shoulders sagged under the weight of the food in his bag, to Remus's triple layer of jumpers, to Sirius carrying Remus's bulging rucksack and leather jacket, to James's jacket and roll of blankets he had tucked under his arm, to Lily's scarves and jumper, her hair in her night-time braids already, a thick book under one arm and a second jumper under the other... McGonagall murmured, "And what are you five doing, lollygagging about in the Entrance hall, rather than going on into dinner?"

"Aw, Min, you sound like you're accusing us of something," Sirius said, "As though you're suggesting we're capable of being anything but perfectly innocent!"

McGonagall's lips stayed in a very straight line as she studied them. Then, "I cannot punish a crime I have not seen, and with that in mind, I'm begging your pardon before I see something that I don't wish to." And she turned and headed into the Great Hall.

James smirked, "As good as having her blessing, that is!"

Sirius grinned, "Yesssss! Let's go."

So they snuck out of the entrance hall and down the front steps of the school, onto the dark grounds. They ducked toward the shadows of the brush that lined the front of the school, watching Hagrid as he walked up the path from his hut to the dinner. When he'd gone past, Sirius waved for them to go and he held out his hand for Peter's sack as they approached the quivering branches of the Whomping Willow tree. "Go on, Wormtail."

Peter ran forward, popping into rat form as he went, dragging his long wormy tail along as he skittered through the grass, weaving along until he got to the foot of the willow, where he climbed up the tree bark to the knot in the wood. He threw himself at it with as much pressure as a little rat could muster, and the knot pressed in, the willow froze with a flutter of surprise, and the other boys and Lily ran across to the trap door that had opened, sliding down into the darkness below, followed a moment later by the rat.

"Alright, Evans?" James asked, helping her up.

"Quite," Lily answered, dusting herself off as Peter popped back into his human form.

"Brilliant job, Pete," Sirius said, clapping Peter's shoulder and Peter beamed with pleasure as they started their trek through the dark toward the Shrieking Shack.

Remus commented, "This is rather exciting. It isn't often I go along this way without the wonderful possibility of becoming a wolf."

"Yeah, it's great," Sirius sing-songed, then, "It is a lot more fun knowing there's no incredibly violent outbursts in our near future." He paused, then, "Right, Evans?"

Lily cleared her throat, "If you're suggesting that I might have a violent outburst, I'd rethink yourself, sir."

"Sounds like an agreement you ought to duck for cover," Remus murmured.

Lily pushed him, and they laughed. James smiled, loving how much Lily fit in with his friends, loving how her fingers felt twined around his. He swore he'd never felt happier in all his life as he did knowing that Lily Evans was his girlfriend.

 It still sounded funny in his head - Lily Evans is my Girlfriend -- he thought it several times for the novelty of it as they walked.

"What're you grinning stupidly for?" Sirius asked, elbowing James in the side.

Lily looked up at him.

James flushed, "Nothing."

"Godddds," groaned Peter, "I swear this tunnel gets longer and narrower every time we travel it."

"Either that or you get wider, and more poorly exercised," Sirius suggested, and he let James be with a quick wink, turning to walk backwards, facing Peter as he talked, "I reckon that's more likely anyway."

"Bugger off," Peter panted.

Remus was in the lead of them, limping along on his bad knees, and he was the one who pushed opened the trap door and climbed through into the dust-infested Shack first. Sirius, Lily, Peter, and James all followed along - James helping the last two up (Peter with a groan and a good shove as he nearly got stuck halfway through the door) before coming through himself.

The Shack was in pretty nasty state. Thick dust lay on every surface and cobwebs were strung up in the corners of the rooms, fat spiders hanging from silk threads that dangled down from the rafters. The couch gave up a great gasp of dust and some of it's cushions feathered stuffing when Sirius chucked himself on it, breathing deeply and saying, "Ah yes, the stench of this Shack really gets me going!"

"Going where, exactly?" asked Lily Evans, raising an eyebrow.

"A one-way rocket to the Moon." Sirius winked at Remus.

"I believe," James said, "That was one of our rules about the Shrieking Shack as well as our dormitory?"

"Oh you're a pretty little thing if you think that rule's not been shattered a hundred thousand times," Sirius said.

Remus murmured, "Perhaps not a hundred thousand..." he waved his wand and started getting rid of the dust and webs, "You'd be a lot more stretched out if it'd been broken a hundred thousand times."

"I didn't say in a row," Sirius said pointedly. "Just... spread out over time." His eyes twinkled. "Get it Moony? Spread out?"

"We all get it, Sirius," Lily said.

"I don't," Peter offered, looking confused.

"Ickle Peter," James petted Peter's head, mussing with hair.

Remus cleared his throat and looked about. "Alright, well... Let's start cleaning then, shall we?"

"But I prefer it dirty," Sirius whined.

"We know that too," James said.

It was later that night, perhaps even the wee hours of the next day, and they'd been dusting and clearing away spiders for the greater bit of the evening, save for some time they spent sitting about and eating part of the food that Peter had smuggled along from the kitchens. They were in the upstairs bedroom - the clubhouse - and laying about on the beds, watching a film Lily had picked out about a man who turned into a fish and helped submarines know when enemies were approaching.

"I don't understand," Sirius said, scowling at the telly.

"What don't you understand?" Lily asked, taking a handful of popcorn. "He wasn't fit enough for the Navy as a human, but as a fish he can help out, so he enlists himself. It's clever."

"No I understand the plot," Sirius said, "It's just that, what's a fish need with glasses for?"

James said, "Maybe he can't see without them." 

Peter said, "Yeah, Sirius! Don't be insensitive to people who need glasses." He looked to James for approval, and James nodded it to him.

Lily giggled. 

Sirius frowned at the screen. "Do tunas usually have poor eyesight? And how do the glasses stay on? He hasn't got a nose. Just a slope where the nose ought to be? Do you reckon this is some sort of fancy nosed fish?"

"Sirius, he's animated, he can have anything he wants," Remus said. "Noses included."

Sirius was quiet then, and all five of them settled into their pillows and Lily yawned widely , which prompted James to pull her closer against his chest, her head laying on his pecs as she snuggled closer to him. James kissed the top of her head gently and rubbed her hair smooth.

"You lot know what would be freaky?" Sirius asked.

"What's that?" Remus replied.

James looked over, interested in what sort of rubbish Sirius was sure to spout off now.

"If fish had human teeth."

There was a long pause.

"Just picture it," Sirius said, and he grinned so all his teeth showed.  "Just imagine all that on a fish!"

James shook his head, "I'd rather not to have nightmares, thank you."