Lily tugged James so he would bend down for her to whisper in his ear. "Did you remember the locket?" she asked, her voice worried.

James nodded, "It's in my rucksack." 

"Thank Merlin," Lily breathed in relief. "We simply must destroy it - right after we've got all our Headboy and girl duties completed tonight, alright?"

"Alright," James said, who was thinking he was rather eager to get Lily down into the alcove off the Trophy Room Passageway, where they'd discussed ditching the locket at. He grinned stupidly, thinking of the little couch and the low blue-bell lights in the jars down there, and how soft Lily Evans's -- "Wait, hold on," James said suddenly, stopping walking a second time. Lily turned to face him, a question in her eyes. "Ali Prewitt doesn't know about you and I," he said.

Lily said, "Well, I'm sure you'll tell her everything the moment we're back to the table, won't you?" She started to turn and head on to Gryffindor table.

"Evans," James said, and she turned back to him.

"Potter?"

"Don't you want to tell her?"

Lily shrugged, "I mean - it seems to be your thing. Telling people. Doesn't it?" She turned away again, headed for Gryffindor table.

James glanced back over his shoulder and he saw Severus Snape glaring at him darkly, and he glared back a moment before hurrying after Lily. "It's just that -- well, you haven't told anyone at all," he pointed out. "I told Hagrid and the lads and I told the Prefects on the Express, and I told McGonagall..."

Lily said, "So?"

"So... aren't you excited about... about me?" James gave her a charming smile.

"Of course I am," she replied. They'd reached the table and she sat down on the bench between James's spot and Ali, who looked at her with wide, questioning eyes.

"WELL HELLO LILY EVANS," Ali said, grinning, "HOW WAS YOUR SUMMER?" Her eyes flickered between James and Lily.

Lily looked at James, "You said she didn't know."

"Well," James said, "She might've figured something out."

Ali said, "Girl! Why didn't you floo me the moment it happened? I positively hate you for not telling me!"

Lily replied, "Well, we were a bit busy immediately after it happened."

"D - e -t - a - i - l - s," begged Ali.

Lily waved at the food, "May I eat really quickly and then I'll tell you everything? It's just that I'm really hungry and dinner's about to be gone --" As though she'd willed it to be, the dinner disappeared, replaced by sweets for dessert. She sighed.

James nudged her and gave her half his potato that he'd grabbed before the dinner had gone and half the roast he'd plopped onto his plate as well. "Here, we can share," he offered, reaching for a tart as well, even as he suggested it.

"Thanks," Lily answered.

Ali nudged her, "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Later, upstairs," Lily replied.

James glanced at Lily as she put butter on her potato. "I sort of want to hear your version of it, too," he said, smirking.

Lily looked at him. "What happened to you thinking you were starving to the point of death? That's what you were saying the entire time we were over there waiting for the sorting to end." She pointed with her fork to where they'd been standing.

Sirius spoke up, "James is always starving to the point of death."

James nodded, "You knew this about me before we got involved."

"Involved?" Dexter had looked up from his plate a couple seats down from where Remus sat, across from James. "Whoa. Are you two together?" Then, excited, he nudged Wally and Ollie, who sat on either side of him. "Guys. Listen. Potter and Evans. They're together."

"WHAT?" Wally turned in his seat so fast that he nearly tipped off it, and only just managed to catch himself. "WHEN? HOW?"

Ollie pinked in the face and he said, "Oh that's so great!"

"About time!" chimed in Macy.

Lily was scarlet.

"Tell us everything?" begged Vivian, clasping her hands and leaning forward to see Lily, "Please, Lily? Please?"

"Yes, Lily," smirked James, "Tell us everything."

Lily looked at James, then down the row. "You lot want me to tell you everything?"

"Yes, yes!" cried Vivian and Macy and Ali all at the same time. 

"I mean unless you're embarrassed of me," James said, eyes glinting.

Sirius said, "Not that I'd blame you. I'm embarrassed of him. 'Tis why I've ever told the school at whole about our arrangement."

"About the Tuesdays and Bank Holidays?" asked Ollie quietly.

Sirius looked down at him, "How the fuck d'you -- holy shite, Evans -- what're you --?!" Sirius lunged to catch his cup of pumpkin juice, leaning back in his seat with wide eyes as Lily Evans had suddenly dropped her napkin onto the table and stepped up on the bench, used James's shoulder to steady herself, and stepped onto the table so that her trainers nearly kicked over Sirius's cup and knocked a tray of pasties to the side.

Peter stared up at her and Dexter's voice was low as he went, "Whoaaaaa."

Lily turned to look around the room, her face quite hot, having not expected so many people to have noticed what she was doing already, and then, realizing she'd gone this far, she had better make the best of it, she announced, in a birdish, embarrassed tone, "Um, ex - excuse me, everybody?"

Sirius was hooting quietly.

James was staring up at her, wide eyed and gape-mouthed, excited.

"Um... excuse me?" she tried again - but not everyone in the Hall was paying attention, just a smattering.

"Sonorous Maximus," Remus said, aiming his wand for her throat.

"EXCUSE ME?" Lily Evans's voice carried through the entire Great Hall, echoing off the walls and making the candles hovering overhead shiver. The chatter that had filled the room died down and everyone paused in their talking to turn to look toward her - including all the members of staff at the front of the room, all the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins, the House Ghosts, who hovered about, getting acquainted with their First Years. Even Filch, who stood in the doorway, petting Mrs. Norris and watching with beady eyes as bits of food dropped onto the floor that he'd have to clean up later.

Every. Single. Person. was staring at Lily.

She felt dizzy from being the center of attention.

"I - I have an announcement," she said, trying to recall how it had gone when James had done it. She cleared her throat, "I, -- um -- I, Lily Evans, am... going out with James Potter." She looked down at him, "And... and James -- well, he's my boyfriend." She felt her cheeks turn redder as she spoke.

"About time!" shouted Marlene MacKinnon.

"Yeah, it's about ruddy time!" added Maryrose.

Lily nodded, "Well, thank you. That's all. I just wanted everyone to - to know."

There was a bit of a pause and Lily turned and jumped down onto the bench, sitting beside James, who was beaming with pride, and hid her face in the shoulder of his jumper. "You better ruddy appreciate that," she whispered.

"Oh I do," he replied, and he reached down, cupped her chin with his palm and tilted her head up for a kiss.

It was as though the kiss was what everyone had been waiting for. The Great Hall erupted in applause and cheers. Even McGonagall and Dumbledore were clapping - Dumbledore laughing and nodding as he glanced at McGonagall, who kept her chin level and the tiniest smirk on the corner of her cheek. The only people not clapping in the whole room, it seemed, were the Slytherins (although Regulus looked as though he really wanted to be clapping) and the two new teachers sitting beside McGonagall. Severus Snape was glowering. As the applause echoed and the pair of them kissed, Sirius suddenly shouted, "GIVE HIM SOME TONGUE EVANS!"

"Mr. Black!" yelled McGonagall, "Inappropriate!" 

Sirius grinned.

James drew back from Lily, staring right into her eyes, and Lily stared back up at him and she smiled tremulously, still embarrassed by all the attention. He leaned down and kissed her cheek again and whispered in her ear, "That was beautiful."

"Try not to tear up, Potter," she whispered back.

The moment ended and people were turning back to their seats - for the most part. Marlene and Emmaline practically fell over one another in a rush to get to the Gryffindor table, followed closely by Maryrose and Wendy, who gathered around Lily and, along with Ali, started begging for the details. Everyone who was listening - including James - was treated to a recital of the story about the fountain in Godric's Hollow and the way they'd kissed and how wonderful it had been since she'd become James Potter's girlfriend.

James grinned happily as she spoke.

Remus watched the whole thing with a smile.

Sirius looked at him. "Remember when I did that to you and you nearly killed me?"

"Do I ever," Remus replied, shaking his head. He laughed, "Two kinds of people."

"Yeah," Sirius looked wistfully at all the attention James and Lily were getting, then turned back to Remus. "I fucking love you, Moonpie."

"Love you too, Pads," Remus replied, and he kissed Sirius's cheek.

Once the story had been completed and Lily's audience had heard all there was to hear, Dumbledore stood up and walked to the owl-shaped podium at the edge of the plinth. He looked about at everyone and clapped his hands for attention. "Well," he said, "That is a way to start a marvelous year at Hogwarts, isn't it?" There was a general sound of agreement through the Hall. "There's nothing that an old man like myself could say to top such an announcement. We'll go over the particulars for the year another night. For now, let us go to bed with the knowledge that whatever evil there may be in the world... there is always a bit of good to light up the dark. Pip, pip!"