Despite Sirius's persistence that "the rest of term would last for-bloody-ever", the last month of the Marauders' sixth year went quite quickly.

Lily and Remus buried themselves behind books, studying for the end of term exams, and, although James, Sirius, and Peter all revised, it was barely even half as much as the other two. No matter how much Lily Evans tried to invite James to the homework table in the common room, it nearly always ended up being her and Remus into the wee hours. She would watch as James would yawn and collect his things and lumber off to bed with a careless wave and a ruffle of Remus's hair, usually rousing sleeping Peter and-or Sirius to get them to come along to the dormitory with him.

James knew he should've worked harder - this being the year before their NEWT courses and all - but he was tired of putting in such effort to things and not getting the proper recognition for it. He was ready to get the bloody hell out of that castle and leave everything that had gone wrong behind him for the summer. He was ready to at least pretend to be carefree and escape the rubbish of having to think about everything. Besides, the professors were still all giving him a rather easy go of it, and he was feeling over confident - perhaps on the edge of cocky, even. And anyway, the N.E.W.T.s were next year, and therefore too far ahead to worry about now. After all, he often found himself thinking rather darkly, there wasn't even a guarantee that any of them would make it to the tests anyway.

Sirius, meanwhile, did study. After the term before and having to meet that dratted Umbridge woman he wasn't taking any chances. He would get up after the others had fallen asleep and go down to the common room and sit before the fire and read, practicing his magic and sipping glasses of firewhiskey in a responsible manner. The result was a groggy Sirius at the breakfast table each morning in the Great Hall,  but at least he was able to hang about with James as often as possible this way. Some part of him still felt responsible for what had happened. Having not noticed it wasn't James Potter there all that time weighed heavily on him, and he found himself randomly quizzing James, as though to confirm it was really his mate.

Such a quiz occurred on the Marauders' walk into Hogsmeade for the final weekend before the exams and the end of the term.

"Remember that time when I started P.A.H.W.F.A.H.W.D.G.A.F.A.J.P?" he would ask conversationally, walking backwards to see James's reaction as he answered.

"I recall you mentioning it but never really explaining what the bloody hell it is?" James replied.

"Well, it's been disbanded anyway now," Sirius said with a shrug, "The Evans situation being what it very nearly is and our arrangement and all."

"Our arrangement?" James questioned.

"Yeah, you know. Tuesdays and Bank Holidays and that lot."

James laughed, "What are you going on about?"

"Nothing darling," Sirius answered. Then, just in case, "You do know what Tuesdays and Bank Holidays are, don't you, Prongsy?"

"Our date nights, of course, my love," James replied and he grabbed Sirius 'round about the neck and placed a loud, wet kiss on the side of his face.

Remus, walking up, asked, "Should I be jealous then?"

James grinned, "Not at all, Moony, he tastes like he needs a shower."

"A shower won't help me," Sirius said somberly, "I'll always be dirty."

Remus chuckled, "And thank Merlin for it."

James smirked, "Am I leaving the lot of you at Madam Puddifoot's with Peter, then? You lot can double date with him and Wendy." James nodded ahead of them on the path, where Peter was walking with Wendy, holding hands.

"The day I'd be caught dead in a place like that..." Sirius muttered, shaking his head.

"You wouldn't take me?" Remus asked, sounding hurt.

Sirius guffawed, "You wouldn't want to go!" He paused. "...would you, Moony?"

"I think it would be nice," Remus said, shrugging. Then, because Sirius looked horrified and quite panicked at the notion, Remus laughed loudly and slapped Sirius on the back, "Relax, Padfoot. I have no intention of going to Puddifoot's." He hung his arm about Sirius's shoulders.

"Bloody hell, should've seen your face, though," James said. Then, smirking, he added, "You could take me there on a Tuesday sometime. I would like to go. For nothing else but to see your discomfort." James's eyes gleamed evilly.

"Bastard," Sirius said, as Remus and James both laughed, "I want a divorce."

They reached the town and watched Peter and Wendy scurry away before they went to the Three Broomsticks, after a quick stop in at Honeyduke's of course. They sat in the low lighting at Rosmerta's sipping butterbeer and whispering ideas for pranks across the table as they divvied up sweets into parts so they all ended up with an assortment of treats rather than full packages.

All in all, James thought, it was a rather brilliant way to spend the last Hogsmeade weekend of sixth year. If only every Hogsmeade weekend could be equally brilliant.

"Would you have a gander at that," Sirius whispered over a pile of honey hoppers, "Over there. By the kitchen doors."

The other two turned about to see Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart sitting together at a table, a bottle of butterbeer before each of them. McGonagall's hair was braided but rested on her shoulder instead of being twisted into her usual knot at the back of her head.

"Did she apply rouge?" James hissed.

She had. Sirius stared, gape-mouthed, and Remus reached over and pushed his jaw up to close. "Don't gawk at her, it's rude," he admonished.

Sirius looked 'round at them, "Can't help it, can I? I mean ferfucksake, are you lot seein' the same thing as I am? Minnie! On a - a date? Dressed-up? Looking like - Merlin have mercy on my soul for saying it, but - and actual girl?"

James shook his head, "Not Min. Doesn't matter how much bleedin' rouge she slathered on, she's still Professor McGonagall, and that's all there is to it."

Remus shrugged, "Have to admit she's not that bad looking, really, all made up like that."

Sirius's head snapped around. "Oy? Come again? You're queer. You're not supposed to think she looks - not that bad looking. You shouldn't be looking at all."

"I mean, she's not a troll," James said, "Sure, but - I mean. What Sirius said. Why would you be looking?"

"I'm not looking," Remus argued. "Not anymore than the rest of you are. I'm just saying I can appreciate what she's done to herself."

James snorted and shook his head, draining the last of his butterbeer as Sirius stared uneasily in Remus's direction. "Oh don't get your knickers in a twist, mate," he laughed, "I'm ruddy certain Rey isn't plotting on usurping Urquart's claims on Min any time soon, are you Moony?"

"Perhaps next term, we'll see how the Summer goes," Remus smirked.

Sirius was about to protest or complain when Lily Evans walked past, following Marlene Mackinnon and Ali Prewitt. He interrupted his own thoughts to leap over and catch hold on Lily's wrist. "Oi, Evans, my love. Join us a mo'?"

Lily waved on Marlene and Ali (who glanced at James with a knowing smirk before going), and squashed into the space beside Sirius. "What do you want?"

"Well now, don't say it like that, love," Sirius said with a hurt tone. "I just wanted to buy you a butterbeer to celebrate the end of sixth year. Put your feet up. Take a load off. Did you see Minnie putting on the ritz for Urquart?" Sirius nodded in McGonagall's direction.

Lily glanced over, then said, "Oh she looks lovely."

"See?" Remus commented.

James waved for Rosmerta, who brought over a couple bottles of butterbeer, dropping one each in front of James and Lily. "I thought you were buying it for me?" Lily ribbed Sirius.

"I have a tab out with Prongs," Sirius said.

"Oh, I see." Lily smirked.

"So long as it isn't me buying it for you, 'ey?" James chuckled as Lily tapped the cap with her wand, magically popping it off. "Anything so long as you don't have to admit that Potter has done anything nice for you. People might think you're here with me or something."

Lily took a long pull off the bottle, lowered it, and met James's eyes. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad."

There was an agonizing long pause - James staring directly into Lily's eyes and Lily staring right back as Sirius grinned over it and Remus looked on in surprise. "It wouldn't be so bad?" James echoed.

"Perhaps," Lily said quietly. Her palms were sweat drenched and she lowered her hands beneath the table to wipe off on her skirt.

James continued on staring.

"EXCUSE US," Sirius said suddenly, grabbing Remus's wrist, "We've got to go to the bathroom."

"Together?" Remus asked, not wanting to leave James and Lily.

"Yes," Sirius insisted and he climbed over Lily, pulling Remus along, and dashed them off away from the table. "Don't be so thick, Moony!" he hissed as they approached the end of the bar, where the loos were. He stopped and looked back.

James was still staring at Lily with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"C'mon you great shmuck, don't go and fuck it up now she's finally said it!" Sirius pleaded.

Rosmerta came 'round then and saw Sirius leaning against the counter - he was on the wrong side - and shooed him off. "No gettin' behind the counter unless you be wantin' a job here," she scolded. "And I'm not hiring any one of you lot, I've heard all about the antics you get up to about the castle!"

Sirius grinned at her, "Ah we're famous then."

"Infamous, more like," Rosmerta replied. Sirius clutched an imaginary wound and smiled as Rosmerta shook her head.

Meanwhile, at the table, Lily cleared her throat. "Potter."

"Evans."

"Thank you for the butterbeer."

James nodded. "Couldn't very well not give one to you once Sirius had offered it."

"Yeah, I s'pose," she replied.

James and Lily sat, drinking the butterbeer in silence, as he continued to give her funny looks. He couldn't quite name what it was that was churning him up inside about the encounter, but there was something different - and yet entirely familiar.

He knew beyond a doubt that it would be on his mind all summer.

Next day was the beginning of end of year exams for the sixth years, and although Remus, Lily, and Sirius (thanks to his secret study sessions) were quite calm going down for them, James and Peter were quite nervous.

"What are you glowing with confidence for?" James pointedly asked Sirius, "You didn't study any more than I have."

"My brain absorbs better, perhaps," Sirius replied with a smirk.

The exams were rough. They were brutal. James chewed nervously on his quill and spilled his ink jar. In Defense he managed to knock Urquart over with a spell he'd intended to hit Sirius with that left Urquart expelling gas for the remainder of the class.

"Could've done with something a bit more classy," Sirius laughed as they sat at the table in the Great Hall for lunch.

"Or at least less smelly," Remus agreed.

Peter arrived, grinning proudly because he'd succeeded in telling fortunes from his stones and tarot cards. "I think I may have gotten an E." He was shaking with excitement.

"Can't you tell?" Sirius asked, "I mean, it's an E in divination, can't you see what you got already?"

Peter stammered lamely, his words falling over one another, unable to form his answer, and turned quite pink. "I s'pose if I'd looked," he finally said several moments later.

When at long last they'd completed their exams, they headed up to the Gryffindor common room for the night. Next day would be the end of term feast, following the seventh years' exams, and they'd be off on the Express the day after that. The exhaustion of the long day had gotten to the boys and they landed in their beds with barely any talk - even from Sirius.

James awoke during the night with a start. He lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his heart racing. He'd had a dream, and in his dream he had been in his stag form, wandering through the forest beyond the lake, where he and the other Marauders often went on the pebbled beach. He'd been running through the trees, his hooves striking moss and wet ground as he bounded along. It was dark under the canopy of the trees, and smelled like it might rain soon. It always struck James freshly how much he could tell about the earth and the weather in his stag form.

He was searching for the doe, smelling her on the air, and knowing she was always just a step or two ahead of him through the dark, ever just out of range of his sight. He wasn't even sure what it was that he needed the doe for - only that it was deeply important to reach her, whatever it took...

He wasn't sure what woke him. The dream had gone on and on rather monotonously, just chasing and chasing and chasing until suddenly his eyelids had popped open abruptly. He felt like something had roused him, but there was nothing and no one there.

James sat up and ran a hand through his hair slowly, groggy, and reached for his glasses, thinking he might wake Sirius and head down to the common room for tea to discuss the dream. His hand knocked something in the reach, and it landed on the floor with a quiet thump. He grabbed his glasses and leaned over the side of the bed to see what it was he'd dropped... and there, on the floor of the dormitory, lay a scroll, sealed with a bit of green wax.

James's brow furrowed and he picked it up, sitting up in bed and slid his thumb across the scroll, breaking the seal, and unrolling the page. His eyes skimmed the words.

Meet me in the Care of Magical Creatures library, behind the stables in one hour.

There was no signature.

James glanced about at the others in the room - all deeply asleep. He rolled out of bed and tugged on his trainers, grabbed his cloak, and slipped out the door.