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September 28, 1977
Hogwarts Infirmary
"I know, Moony, it's okay, it'll get better, I heard they're working on something to help with your furry little problem." James said, trying to comfort his suffering friend.
Lily Evans knew Remus Lupin was a werewolf, Remus Lupin didn't know she knew. Lily had come down to bring Remus chocolate for his 'migraine', as if she couldn't see through his lie. She didn't expect James 'I'm the best person ever' Potter to be there.
"Prongs, you can't expect me to believe that I'll ever be able to afford it."
"As if you'll ever need or want for it. Remus, you are my best friend, and Sirius' best friends, I know you didn't do this on purpose but you're best friends with the Heirs of two of the richest families in all of Wizarding Britain. I know you don't want charity, that's why we don't buy you new things all the time just because we can, we keep it to birthdays and Christmas- even then its less than we want to, but you're the dumbest fuck if you honestly think that either of us are going to let you suffer anymore than you have to if we can help it. We can afford to buy the potion even if it's 1000 galleons a month, won't even make a dent in either of our vaults until about 200 years have gone by, maybe more. We'll buy it and if you don't use it, well then, I guess it would just go to waste. The rest of us don't share your furry little problem. You don't want it to be a waste do you, Moony?" James reasoned.
Remus looked as though he was going to answer but instead turned over and started vomiting on the floor beside his bed. James swiftly vanished the sick and helped Remus lay back down, he conjured a cold cloth to dab Remus' face with. Remus settled in, and started falling asleep.
James kissed Remus' head softly and made sure he was nice and tucked in, "I should head to class, you need to sleep, I will be back later with chocolate. I love you, feel better."
Remus gave the smallest nod of acknowledgement and fell asleep.
James went to leave the Infirmary, he saw Lily standing a few beds away. "Merlin Evans! You sure know how to sneak up on a bloke don't you? Been here long?" James asked, looking back at Remus' bed suspiciously.
"No, no, just bringing Remus some chocolate from Honeydukes before class, they help with my migraines, thought he might have some luck as well." Lily explained her lie.
"Ah well, Poppy gave him a pain potion and now he's out like a light so you'll have to leave it by his bed."
"Okay, I will, thanks."
"No problem, see you later, Evans." James strode out of the Infirmary to go to class.
Since when was James Potter a good friend like this? Since when was James Potter such a mother hen? Since when does James Potter not complement her?
~~~~
Lily had been at odds for weeks after overhearing what she had heard the morning after the full moon. She kept noticing things James did, things that showed he wasn't entirely an arrogant toe rag.
~~~~
Lily was coming out of her room into the Head's common room, stopping when she heard voices.
"Bloody Death Eater!" Sirius roared.
"Padfoot, you need to calm down, Lily is in her room, you're going to wake her," James said quietly.
"Snivellus is a fucking Death Eater, James, I should talk louder to she wakes up to find out!"
Lily inhaled sharply. Was Severus a Death Eater?
James sighed. "We don't know that for sure, just suspect it. What are we going to do about it? Duel him in the halls? We need to grow up, Pads, we can't keep it up with these immature responses. We're Gryffindors, we need to start acting like it. We'll go to Dumbledore with our suspensions and let him decide what to do. Sirius, you almost had him killed, for a bloody prank. We can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this. I'm Head Boy, I'm going to be an Auror, I'm going to join the Order. I need to grow up."
"This is just Evans talking, you're only saying this because you're in love with her."
"No, this is all me, it's time to grow up, Sirius, don't get left behind."
~~~
Lily kept noticing instances of James growing up, not being the annoying, immature toe rag he was, and apparently she wasn't the only one. Tonight Lily was sitting in her old dorm room listening to her friends go on and on about the boys.
"James is looking so fit, captain of the quidditch team, Head Boy, and has anyone else noticed he's been really mature? I haven't even seen him send a tripping jinx at Snape," Mary said, watching Lily closely.
"Fuck Potter, have any of you been looking at Black? Honestly, I am barely into men but that man can get it!" Marlene has been very enthusiastic about Sirius since they came back to school this year, something about moving out and living alone really did something for her.
"What do you think, Lily?"
"We all know what she thinks. 'James is a toerag, Sirius is so immature, Remus is so smart and handsome,'" Marlene mimicked using her best Lily impression.
"Actually, what I was going to say is that James has been maturing, it's nice to see that the Head Boy isn't pulling pranks and setting a terrible example for the younger years anymore."
“Lily Evans thinks James Potter is maturing and not setting a terrible example? Has the world ended? Has hell frozen over?” Mary teased Lily, giggling while she said it.
“I just think it’s nice that he’s growing up and setting a better example for the younger years, he’s Head Boy, he should act like it and he has been, that’s all I’m saying.” She huffed.
~~~~
“It’s okay to be homesick, I missed home so much when I was your age,” James said to a first year, “can I tell you a secret?”
The first year nodded.
“I still get homesick sometimes, so when I do I write my mum and dad letters.”
“I’m a halfblood but my mum’s a muggle, how do I send her letters? I don’t know anyone in my house I could ask. I shouldn’t be in Slytherin.” The first year started to cry.
“Hey, don’t cry, if the hat put you there then that’s where you belong. I happen to know for a fact that your seventh year prefect is a halfblood as well, I have no doubt that he can help you.” James said, putting an arm around them.
The first year went around the corner and as they disappeared around the corner, Lily appeared.
“James, if you wanted to ask me out again, I would try now, I seem to be having a lapse in judgement,” Lily said, shyly looking at James.
“Lily Evans, would you do me the absolute honour of being my date to Hogsmead this weekend?”
“I would love to.”