The Gryffindor common room was empty that night except for a few of the seventh years, who had gathered around to relax in the silence of the room, enjoying every moment before being loaded with homework the next day in their N.E.W.T classes.

Although Remus was the only one who couldn't relax. He felt like his head would explode any moment now. Only two hours ago, Diana had told him about her arranged marriage to Evan Rosier, and had even told him about her vision. In that vision, she had seen that Rosier had killed Remus. Diana had told Remus that if she didn't marry Rosier, it would end with Remus's death.

Remus didn't know how accurate Diana's visions were, but he still couldn't let her marry Rosier. The mere thought of it was worse than death to him.

     Just then, however, Remus was snapped out of his thoughts and the silence pf the common room was broken when someone pushed the portrait of the Fat Lady open with a thud and ran inside, yelling, "SHE SAID YES!"

      Turning around in surprise, they saw James running inside, but the next moment he slipped and fell down with a yelp. Everyone gasped, jumping to their feet to make sure he was all right.

     "You okay, Prongs?" Sirius asked, watching James as he got to his feet, dusting his cloak off.

  "Never better, Padfoot! Never better!" He laughed in happiness, clapping a hand behind Sirius's shoulder. "She said yes!"

     "What are you talking about?" Remus asked, raising a curious brow at him. But his question was answered when moments later Lily walked into the room, her cheeks flushed and pink.

     "Oh my, God!" Alice suddenly gasped from where she stood beside the fireplace, clasping a hand over her mouth as she looked between James and Lily in realization.

  "No way," Remus mumbled, his eyes widening.

     "This is a joke, right?" Sirius said with a snort.

"What's supposed to be happening, exactly?" Marlene muttered, looking around at everyone in confusion.

"I-I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Lily said awkwardly, clearing her throat and quickly walking up to the girls' dormitory.

With grin playing on their faces, the other girls ran after her, and Marlene followed them as well in hopes of finding out what was going on.

"What did you do, Prongs?" Remus asked James after the girls had left. "Did you slip her love potion?"

Peter sniggered behind them as James gave Remus a look. "No! I asked her out on a date and she said yes."

"Maybe she thought you meant the fruit by 'date'?" said Sirius with a grin.

"I'm telling you! She said yes!" James retorted.

"And what's the complete story?" Remus said with a grin, knowing that there was more to it.

"Fine!" James sighed. "We were patrolling the corridors, and I told Lily that she hadn't done her job right, because if you don't find any trouble in the castle at night, it just means that you've missed something. She told me that she was pretty certain that nothing was wrong, so I made a bet with her. I told her that if I found someone causing trouble in the part she had been patrolling, she would have to go on a date with me."

Remus frowned, though he was chuckling. "There's no way she agreed to that stupid bet."

"Oh, you're one to talk." Sirius gave Remus a look. "Wasn't your first date with Greengrass based on a bet?"

"That — that was different!" Remus said defensively. "It was a fake date."

"Well, luckily for me, this certainly isn't a fake date," James said with an arrogant grin. "She agreed to the bet. And then, with a little help of our beloved Map, I found two students snogging behind a secret passageway which Lily hadn't managed to find. And just like that... I got the yes."

"You know what they say," Sirius smirked, "seventh year's a charm."

"It was, indeed," James said dramatically, before he let a soft smile curl up at the edge of his lips. "Merlin, I can't wait for the next Hogsmeade trip. I've waited long enough."

***

The following morning, Diana tried her best to avoid looking over at Regulus's direction, where he sat at the other end of the Slytherin table with Avery, Mulciber, and Snape. She still couldn't bring herself to believe that he had become a Death Eater, and she kept wishing that last night had just been a dream.

     The Slytherin Quidditch captain had informed Diana earlier that day that they had to hold tryouts for a new Seeker, seeing as Regulus had quitted. It seemed as though he was forgetting all that he had been and all that he once used to do.

      After breakfast, Diana and Layla walked back down into the dungeons and made their way toward Professor Slughorn's classroom.

"The class is emptier than last year," Layla observed as they took two seats on a table near the front of the class. It was not the usual places they used to sit the previous years, because now they wanted to be as far away from Snape and his other Slytherin friends as possible.

"A lot of students dropped Potions this year, I suppose. It's one of the most difficult classes for the N.E.W.Ts. Its exam is brutal. Specially its practical one," said Diana, taking her books out of her bag and placing them in front of her.

"Yeah. Either that, or their parents didn't let them come to school this year," Layla said bitterly.

"Hello," a voice said behind them, suddenly catching their attention. Diana and Layla turned their heads back, seeing Lily and Alice standing there.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that this was your table," Diana said, beginning to stand up, but Lily stopped her.

"No, don't worry about it," Lily said kindly.

"Do you mind if we joined you?" Alice asked.

"Not at all," Diana said with a smile, and so Lily and Alice took the other two seats beside the Slytherin girls.

Not long after, James and Sirius joined them at the table as well, even though Sirius kept complaining about how they were sitting too close to the front of the class.

"So... where's your other friend?" Layla asked Lily and Alice in a casual tone.

"Marlene?" said Lily. "Oh, she didn't get the needed score in the O.W.Ls. to attend the Potion classes after her fifth year. Neither did Peter."

"Remus dropped Potions this year too," Diana informed them, her heart clutching at the thought of him. Her vision about him still haunted her nightmares.

"Yeah, he never liked brewing Potions to begin with," said Sirius, leaning back in his chair. "I actually wish I could drop it too."

     "Then why don't you?" Layla questioned.

     "Because unfortunately, it's needed if we want to become Aurors," said James, gesturing between himself and Sirius.

     "Ooh! I want to apply for that job after Hogwarts too!" said Alice excitedly. "Although, with you it might be easier to get in. Your parents are important Aurors there, aren't they?"

     "Yeah, but I can ask them to help you out, if you're interested," James suggested with a shrug.

      "Oh, that would be amazing! Thank you!" said Alice happily, clapping her hands together.

     "What do you want to do after Hogwarts?" James asked Lily, turning to face her with admiration in his eyes.

  "I was thinking about becoming a Healer," she said confidently. "It's supposed to be a really hard profession, but —"

      "But I'm sure you'll manage it just fine," James said and cut her off, causing Lily's cheeks to go pink.