Classes, like always, had shown themselves to be more grueling than the year before. The marauders had been putting their regular amount of effort into each class, but they sorely needed a break. It was lucky that Peter's birthday happened to be that early in September.

"So Pete, whatcha want to do for your birthday?" Sirius asked lazily, while he sprawled out across the Gryffindor common room floor.

"I dunno, nothing too big obviously."

James looked over to see Peter staring into the fire. Remus was the only one still working on their Charms essay. And Sirius absentmindedly twirled his wand in his fingers, but then accidentally squirted Remus in the face with water out the tip of his wand.

"ARGH- really, Padfoot, water?" Remus sighed and put his essay away. "Pete, you really are lucky your birthday lands on a Friday."

Remus shook his head spraying water all over the carpet. James had always enjoyed Thursday nights like these with his friends. Being around them was so easy, no wonder they all connected so well in the first year.

"Any ideas for tomorrow, Prongs?" Peter asked, hoping that James would reveal a well-thought-out idea, but the chances of that were slim to none.

James thought about this for a second. Pete was a quiet and more reserved lad, so having a party might not be the most enjoyable for him.

"We could pull a prank on Filch and then go to the Kitchens for food," James shrugged as Peter's face lit up.

"Moony whatcha think?" Sirius elbowed Remus unnecessarily.

"What kind of prank?" Remus asked, clearly wanting to know more before getting himself into something he didn't want to.

"We should dye Mrs. Norris's hair green or something," Sirius suggested.

James laughed at the idea. Filch was in for a real surprise.

"Sounds like a plan," Pete responded with a smile before indicating he was going to bed. Remus followed after him.

Sirius and James chose to play another round of wizard's chess accompanied by Honeyduke's sweets and banter. They fell asleep far too late, but time didn't seem to matter when you were having fun.

...

As they walked down to breakfast, Sirius and James walked behind Remus and Peter, hardly awake. Not caring about time appeared to have caught up with them as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, yawning as they went.

James didn't even notice he was sitting across from Lily until after he elbowed a near sleeping Sirius and he looked up. He offered a small smile, which she returned, and turned to fill his plate with food.

"These two wankers decided to go to bed when the sun rose," Remus said as he pointed his thumb at Sirius and James.

James rolled his eyes but skipped making the crude gesture at Moony for a bite of toast instead. Besides, Sirius took care of the gesture for him.

"Lily and Marlene do that all the damn time," Mary said, smirking over at her friends.

The dark circles under Lily's eyes were now much more noticeable to James after Mary's comment. He wondered to himself what Lily did in her free time besides complete her assignments and read books.

"Yeah, Mary and I are the only tame ones here really," Alice added, earning a smack on her head from Lily.

"Cheers."

...

The first day of classes was always the worst in James's opinion. Nearly every professor took it upon themselves to reiterate rules and class outlines that every student had already heard. The only good part about the class James was in right now was that the marauders were in it with him.

"Mr. Potter, have you completed the reading assignment?" Professor Flitwick asked.

James looked up from the parchment he and Sirius had been scratching notes on back and forth.

"Sure have."

"Tell us what the chapter was about," Flitwick raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"It was on the cheering charm, sir, and what happens when you use it," James answered quickly when he realised that there were about 30 seconds left of that class.

"I want you all to write a 12-inch essay about the cheering charm," Flitwick paused while the class let out a collective groan. "It will be due next Wednesday, good luck!"

As they exited the classroom, the marauders walked behind Lily and co. Sirius wiggled his eyebrows at James, making the latter hit him with a friendly punch on the arm.

"Lily, I will not let you miss girls' night for some rubbish essay!" Marlene said, clearly annoyed.

"But Marls," Lily drawled on.

James smirked as Lily was clearly losing the argument.

"Shut up both of you! Lily, we planned this before we even came to Hogwarts this year so the stupid essay can wait!" Alice scolded them, Mary laughing at all three of them.

...

At forty-five minutes past eleven, James found himself underneath the invisibility cloak with Pete on the fifth floor. He glanced down at the map to see Sirius and Remus still held their positions down the corridor with the disillusionment charm cast over them, just in case. The map also showed Mrs. Norris walked down the corridor near where Sirius and Remus stood.

James took advantage of this and threw the dung bombs he had been holding as the signal to cast the dye spell. This not only acted as a signal but a lure to get Filch away from the kitchens where they wanted to hold their own feast.

It didn't take long for the four of them to make it to the kitchens door and tickle the pear. Once they were inside with the charms removed off of Sirius and Remus, they would never forget about what they saw that night in front of them.

The scene that unfolded was very chaotic. Mary sat on the floor of the Kitchens with a bottle of wine in hand, wheezing from laughter. Alice was watching Marlene and Lily with amusement while asking the house-elves for something. Lily and Marlene were the centers of attention, dancing and singing on top of the Gryffindor house table like nothing else mattered.

But oh how it feels so realLying here with no one near

Their appearances were the most surprising thing of all. Each one of them had their Gryffindor tie done a different way. Lily had her's tied around her head, Marlene's was a belt, Mary's was tied in a bow around her neck and Alice's was being used as a hairband. Needless to say, the marauders were stunned about what they had clearly interrupted.

Only you and you can hear meWhen I say softly, slowly

"I didn't know you all were fans of Elton John," James commented casually, letting the marauders' presence be known.

At the sound of his voice, Marlene and Lily abruptly stopped singing, which sent Mary into a state of hysterics. Alice turned around as she accepted a bottle of whiskey from one of the elves. Marlene whispered something to Lily which made her look down and blush furiously as she began to button her shirt back up. After getting over their initial shock, just as the marauders had, they stood in front of them with varying degrees of annoyance.

"I didn't know Evans knew how to break rules," Sirius commented lightly, laughing as Lily attempted to glare at him, but laughed instead.

"Not everyone shouts from the rooftops about their affinity for breaking rules," Lily replied, adding a pointed glance at James.

"What're you guys doing down here?" Mary asked curiously, eating a bar of chocolate an elf had gifted to her.

"Y'know we could ask you the same thing," Remus responded, "but if you must know we are celebrating Pete's seventeenth."

"Well, we're having our annual girls' night," Marlene said as if it were a competition.

"Why don't you join us in our celebration of the great Peter Pettigrew?" James suggested, sharing a glance with the marauders.

They pondered this for a moment before they eventually agreed.

Two and a half hours later, Lily and Marlene stood on the table while continuing their rendition of Tiny Dancer upon Sirius's request and James's encouragement.

While they danced, Peter sat next to James retelling their prank on Mrs. Norris and Filch for what felt like the one-hundredth time, but James could really care less. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Lily.

Count the headlights on the highwayLay me down in sheets of linen

When his hazel eyes found green, he saw a gleam in Lily's eyes that he had never seen before. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, or maybe it was just James seeing Lily in a new light.

Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sandAnd now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Lily was simply glowing with delight. Her tie long forgotten, she had her hair tied up in what she had called a messy bun, who knew? As James looked at her, he saw the face of beauty. Being that beautiful should be downright illegal. She didn't even have to put that much effort into it, her flaws made her more beautiful.

Beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning.

He could go on forever really.

The longer she was up there singing, the longer that James had to sit here and think. Thinking was a dangerous game.

...

Author's Note

I think writing from James's POV is harder for me than writing from Lily's. Listening to the British voice read my chapters gets more amusing every time. Probably because I am up far too late. I skipped around in the song Tiny Dancer to make it fit better with what I was writing. Anyone else love Elton John?

Lmao anyways thanks for reading

-teddy

**edited July 2021