Treasure Every Moment

DISCLAIMER-Everything is J.K Rowling's! If I owned this it would be called a prequel, not a fanfiction.

PLEASE NOTE! THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE LILY AND JAMES STORY, THOUGH IT MAY SEEM SO FOR AWHILE...JUST WAIT. SO, NOT EVERYTHING IS CANON, EXACTLY. I DON'T HAVE EVERY DETAIL. That's all. Now, enjoy, dear readers :)

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

Prologue

I, Lily Evans, was officially nervous. No, not just brush-it-off-now-be-a-big-girl nervous. It was more like heart-pounding, hands-clammy, stomach-swooping scared.

But the words I lived by, my motto for better or for worse, were coming back to bite me in the butt. Being brave does not mean never being scared-it means pressing on even when you're terrified.

So I pressed on, trying to find Severus even when I was jostled by two teenage boys that were practically wrestling-Sevvy was nowhere in sight, and I sat straight down in a compartment full of girls I didn't know.

"Hi," I smiled, hopefully concealing my giddiness as meeting four girls...like me. These girls were witches. "I'm Lily, Lily Evans." Maybe...maybe I was going to find my place at Hogwarts-I was determined I would. Tuney was wrong. It wasn't a "school for freaks."

"Hiya, Lily!" A small, bubbly girl with sleek black hair pulled back into a ponytail sidled up to me. "I'm Marlene McKinnon."

"I'm Dorcas Meadowes," the next girl gave me a bashful grin, pushing her white-blonde hair behind her ear. The two other girls introduced themselves as Summer and Viva-I could tell that they already knew each other because they mostly kept to themselves after that.

"Three chocolate frogs, please!" Marlene chirped to the trolley lady, handing over a currency that made my eyes pop open with curiosity.

"What's that?" I asked, surprised. They both look at me oddly.

"Those are sickles. You know, the currenc-oh, you're muggleborn, aren't you?" Dorcas nodded to herself, proud of her deduction.

"Oh!" Marlene clapped her hands. "So you've never had a chocolate frog, than!" her eyes danced mischievously.

"Open!" Dorcas grinned, handing me the box and leaning over with excitement. The trolley lady was grinning sentimentally. I slowly opened the lid. Just a regular choco- "RIBBET!" I screamed more in shock than in fear, dropping the suddenly living (but somehow still chocolate) frog onto my black robes in surprise.

"Let's catch it!" Dorcas laughed with delight as we both dove to catch it, Marlene roaring with laughter as the frog leapt straight over our heads just as we were closing in. The trolley lady rolled away, chuckling. The frog croaked indignantly, jumping up and out of our open compartment door.

Suddenly, a nimble hand swooped down, catching the frog in mid air. It went still. "Mobility charm wore off," the boy explained, handing it back to me. I was still flushed and smiling, on my knees, and Marlene was going into random snorting fits behind me.

"Hey, Potter," Marlene addressed the boy who was still watching me; he ran a hand through his unruly black hair, hazel eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "We're neighbors," Marlene explained.

"No hi for me? What is this?" Came a humorous, drawling voice from behind the Potter boy. "I don't know his name, or yours," I pointed to Potter. "But I'm Lily," I smiled up at him.

"And I'm Marlene, and this is Dorcas," Marlene jammed a thumb toward Dorcas, who was partially hidden behind the wall that held the door.

"Serious," the second boy said.

"She is being serious," Dorcas poked her head around the corner, entering the conversation.

"No, my name's Sirius, seriously,"he grinned wickedly at the cheesy joke.

"Get a lot of use out of that one?" the Potter boy drawled, mouth twitching like he was going to smile. Sirius stared for a second.

"Hey, I like you. Want to go get some Bertie's Beans?" he decided.

"Yeah!" Potter's eyes lit up. Without another word, the boys departed; scuffling and loud laughter echoed through the halls.

"Boys," Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Knowing them, that thirty second snippet was the beginning of a lifelong friendship," Dorcas observed.

Soon after, Marlene and Dorcas began to eagerly explain everything about Hogwarts that anyone had ever told them-parents, siblings, cousins, friends. What I made of the houses was that Gryffindor, where the brave dwell, was the best. Or at least, that's what Marlene and Dorcas seemed to agree on. Because of that, I didn't hear much about other three houses. Unconsciously, the three of us were making lifelong friendships of our own. They now had their project of bringing me into the knowledge of the world of magic, but I also had my own-Marlene was a pureblood, and Dorcas was somewhere between a half-blood and a pureblood, I wasn't sure what to call that. They both knew next to nothing about the muggle world-so of course, I educated them in the best way. I told them about Elvis, my favorite singer of all time. I was determined to have them humming his catchy tunes by the time I was done with them.

On the way back from the trolley, the Potter boy stopped and poked his head back in- "By the way," he swept his eyes around our compartment til they found mine. "The name's James."

My eyes were set permanently on the setting of saucer-size ever since we'd gotten off the train and I'd gotten my first glimpse of the huge, ancient looking castle they called a school. This wasn't some magical fantasy now-this was completely, solidly real. I couldn't stop staring with a huge, silly grin gracing my face even now, when we were in the entrance hall of Hogwarts, waiting to be sorted.

"I hope you get Slytherin!" Sev looked at me in that scrutinizing way of his, like he was contemplating which house I'd best be in.

"Me, too," I beamed at my first magical friend, oblivious to why my new friends seemed so uneasy around him. "I don't know anything about it, though," I added as an afterthought, twirling the end of my curly red braid around my finger and trying to take in everything at once.

"Slytherin?" Came a male voice, clearly full of disgust. James Potter popped up on Sevvy's right, elbowing him to the side with an obvious lack of concern for the shorter boy.

"My whole family was in Slytherin," the boy with James drawled, crossing his arms over his chest and putting all of his weight on one foot. I recognized him from the train as Sirius. The duo seemed to have quickly added a third member-a boy with shaggy, dark blonde hair rested an elbow on Sirius's shoulder. "But I don't think I want to be. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius asked James.

"Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart!' Like my dad!" Severus snorted, trying not to laugh. "Got a problem with that?" He turned on Severus, eyes flashing.

"No, if you'd rather be brawny than brainy." James started forward, but the third boy who had joined him and Sirius pulled him back. "C'mon Lily, we don't need to be hanging out around them," Sev murmured with clear dislike.

"What's that?"James shot to attention. "I could be saying the same for you...Snivellus, is it?"

"It's Severus," I snapped, glaring at the three boys who were on varying degrees trying to muffle their guffaws. "And we're leaving." I shot a glare at the dumbfounded Potter boy behind me, my face hot, which I took to mean my cheeks were as flame-red as my hair.

That day was the first in a long, long, long line of Potter annoying me to the point of me fantasizing about cutting his ego into bite-sized chunks and feeding them to the squid in the Black Lake. Not only did he and his fellow Marauders (now numbered four) annoy Severus, they right out tormented him. Except for Remus, who was the most level-headed of the four, although even he could not completely abstain from the temptation.

I stuck up for Sev for years-until fifth year, actually. Sevvy and I were best friends until then. What happened, you ask? Sevvy-Severus, I mean-called me a mudblood. And that was just too far. (Besides, even before that he was spending too much of his time with those wanna-be Death Eaters.) James tried to make him apologize-but I wasn't interested in a forced apology. Did that somehow make me fall into James Potter's arms? Not even close.

Chapter 1-5.5 years later, to be precise

You had me from hello, I felt love start to grow, the moment that I looked into your eyes you won me, it was over from the start, you completely stole my heart...girl, I've loved you from hello -Kenny Chesney "You Had Me From Hello"

"Liiiiiiiiiillllllyyyyy!" Emmaline Vance, or Emmy, flung herself dramatically across her four-poster bed, messing her already bunched in a pile Gryffindor sheets. "Detention is horrible!" her curly brown hair splayed out behind her head.

"You're my best friend, and I love you, Emmy," I laughed. "But you were flicking eye of newt at Sirius."

"Of course I was. He was asking for it," she said like this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you two coming, or what?" Marlene McKinnon demanded, sticking her head in the doorway, Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her head, a la old lady.

"You like?" Dorcas Meadowes swooped in behind her, hands held up, showing off Marlene's scarf style which was probably her own handiwork. Marlene grinned sheepishly, side-stepping as petite Alice Prewett, our final roommate, rushed in, hurrying us along. She was playing in today's Quidditch match, and didn't want to be late.

"Come on, come on!" she whipped us with her scarf, cheeks and nose tinged pink from the outside cold. "Time to kick Slytherin BUTT!" she cheered, and I tried not to think about Sev at the mention of his house. Snape, I mentally corrected myself. My heart still hurt after losing my best friend, even a year later.

It took only until the excitement of the Quidditch game starting to keep my mind of Severus.

"Gooooo Gryffindoooooor!"I joined in the elated cheering as we got possession of the quaffle. My cheeks were so numb and so red they probably matched my hair.

"Any certain chaser?" Dorcas winked at me. I rolled my green eyes at her teasing smile, knowing she was talking about Potter. Course, it didn't help when the whistle blew for a time-out and said boy flew over to where we were on the stands, grinning mischievously with the very smile that had earned him his fan club. Not quite as extensive as Sirius's, of course, but that might be changed if he stopped asking me out every. Waking. Second.

"Hey, Flower," he winked and I bristled.

"That's Evans to you, Potter," I tried to ignore him as he ran a hand through his already wind-tossed hair.

"I'll call you whatever you want if you go out with me," he pleaded, slowly drifting closer and closer to where my friends and I sat in the stands.

"Once again, Potter," I was totally unaware that Marlene, Dorcas, and Emmy were mouthing this last statement right along with me-my overused Potter-rejection. "NO!"

"That's alright," he grinned, not fazed in the slightest. "There's always the next ten minutes!" I groaned as he flew away, the final stretch of the game re-starting. I never had to be careful about the degree of harshness to which I rejected Potter, because no matter how hard the rejection, his ego would keep him in high spirits.

"You know, Lily," Emmy sidled up to me. "If you just said yes, it would save a lot of breath."

"But no is so much shorter than yes," I smiled, stubborn as ever. Emmy rolled her eyes, sneaking a peek to where the three non-Quidditch-y Marauders were sitting, down the stands a ways.

"Sirius-watching, are we?" I wiggled my eyebrows. "Revenge is sweet," I cackled evilly at the reddening color of her face-the effect was definitely strange. Only Emmy could put a blush on top of wind-stung cheeks. She opened her mouth, but was spared the answer-the whistle blow signaling the end of the game could just barely be heard over the red and gold clad students' cheering that reverberated around the stadium.

"Yes!" My friends and I screamed, jumping up and down. We raced down to the pitch, excited to crush tiny Alice Prewett into a five-way hug.

"Party-common room-squeezing lungs!" she gasps out. "Want to ride up to the castle, Lily? Unless Emmy wants to, of course?" Alice smiled devilishly on the last bit.

"The day you date Dumbledore!" Emmy gasped, giggling.

"Let's go!" I agreed excitedly over the giggles that followed Emmy's comparison.

"Take this," Alice laughed, handing me the broom. "Here, Miss Risky-only-on-a-broom! Going in the normal way, I suppose? Window unlocked?"

"You bet," I assure her, throwing one leg over.

"I don't understand why you don't just join Quidditch," practical Dorcas mused, cocking her head up to look at me as I rose slowly.

"Love the air and speed, hate the game," was my answer as I gradually ascended. I wanted to beat the rush so no tattle-tale eyes could glimpse Prefect Lily climbing in the roof-window.

I felt a thrill of excitement as I rocketed up, leaving my practical self on the ground with my friends. This was the only rule I permitted my law-abiding self to break repeatedly.

A huge grin spread across my face and I got the thrilling sensation in my stomach that accompanied my plunge. I barely noticed the bone-chilling cold.

I swooped down, whooping with delight and exhilaration-up here I wasn't Lily Evans, the girl who worried too much about grades, the girl who had lost her best friend when he drew the final straw with one heart-stopping word.

I wasn't the girl who was holding as tight as I could to whatever bit of sisterhood Petunia and I had left. I was part of the wind, and the wind didn't judge, only hummed and thrummed in your ears when your speed rivaled its own.

Reluctant for my ride to end, though I was practically numb from the cold, I swooped around the tower once more. The hills of Hogwarts were gleaming white with pristine snow so far under me. My frozen, numb fingers struggled to pry the window open, leaning over on Alice's broom to make the entrance to our room.

I flew inside on our shared living quarters, immediately closing the window behind me and trying to coax some sensation other than pins and needles into my poor fingers. I quickly stashed the broom under Alice's bed and threw off my winter wraps. I rushed down to the common room, my feet slapping on every step.

"Hey Remus," I smiled breathlessly at my favorite Marauder. "Other three counterparts planning any roof-blasting pranks tonight?"

"That's what we Prefects are here for, right?" he smiled easily. "No, nothing much. Just stay away from the treacle tarts at the snack table and you won't turn funny colors," he winked, leaving me unsure if he was serious. Music started to play, the loud bass pumping through the floor. I went to the fifth year boy who was serving as the DJ, in muggle terms, and asked him if he could play Elvis-he looked at me strangely and asked me what sort of disease "Elvis" was and why in the name of Merlin I'd want him to play that.

Teenagers pulled each other onto the dancing space and I turned directly around and went straight back to Remus, who was calmly reading, seeming completely unaware of the party bursting around him.

"Good book?" I sat next to the bookworm, smiling as his brown eyes meet mine.

"Oh, yeah," he quickly closed it, covering the title with his arm.

"Werewolf lore?" I managed to catch two of the words before they were completely obscured. I thought Remus was turning pink, but it could have been the dim lighting.

"Christmas present," he smiled, transforming back into the easygoing Remus I know. "How was your Christmas?" My smile slipped of my face like a drip of water on an oil patch. "Well, you know how Petunia and I...well, you know," I struggle to keep my voice from wavering-I can't-won't cry. Not in front of all these people. That would be most un-Lily like.

"Oh, Lily," he sighed, putting an arm around my shoulders, squeezing gently as I rest my head on his shoulder, watching the couples twirl. "What happened?"

"She has a terrible boyfriend!" I gasped a bit hysterically. "I think he's pulling her away from me...he's a walrus," I sniffle a little. Remus let out a deep chuckle, silently waiting for me to continue. "And she just...it hasn't been the same, really. I've been deluding myself. It hasn't been the same since I got into Hogwarts."

"You should be dancing, Lily," he remarked brotherly. "It will keep your mind off...things. Here-watch this." He waves his hand up, signaling across the room. "Normally, I wouldn't do this, Lily-dear, but I'd rather see you annoyed to your wits end than this distraught."

"What-no!" I gasp, sitting bolt upright, mouth open slightly at his impish grin. "You wouldn't!"

"You rung?" James swaggered over.

"No, we most certainly did not!" I squealed, standing up so fast the blood left my head. I scrambled through the crowds, secretly and very deep down glad with Remus for distracting me. I located Dorcas, who looked to be enjoying herself-on closer inspection she and Alice was dancing near Marlene and Sirius, who were dancing too close for it to be casual. Actually, it was pretty gross. I'll leave it at that.

I didn't see Emmy, but she was probably around.

"Hey!" I announced myself loudly over the music, already swaying to the beat with my friends.

"What do you think of that?" Alice nodded her head toward Marlene and Sirius.

"Mmm," I frowned. Now I was starting to get a sneaking suspicion of where Emmy had gotten to.

"Yeah, mmm," Dorcas looked troubled as well. "She looks happy, though."

"As long as she and Emmy keep the claws safely away and of each other's necks, we three will be safe," Alice grinned as she spun, leaving Dorcas and I laughing.

"May I have this dance?" Tall, gangly Frank Longbottom dwarfed little Alice-but something in her eyes told me she wouldn't say no. And she didn't. She was blushing bright red as he led her away to dance, smiling.

"Guess it's just us and the girl who wouldn't know if we were kidnapped by trolls at this very second," Dorcas laughed, eyes twinkling. We twirled around, the beat humming through the floor and shaking the very walls, helping us forgetting our troubles.

Until later that night, of course, when everything had calmed down and we were back in our rooms.

"Has Emmy made an appearance yet?" I frowned, sticking my head out of the bathroom as I tried to talk around my toothbrush.

"Haven't seen her since the party," Marlene smiled goofily at me, a dreamy look in her eyes that clearly said "Sirius."

"When did you join the Sirius Black Fan Club?" I asked sceptically.

"Don't be a buzz-kill, Lil!" she giggled with her rhyme. Drunk, but not on beer. On the first few minutes of her new "love." I playfully tossed a pillow at her when I finished brushing the taste of pumpkin juice out of my mouth, and she grabbed it to her chest.

"What dreamy eyes you have, dear Sirius!" she laughed, pretending Sirius was her pillow.

"Maybe you'll be able to knock some sense into him," Dorcas smiled.

"I'm going to find Emmy," I left my love-struck friend and the others, fastening a cloak around my neck to guard against the cooler temperatures of the stone castle at night.

"Good luck!" Alice called after me. I started to bound down the stairs, but stopped myself after remembering that people were probably starting to get to bed. After a quick, unsuccessful sweep of the common room I silently slipped out, remembering the time Severus had threatened to sleep outside this very portrait hole. I shook the memory from my mind like water droplets flying off a shaking dog. I murmured a disillusionment charm over myself, so the nosey portraits wouldn't be able to identify me. I wasn't the best at Disallusionment charms, to say the least, but catching a glimpse of myself in a reflective portrait, all I looked like was a blur the same emerald color of my cloak holding a wand.

I strained my ears carefully, listening for any footsteps beside my own. I then remembered something-I was a prefect. If someone happened to catch me, I could say I was doing my rounds. I chastised myself for not realizing this earlier-quickly removing the charm and explaining to several disgruntled portraits I was patrolling, I flashed my silver badge at any painting that so much as looked at me twice.

One Homenum Revelio charm after another, and no Emmy. I sighed, looking back on the whole hall filled with everything but my missing friend. Emmaline was dramatic, but not to the extreme of camping out of her room just because she had seen someone else dancing with her crush.

Or, maybe that's not why she disappeared, a small voice whispered in my head. Maybe it's something more sinister than that.

Of course not! I argued back vehemently. Hogwarts was the safest place in the whole world. The only things that were even remotely close to sinister were James's bed-head when he came down for breakfast and the way the Bloody Baron could stop Peeves in his tracks.

I noticed an echo to my steps and I cocked my head, wondering- That wasn't an echo, it was a whole nother pair of footsteps. I turned around, pushing back the shadows-

"Potter?! What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? Coming to see if hell has frozen over! Evans out of bed after hours!" Potter grinned, jogging up to me, a piece of parchment poking out of his sweatshirt pocket. My bright wand reflected off his glasses, bringing out the gold and green in his eyes.

"I'm a prefect, Potter," I concealed a yawn, pointing to my pinned badge. "I'm making my rounds. Wait-how did you know I was here?"

"Liar," he pointed at me, smiling devilishly and stepping closer. "I know your rounds, tonight is not one of them!" he completely ignored my second question.

"That's-that's just creepy, Potter," I took a step back, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're borderline stalker."

"Only borderline?" James clutched his heart dramatically. "Hm, I'll have to up my game. Lily-flower, I do believe my love for red hair is so deeply ingrained that I will pass it on to our children."

"Sorry, Potter, I'd love to stay and talk about our future children with you-that was total sarcasm, by the way. Don't take it personally-but I've got a missing friend to find. I do have one more question, though," I tapped my wand against my chin. "How did you know I was here?"

He opened his mouth and closed it. "I'll tell you some day, love," he recovered. "And what's this about a missing friend? It wouldn't happen to be a Miss Emmaline Vance, would it?"

We began to walk, our shadows mingling on the wall to our left.

"Possibly," I said carefully, suspicion evident in my voice. "I may happen to know where said friend is-I saw her on the m-uh, I saw her."

"Mind sharing?" I looked at him hopefully.

"If you'll let me escort you, I shall lead you straight to her!" Potter stood up straighter.

"It wouldn't do much harm, I guess," I replied. "But this is in no way a date."

"Oh, Lily," James chuckled. "Of course it is!"

We bickered about the meaning of a proper date all the way down three corridors-for some reason, Potter didn't think the female counterpart had to willingly acknowledge it was a date for it to count.

"I think you'll find Miss Vance here," Potter gestured proudly to the slightly open door to the empty transfiguration classroom. Not hearing anything, I pushed open the door, slowly.

"Emmy?" I whispered, looking around. I still didn't see anything. "Wait-is this some kind of prank, Potter? How in the world could you know she was in here?" I doubled back on him. Merlin help me-if this was one of the Marauders' oh-so-hilarious pranks I was never going to trust Potter again. Not that I did now, anyway-come to think of it, I really didn't know why I'd followed him in here-

Potter pointed to a crumpled shape in the corner of the room in answer, striding over before I could collect my thoughts. I shot off like a cannon, two steps ahead of Potter, visions of Death Eaters dancing in the shadows-

"Emmaline! Wake up!" I dropped to my knees, shaking her shoulder. She had her knees curled up to her chest, head resting on her hand and her curly mop of brown hair falling over her face. She began to stir, jolting awake. Potter dropped to the ground next to me, not speaking.

"Emmy, what happened?" I gasped, watching in horror as she sat up, moaning.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in here!" she gasped, looking around and catching her bearings. "What-what time is it?"

"Around midnight," Potter answered. She nodded thoughtfully.

"Why did you come in here?" I asked, although I already suspected it was because of a certain Sirius Black, and his choice of dance partners.

I noted her dry eyes and sighed with relief-Sirius had not drastically changed my best friend into a girl who cried over boys. One who runs away from them? Certainly. But Emmy hadn't been crying. She looked at James uncomfortably.

"I won't say anything to anyone, I promise! Marauder's honor," he smiled easily at her. I didn't expect Emmy to tell him, but she did.

"Sirius and Marlene. I didn't want to see them dancing like that," she said casually.

"That bloke wouldn't know tact if it put on one of those muggle swimsuit-things and danced in front of his face," Potter grinned, lightening the mood. Even though I thought that was extremely hypocritical of him-

"Oh? And when was the last time you hexed Severus, Potter?"

"That gets first name basis and I don't? That hurts, Evans, truly," he wiped an imaginary tear away.

"When?" I asked again, patiently. Neither of us noticed Emmy surreptitiously lie down at another chance of undisturbed sleep, closing her eyes peacefully.

"I think, this morning," he stroked his chin.

"Why? Why do you torment him so much? What has he ever done to you?"

"It's sort of just the mere fact that he exists, you know?" He winked at me in a way he probably thought was attractive. "I think I've told you that before, love."

"You disgust me," I told him, turning back to Emmy. "Em-oh. Asleep again."

"We can levitate her back," he mused. "I can do that, if you'll hold the wandlight."

"Anything for you, Lily-flower," James grinned. I rolled my eyes. We manage not to bump her into anything, and the sleeping girl barely stirred at all until we reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the girls' dormitory. Even Potter knew better than to climb up those stairs.

"Never thought I'd say this," I turned back to James on the first step, one hand on the banister and the other holding my wand aloft. "But thank you, Potter." A huge grin lit his face, and it was infectious, no one could deny that.

"Lily? One more thing?" I turned around to face him once more. "Hm?"

"You?" He pointed to me. "Me?" He pointed to himself. "Hogsmead?" He leaned up casually against the banister, pushing his hand through his black hair, purposefully making it stick up. That so irritated me, it was pure arrogance! Would James Potter ever grow up?

"Well, let's see," I picked my words carefully, slowly. "You with your friends and me with mine, completely separate, but unfortunately in the same premises. Good night, Potter."

"You'll come around some day, Lily!" He shouted up to me. "You can't resist my good looks and charm forever!"

"Just marry him, Lily," Emmy said sleepily as we rounded the first corner to the spiral staircase, cutting off our view to the common room. She stirred, beginning to wake up, and I dropped the levitation charm. "Never," I grumbled, playfully punching her arm. She grinned at me through a yawn. "Oh well, I tried," she grinned, and we entered our room.

James's POV

"No success, Marauders," James fell backward onto his bed.

"She'll come around, mate, if you don't make pouncing on her every time you see her out of her room on the map a pattern," Remus's voice came sympathetically from his bed.

"Love potion, Prongsie," Sirius called. "Agreed, Wormtail?"

His answer was a long, drawn-out snore from the fourth boy's bed.

PLEASE READ!

A\\N-anything I find people may have questions on I'll talk about in A\\N's-I will try not to have unnecessary A\\N's. So if you see one, PLEASE READ!

Please review and tell me how you liked it-I know the first few chapters are always pretty dull in my stories, but hang in there, guys :) -Cassia