Lily Evans sat in the cushy armchair in the Head Boy and Girl's Common Room at half twelve.
She wasn't James' keeper, yes she was well aware but the boy was ridiculous! As Head Boy he ought to set a good example, instead he was probably out with Sirius drinking and hooking girls.
Lily - with the slightest shred of her dignity gone with the worry James was causing her - admitted that she was slightly jealous of whatever girl James was hounding that night. Lily had overcome her differences with the boy who had made her life miserable for six long years and had realized she hated him because she fancied him even though he was a toerag and a bully.
He had changed. Grown up and matured. Now Lily could talk to him civally, if sometimes down right friendly. James had however gotten over his facination with her and was currently playing the bad boy player role. According to her resources anyway. Though nobody had admitted to spending the night with him. Remus assured her that James didn't use the seventh year boys dorm for his sexual escapades. Sometimes she wondered if Remus was on her side about the whole James-fucking-every-female-in-Hogwarts-except-Lily thing. He certainly shared enough information.
It was heading for three o'clock when the boys finally stumbled in. James was supporting Sirius and Peter was holding doors - Remus was nowhere to be seen.
Lily wasn't angry any more once she realized Remus wasn't there. She knew about Remus Lupin and his moonlight wanderings. Lily was up at once and by his side, lying Sirius on the couch and pulling her wand from her waistband. She didn't ask questions, all she did was fix the poor boy up.
Finally when he was sleeping peacefully - cuts, bruises and broken bones mended by Lily - she turned to James and fixed him her most potent glare, "Why wasn't this fool taken to the Hospital Wing?" James shrugged and winced as the movement pulled on a long scratch down his back. The just sealed scab broke and began to bleed down his back. He stood, hoping none had gotten on to the couch. "He didn't want to go. I couldn't force him."
The old Lily was back in full force suddenly and she got angry with James for the first time in a long time.
"James Potter, you arrogant fool! He was very badly hurt, you should always bring him to the Infirmary after you escapades with Remus. I'm not an idiot, don't think I haven't sussed everything out a long time ago." She broke off when she noticed his badly concealed wince.
"James!" she growled and sat him down on a hardbacked chair and transfiguring it into a footrest pouffe. She flicked her wand and the buttons opened on his shirt, allowing her to pull it gently off, flinching as he hissed with the pain of separating the dried blood stuck to the shirt from the cut. "I'm sorry James," she murmured, biting her lip when she seen the extent of the damage.
She would be lucky to be able to heal it fully. "Hold on a second," she said finally, sprinting to her room to find one of her potions for pain relieve. It was a personalized potion, one that was stronger than the usual pain potions.
"Here, drink." she said firmly, raising the vial to his clamped lips and forcing him to drink it.
He gagged on the taste but managed to swallow it. Shudders ran through his body until he relaxed when the potion worked its magic. Lily at once began the painful job of cleaning the wound and knitting his flesh back together.
James was moaning faintly just as she finished with the last piece, the potion was wearing off slightly. She laid him down and levitated him to his bed, whispering to Peter to go to bed before he was caught, she would see to Sirius Black.
It must have been against the Marauders' code to leave their best mates at the hands of a woman very capable of gutting them in an instant. For all she cared, it could be the worst thing they could do. James was going to his bed, Sirius was going to stay on the couch so she could give him another blood replenishing potion in two hours time. Remus, she guessed, was in the Hospital Wing. Peter would be going there too if he didn't skedaddle out of her Common Room.
She laid James to rest, changing his clothes to the pyjamas under his pillow with a flick of her wand and a swish to the right. She turned and allowed James to be dressed in private, only looking back once she was sure he was changed. She tucked him into bed as if he were a child and left him with a fond smile and a brush of her hand over his forehead. She was fixing up a friend, she forced herself to remember that he was nothing more.
James slept more peacefully than he had in a long time.
-oOo-
Sirius was looking better than ever the next morning. James felt like a million galleons too.
Lily however felt and - no matter what James said - looked like shit as well. She had spent the night watching over Sirius ready with more sleeping draughts, pain potions and blood replenishing potions. She was too keyed up to try and nap, too afraid she would miss out on any discomfort of Sirius' and too curious as to the reasons of his state.
She knew curiosity killed the hippogriff but she was beyond caring really. A sleepless night full of worry would do that to a woman.
James brought her a tray with a full Irish fry up and a jug of frothy coffee.
"My hero," she murmured gratefully to him. He raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on the fact that she was in fact his and Sirius' hero, or heroine.
Lily sat curled on the couch, her green eyes eyeing James over the rim of her cup suspiciously.
"Don't look at me like that Lily," James whined after awhile. Her lips twitched but she refocused her stare on Sirius who was squirming under it in no time. He seemed really worried that she knew. Lily did know. She had figured it all out during her long hours contemplating. All that bugged her now wasn't the what of all the things, but the why and the how?
She sort of knew the why. It was simple once you thought it through and had done as much study as Lily. Werewolves - which she had figured out Remus was years ago - couldn't infect animals, simply humans. Enter James Potter and his band of merry men and hand the boys a book on becoming an Animagus. Which McGonagall had essentially done a few years back. The crafty gits must have worked it all out.
"Lily stop looking at Sirius like that," James said as Sirius threw him a pleading stare.
Lily ignored him.
It was something she had seen in Muggle policeman films. The cop would stare silently at the criminal and they would end up spilling everything. Perhaps it would work with Sirius. Lily the FBI agent. It had a ring to it. She focused her glare into a furious one, spearing Sirius with it.
He whimpered and James huffed angrily, "Lily stop staring at Sirius like that!"
Lily spared him a glance then turned back to Sirius, "I'm not a dog, Potter. I won't follow your every command." She stressed the 'I', not even trying for subtlety. Sirius sat bolt upright, staring at her through narrowed eyes. Apparently her glaring wasn't so intimidating facing the fact that Prefect Lily knew about their secret.
James rose warily and perched next to Lily on the couch, "What are you talking about, Lils?"
Lily finally stopped glaring at Sirius and turned to face him, "Look James, I'm not blowing my own broomstick or anything but I'm a little above the average cleverness. I worked it out last night - of course I knew about Remus a long time ago. Like second year?"
James twisted his hands in his lap, not giving anything away despite his nervousness.
"Fine," Lily said now starting to give him an angry look, "I know you, Sirius and Pettigrew are Animagi."
And just like that all hell broke lose.
Sirius was shouting denials, Peter - who chose that moment to enter - was ranting about how hard it had been and James was staring at her with a shocked, sad look.
"I'm not going to say anything," Lily said quietly and even amidst the loudness they heard her. "I think it's so very brave and selfless. Something for you guys to be very proud of."
And they stared at her.
Her voice had been quiet but it seemed to echo around dissolving any lingering bad feelings they had for each other and connecting them in a way the boys had never been connected with a female.
James, if he had ever been doubtful before, was absolutely sure in his love for her now. She was just so surprising and spontaneous.
He decided to hell with it all and pounced, dragging her body into his and kissing her with all his might. And to his complete surprise, she didn't push him away, she didn't yell and try to hex him. Despite the fact he had gone and done it, he really hadn't expected her not to throw a hissy-fit.
Lily was even more surprised. James didn't like her any more, he shouldn't be kissing her and because of his man-whore tendencies she shouldn't be kissing him.
But she kissed him back.
She pulled him closer to her, fitted her arms around his neck and gave as good as she got, matching him stroke of tongue for stroke of tongue. Every tender caress his tongue made, hers gave one to him. It was amazing, life altering and - no matter what Lily might have claimed - set her love for him in congealed potion.
It made her cracking heart mend miraculously, her brain shortcut and her veins throb with ecstasy.
She loved James Potter and she wasn't afraid to admit it.
He loved Lily Evans and he wasn't afraid to admit it.
They were together for the first time without the inhibitions of unrequited affections and they couldn't possibly be happier.
Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly after what seemed like moments but had in reality been almost five minutes.
James and Lily broke apart, each smiling abstractly, Lily blushing to the roots of her hair.
"So," Sirius said smirking, "I bet Moony is feeling lonely. Maybe you should roust some of your mates Lily and we can have a make out party. You two don't seem to mind PDA!" At Lily's questioning look Sirius grinned, "Public displays of affection."
James was sure that after Lily finished hexing him, Sirius wouldn't speak for a week.
A/N: So I don't just have a obsession with James Sirius Potter, I may have one with James Potter too! So shoot me!
This is just a one-shot thing I wrote during Computer Class last week. It lay forgotten on (in?) my memory stick until I found it today... Hope you enjoyed!
~ShazzaBlack...x