Lily sighed dramatically as she sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"What's up, princess?" asked Sirius mockingly. She cut her eyes at him.

"Thanks for the concern, Black. It's just that I have about a billion things to do, and no time to do it in. On top of which, I'm basically living with your idiotic friend, and I could really do without it at the minute." Sirius frowned.

"I thought that you were friends with James now?" he said. Lily dropped her eyes to her plate.

"I am, I guess. It's just- it doesn't matter." She took a bite of her lunch. Sirius leaned across the table towards her.

"Come on, Evans. You can talk to me. I know that up until pretty recently we weren't on the best of terms, but you know me better now. You know I'll help you." Lily looked back up at him, his earnest eyes resembling a puppy's, and smiled at him.

"I know, Sirius. But this is James. We all know that I've never been the most neutral when it comes to talking about James." She smiled again. "Thanks anyway." Sirius eyed her suspiciously and went back to his lunch.

She should have known that that wouldn't be the end of it.

"Evans! Come on, Evans, get up!"

Lily opened her eyes groggily.

"Come on, princess, get moving!" She could dimly make out a Sirius Black shaped silhouette stood over her.

"Black? What are you doing?" She sat up tiredly. "How did you even get in?" Sirius snorted.

"Did you really think I wouldn't know the password to the Heads' quarters? Come on, Lily, you know better than that." Lily yawned.

"Yes, but- what are you doing here? It must be like three in the morning."

"Three thirty, actually. And I need to talk to you about James." Lily glanced to the door, which was stood slightly ajar. "Don't worry, he's not gonna wake up."

"Why do you need to talk to me about James?" she asked. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Because," he said, "you're in love with him, and I want to know what you plan to do about it." Lily's eyes widened and she sputtered incomprehensibly.

"I- but- no- because- he- I-"

"Don't hurt yourself, princess. He doesn't know; he's always been oblivious to this sort of thing, bless him. It just so happens that I am a master of deduction." Lily raised an eyebrow. "Well, okay, it was a guess, until you started choking yourself trying to deny it."

"Lucky guess," Lily muttered. "So what exactly did you want to know?" Sirius thought for a second.

"Well, I guess the main thing is whether or not you're gonna tell him." Lily shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, I think that since we've become friends, he's not really been interested in me like that. I don't want to make things awkward." Sirius grinned.

"I don't think that'll be a problem, Evans. He's definitely still into you, and even if he wasn't, don't you think he's an expert at surviving awkward attempts to ask people out by now? I mean, it's usually the other way around, but..." Lily laughed a little.

"I get the idea, Sirius. Thank you. But I don't know how easy it'll be to tell James that I love him." Sirius' eyes suddenly flicked to the door.

"Umm... you might not need to." Lily cringed, already knowing what she would see when she turned around.

James was stood in the doorway, staring at the pair of them.

"Erm, James..." Lily started, but Sirius held his hand up to stop her.

"Give him a minute. He needs to process." Lily shut her mouth obediently and watched the play of emotions on James' face. She saw shocked and ecstatic expressions dance across his visage before he finally settled on confused.

"Lily?" he croaked.

"Yes, James?" she said.

"Was that true? Did you just say what I think you just said?" She met his eyes.

"I did. I- I love you, James. At least, I think I do, and it's driving me mental." His confused expression was giving way to happiness.

"You... You love me," he muttered. "Lily Evans loves me!" He started laughing. "Padfoot, Lily loves me!" Sirius smiled and rolled his eyes.

"We get it, Prongs." James strode across the room and hugged Lily.

"Do you really mean it, Lil? Do you think you can love me?" Lily nodded, and James grinned. "Well then, I believe it's your turn to ask me a question." She stared bemusedly at him for a second, before catching on.

"James," she said softly, "will you go out with me?"

"Of course I will, Lily."

"YES!" said Sirius. Lily gave him a look.

"I wasn't quite looking for an answer from you as well, Sirius, but it's nice to know that you approve." Sirius grinned sheepishly.

"I just realised that Pete owes me ten galleons. He thought that you wouldn't get together until after Easter at least." Lily rolled her eyes.

"You guys are idiots." she said affectionately.

"Yeah, but you know you love us." Sirius replied. Lily looked between the two of them.

"I suppose I do," she said.