Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and ideas belong to JK Rowling and I take no credit for these. Only the plot details are mine.

The Dream

The window to the common room rattled. Lily looked up and sighed before returning to the book she was reading, not bothering to look at the cause. There was no need to look, she thought, for she knew that was what they wanted.

"You look happy?" Cat broke into her thoughts in her blunt fashion, flopping herself down next to Lily by the fire. The snow covering her robes and hair began to melt.

The window rattled again, saving Lily from answering. This time the snowball stayed there, as if stuck mid-flight. Cat looked at it and nodded infuriatingly, Lily knew she understood a bit too much.

"The toerag's still out there then?"

That was the problem with Cat; she was the only one who just wouldn't shut up. Deciding not to answer, Lily turned a page in her book, knowing fully well that nothing about vanishing solutions was going in. Cat wasn't giving in without a fight.

As Lily remained silent, Cat leant over and poked her, looking at her questioningly.

"Yes" Lily sighed "He's still out there, him and his little gang. They've been snowballing the window for the last hour." On cue, another snowball hit the window.

"Oh for pity's sake" A seventh year whom Lily recognised as a prefect crossed to the window, opened it, stuck her head out and looked around for the culprit. "POTTER!" Lily dropped her book as the prefect shrieked. "If one more snowball hits this window you'll be in detention for a month!"

Slamming the window, she crossed back to her table. A snowball hit the window. Lily and Cat glanced at each other, waiting for the explosion. As if by magic, the snowball left the window at speed. A muffled cry told the waiting Gryffindor common room that the snowball had found its mark. Smiling, the girls returned to work.

Lily laid down her completed potions essay an hour later to wait for the ink to dry. The portrait hole opened and her spirits sank. He was back. Gathering up her books she made quickly for the dormitories, but not quite quickly enough.

"Evans!" The voice boomed though the room and her spirits sank. Why her? "Didn't see you outside. Cracking fight!"

"No Potter" she spat "some of us have to work" and then she ran.

Taking the stairs two at a time she came to rest on her bed. Allie looked up from her trunk. "Problem?" she enquired

"Nothing I can't handle" Lily replied curtly. Allie nodded and went back to her trunk. Lily knew she had been harsh, but that Allie wouldn't take offence. She was the only one who seemed to understand the problem.

Cat couldn't see the problem. To her it was black and white. James likes Lily, Lily likes James; they go out. Allie understood that James was still arrogant and an idiot, whether Lily liked him or not.

Lily moved around the bed, pulled the hangings and went to bed.

It was dark. Too dark. The room was unrecognisable, yet Lily felt at home. And he was there, his arms around her, his body close to hers. She kissed him again and again, knowing that she never wanted it to end.

"I love you Lily." The words surprised her, though she felt she had heard them a thousand times before. "I love you too James."

Lily sat up, hugging the cover to her. That dream, again and again, always the same; and always left her with the same feeling of guilt. She felt the tears slide down her face, overwhelming her.

Light shone through the curtains. Lily dressed quietly, so as not to wake the others and left. She wanted to be out of there, away from the memory of what had happened. She judged an hour before everyone woke and headed for a chair by the newly lit fire.

Halfway across the common room she froze; did they never leave? Peter was gone, but the other three remained, occupying chairs by the fire. Lily began to shiver and turned. She felt the tears reawaken. Tired, cold and upset, and now deprived the comfort she desired.

"Lily?" It was not James who spoke, but Remus. Lily didn't mind him; in general he was nicer than James. She turned back, then realised her mistake as he registered her tears. "What's –"

Making for the portrait hole, she didn't let him complete the question. She heard the chair squeak as he got up, and before she knew it he was in front of her, blocking her path. Then hugging her, as tears streamed down her cheeks and she sank to the floor, sobbing.

Remus didn't know what made him stop her; he could have let her leave. He knew something between her and Prongs made them act differently. He was an arrogant arse around her. And her friend Allie had told him Lily was never the same around him. Remus liked Allie, and worked well with her in Charms. They were both agreed their friends would be better off once they sorted their feelings.

"What's wrong?" Her sobs subsided enough for them to talk.

She shook her head. "Just a nightmare" Her eyes, however, flicked to the chair where James slept. Remus understood immediately what was going on. He released her and she stood up, and muttered an apology. He shook his head to indicate it didn't matter.

As she left for the portrait hole he knew he had to say something.

"Lily" His voice made her stop and look back. "He's not always like that, you know. He's-. Well-. Um…. Talk to him." Remus cursed is inability to say what he wanted, but Lily nodded, as if he had confirmed something she had suspected, or hoped. Looking him in the eyes, she smiled and climbed through the portrait hole.

Turning to his friends, he found Sirius awake, smiling. "Prongs is one lucky guy!"

Remus did not return the smile. "Only if he sorts himself out"

Both boys turned to look at their friend, still sleeping and drooling slightly. Their faces dropped as they recalled the last meeting.

"Needs a swift kick somewhere first."