Locked Flames

Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I…um…had a nice time tonight, Lily," Derrick Andrews stuttered when he and Lily reached the portrait whole for the Gryffindor tower. Lily smiled up at him innocently- or so she hoped. "Maybe we could…er…do this a-again?"

"Maybe," Lily said coyly, twisting a lock of long, fiery red hair around her forefinger.

"Okay," Derrick nodded. For a moment, he hesitated before patting Lily awkwardly on her shoulder, and then scampered off towards the Ravenclaw tower. Lily burst into hysterics as she climbed into the empty Gryffindor common room.

Lily Evans was notoriously known around Hogwarts for going out with the best looking boys- and then dumping them the same night. No one yet had been able to resist her large emerald eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, her dry sense of humor, or her laugh, which was often accompanied by her stunning smile. She was, in simple terms, breathtaking.

"Break another young, innocent boy's heart, Ms. Evans?" The question came from an overstuffed arm chair in front of the fire, occupied by a tall, rather good looking older boy, with jet black untidy hair, and merry, mischievous blue eyes. He was none other than the infamous James Potter.

"James!" Lily laughed, placing a hand over her heart. "You prat; you scared me! What are you doing up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep," James shrugged. "What are you doing out so late at night- or should I say, so early in the morning?"

"Who are you? My mother? I had a date. Don't tell me you've been sitting here all night long." Lily asked, leaning against the door frame that led to the girl's dormitory.

"I had Quidditch practice until late. Brust kept us." Malcolm Brust was the seventh year Gryffindor Captain, and the Keeper. "Have fun with Andrews?"

"He's okay. Nothing serious," Lily smiled, the smile that broke a thousand hearts.

"Never is with you," James grinned back. At once he sensed he'd struck a nerve, as Lily's face immediately became inexpressive.

"I better get to bed, or I'll never be able to get up tomorrow. Night James," Lily bounced off, leaving James standing alone in the common room.

"Night, Lily."

"So?"

"So what?" Lily asked her one of her best friends, Raine Haron, as they stumbled through the mass of bodies trying to get out of a rather exhausting Transfiguration class.

"So, who are you going with to the Halloween Ball?" Raine sighed dramatically and rolled her big brown eyes.

"I don't know yet," Lily said as they walked down towards the Great Hall.

"Lily! You don't have any idea who you're going with, and we've only got a week left!" Raine seemed to think this was a cause for alarm.

"Raine, come on. It's not like I haven't been asked by half of the male population; I'm just waiting for someone better than the last. Don't you have this…image…of the perfect guy?" Lily asked, sounding strangely serious and dreamy, as they sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"Yeah, and he's name is Sirius Black."

"Raine!" Lily laughed heartily. "I'm serious! And stop harassing me, you don't have a date yet either…right?"

Raine pulled a face, noticeably trying to change the subject. "Lily, we're talking about you here, I have concerns about – "

"Wait a minute. Who're you going with?" Lily inquired, and when she got no response, she whipped out her wand. "Raine, come on! I'll put some kind of ridiculous charm on you, if you don't tell me."

Raine blushed scarlet, and mumbled something incoherent into her goulash.

"Didn't catch that, Raine, sorry," Lily snorted cheerfully.

"Sirius."

Lily immediately started laughing so loudly, that many heads turned and stared her way.

"Okay, Lily, you can't shut up now."

Lily grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just that Sirius and you-"

Raine pulled out her wand. "Your not the only good one at Charms, Lily Evans."

Lily stuffed a muffin in her mouth, and chose not to say anything.

"James?" Lily sang gently as she approached him later that night in the common room. He was bent over a piece of parchment, scribbling hastily, with his History of Magic book laying in front of him. His only reply was a grunt. "Come on, I need help with my Transfiguration homework." There was no reply.

SMACK!

"Oy! Lily, what's your problem?" James asked, rubbing the side of his head, which had just come in contact with a bulky Advanced Transfiguration book.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, and reached out and tenderly rubbed the spot she'd just bruised on his head. At her touch, James felt his head tingle. 'Must be a headache,' he thought. 'Yes, I must have a headache coming on.'

"I am in dire need of your help with my Transfiguration homework," Lily titled her head to the right, smiling dismally.

"You're sixteen years old, a prefect, the smartest girl in school, and you still can't do your Transfiguration homework without-"

"I need help with my homework, James, not a lecture," Lily said in exasperation.

"Alright," James said with a smile, slamming his book shut. They practiced turning her chair into a couch, with Lily often voicing her annoyance ( "When am I ever going to need to do this?), until the common room had long been empty, and James looked dead on his feet.

"Improvement," James yawned, sinking into a couch, a bit taken back when Lily sat down beside him; he'd assumed she'd head straight upstairs for her beauty sleep.

( 'Not like she needs it,' James thought unexpectedly.)

They sat in companionable silence until Lily turned her head slightly and said, "Thanks." Unfortunately, James was so caught up in thinking that her eyes really were gorgeous and if she'd object to him kissing her until his lips turned blue, that Lily became a bit anxious. He was just kind of gawking at her, and his eyes were getting glassy. 'And he's probably contagious,' she thought, wrinkling her nose. 'Ewwww.'

"James, I, uh, think you need to get to bed. You look a bit…ill," Lily said, trying in vain to tug James up.

Was he ill? As she gripped his wrist, he felt his entire arm burn. 'Damn you, Remus. I knew you had the flu.'

"Er…Remus had the flu about a week ago, I might have caught it…sorry," James said, trying not to sound as flustered as he felt.

Lily groaned. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Now you're worn-out, I feel really guilty, and I'm going to have the flu…"

James cracked a smile. "Don't worry about me. Go to bed- I…want to stay down here a bit longer."

Lily looked at him a bit apprehensively, but nodded all the same, and staggered to her room, leaving the Quidditch star to his very bewildered thoughts.

A/N: So…what do you think? I can't offer you food this time if you review, because I haven't got paid, therefore I can't buy food. I can offer you my Vanilla Ice CD though…