Disclaimer: The characters & universe belong to JK Rowling. Cover art by viria on tumblr.

A/N: this was written on tumblr as a part of the 30 Day Drabble Challenge. I've been meaning to put it up here for quite some time so... here it is!


"YOU FANCY HIM!" Sirius Black's voice said loudly, startling Lily from her quiet thoughts. She nearly toppled from her perch on the windowsill. Regaining her balance, she froze for a moment, but the room was still empty except for her. His voice had probably come from somewhere down the corridor, she thought, relieved. She shifted into a more comfortable position, gazing at the sunset. No, she was not looking at the Quidditch pitch; why would she be? There wasn't anything to see there, only the Gryffindors practising… She groaned out loud. She wasn't fooling anyone.

"Wrong dorm room," came Remus Lupin's voice, over some girl's loud shouts. Lily went rigid.

"Er - right," Sirius said. Then, to the girl: "Why don't you lock your dorm, for Merlin's sake?"

"Sorry!" Peter said hastily as the girl's protests got louder. There was the sound of a door slamming shut. "Itold you that wasn't the seventh years' dorm!"

Seventh years? Oh, Merlin, they were coming for her. Scrambling off the windowsill, Lily grabbed her wand and locked the door. She looked frantically for a hiding place, and pounced on her friend Dorcas's bed, burrowing under the unmade sheets.

"Let me handle this," Remus was saying. There was a tentative knock at the door. "Er, Lily? Dorcas said you'd be in here."

Lily cursed the day Do was born, despite the fact that she was hiding on her bed.

"Oh, shut up, Moony!" Sirius said crossly, pounding on the door and making Lily wince. "Oi, EVANS! YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM US!"

"How do you even know she's there?"

"Homenum revelio!" Lily felt like a shadow was swooping over her. She groaned internally. "See?" Sirius said triumphantly. "Mary's downstairs, Dorcas is in the library, Fiona's in the Common Room, and Pat is at Quidditch practice. So Lily has to be in there. WE'RE GONNA BREAK DOWN YOUR DOOR, EVANS!"

"Go away!" Lily said half-heartedly.

"Let us in!"

"I have a terrible rash on my face, I look disgusting!"

"We're used to it," Sirius said cheerfully.

"It's contagious!"

"Oh, bullshit - Alohomora!"

The door clicked open. "Damn you, Black," Lily muttered.

"You don't have a rash," Peter said, peering at her.

"Of course she doesn't. Sit down, boys, this will take a while." Sirius pushed the door closed.

"How did you get up here?" she asked. "The stairs-"

"-are easy to get past," finished Remus with a smile. "It was important."

"What's so important?" Lily said, feigning innocence.

"You," said Sirius, in the manner of a policeman charging someone with murder, "fancy Prongs."

There was a moment of silence. Lily did her best to assume a shocked expression, but it apparently did not work.

"AHA!" Sirius shouted. "I KNEW IT!"

"I didn't say anything!" Lily protested. "I do not-"

"Save the excuses, we know," Remus said.

"It is NOT true," Lily said hotly. "Why would I ever fancy-"

"Fancy who?" asked a fifth voice. Lily had thought this couldn't possibly get worse - but it just had. They turned to look at the newcomer: James Potter, still in his Quidditch robes, his black hair somehow standing up despite the sweat trickling down his face.

"No one!" Lily squeaked, praying she wasn't blushing.

"How'd you know we were here?" asked Remus, loudly enough to cover Peter's agitated whisper of, "Why the hell did you leave the door open, Padfoot?"

"Dorcas told me," James said, studying the occupants of the room in confusion. He brightened when his gaze fell on Lily, and he smiled at her. She fought the sudden urge to fix her hair. Don't think about it, she told herself, think about what you'll do to Dorcas the next time you see that traitor of a friend. Sirius gave Lily's slowly reddening face a wide knowing grin.

"Who does Lily fancy, now?" James said teasingly, sitting beside her.

"No one!" she repeated indignantly.

"Sirius - that is, she doesn't fancy Sirius," said Remus at the same time, wincing at the scathing look Lily cast him.

"Some Hufflepuff bloke," Sirius said easily, unperturbed.

"But it's not true!" Lily added, with a pointed glare at Sirius.

"Yes, she's still available-" Sirius began.

"You know how the rumour mill is," Peter said, thankfully cutting him off.

"OK," James laughed. "I'll get it out of Lily." He raised a hand to ruffle her hair, and she smacked it away.

"You bloody well won't," she grumbled.

"Unlikely," said Sirius, nodding vigorously.

"Well, I'm starved," James said. "See you lot at dinner." He tapped Lily's nose affectionately before leaving.

She had to fight off a grin.

The other boys stared at her. "I do not," she began again, and then sighed. "I'm as red as my hair, aren't I?"

"You really do fancy him!" Remus said, delighted.

"Fancy him?" Sirius shook his head in amazement. "She was blushing like a first-year when he sat next to her, all sweaty and smelly from Quidditch! Now, if that isn't love, mate, I don't know what is."