"Lily!"

Alice grabbed Lily's arm excitedly and whirled her round.

"Have you seen what's on the notice board?"

Slightly wary, Lily Evans shook her head.

The last time Alice had been excited over something on the notice board it had resulted in a broken arm. Lily had guessed Muggle games of soccer weren't her thing, even if they were with the marauders. She smiled to herself, imagining what Alice would say if she had known that, despite her outwards reluctance to spend time with the marauders, Lily inwardly quite enjoyed it. Sirius was a jerk, but hey, who wouldn't be coming from a family of Slytherins? Peter was a bit annoying, but otherwise ok, Remus was positively sweet, and James was…well…what? Sometimes Lily found herself, despite her carefully constructed mask of hostility, enjoying his company, seeking his approval, thrilling to his touch.

She hid all this however - Alice would just obsess over it – and said, "Yeah, Gryffindor Quidditch practice at 6:30 on Tuesday, I know. I'm not going to watch it, it will only encourage-"

"No! It's not that!"

Lily was surprised. Usually, Alice loved an opportunity to watch the guys playing Quidditch or, more specifically, to watch Frank Longbottom playing Quidditch. She seemed to have the misled mindset that just because SHE loved everything to do with Frank, everyone else must love those things too. Unfortunately for Lily, 'those things', included James Potter.

"What then?" she asked, in a reluctant yet curious voice.

"Flitwick's putting on a musical!"

"Oh Alice," she said, with a touch of sarcasm in her tone, "of course I'll come and watch you in it! But I'm running late for transfiguration and I really need to-"

"Not me, idiot, you!"

"Um, what?"

"Come on Lily, you're a great singer! It'll be fun!"

"No Alice, I already have enough work to do, what with prefect duties and all."

"Lily, at least try out for it. I don't want to go alone!"

"You won't be alone! Frank will go if you - "

"Lily, you and I both know that Frank is tone deaf. On top of that he cannot act to save his life. I doubt he's going to - "

"He will go if you convince him convincingly enough."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that hypothetically if you were to hypothetically do with him what you hypothetically did last Tuesday night, then he might…" Lily trailed off suggestively.

"LILY!!! How do you know about that?!"

"I thought we were speaking hypothetically here?"

"Just do it, OK?" Alice snapped, trying to bring the conversation back to the musical.

"Is that how you convinced Frank to - "

"Lily, SHUT UP!"

"Ok, ok!"

"So will you do it with me?"

"Eeeewww! she put on a high pitched whine , echoing the second year girl they had heard the previous day in the library. "Alice, that's SO gross. Besides, what would Frank say?"

"Oh Lily, act your age for a minute, will you? Come and audition with me, please?"

"Hmmmm," Lily pretended to think. In truth she was only teasing. This musical might be fun. And it wasn't as if James could stalk her there. He couldn't sing.

"Ok, but on one condition."

"Yes?"

"You tell me why there is lipstick on the neck of Frank's Quidditch robes?" Alice blushed furiously and gave her a murderous look. "Ok, ok!" she laughed as several third years went past giggling loudly. "I don't want to know. I was only teasing. What musical is it anyway?"

"Guys and Dolls."

"Never heard of it."

"Lily, you uncultured troll!"

Lily walked to transfiguration, knowing that there would be hell to pay when she got there 15 minutes late, but not caring very much. A musical might, as Alice said, be mildly enjoyable.