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Disclaimer: As expected, I own nothing and J.K. Rowling owns it all. Actually, I own two names and a plot.

Laughing in the Faces of Danger

He leaned against the wall in the crowded scarlet common room watching the activities before him. Most specifically the activities of one girl, the one who he knew was the most beautiful girl in the entire room. She was smiling and laughing, her face glowing with an almost angelic light. As angelic as a person who could curse him into oblivion could ever be. Her drink rested easily in her hands as she chatted with her friends, her straight auburn hair flowing past her shoulders. She was dressed modestly, with a green turtleneck that set off her emerald eyes, but there was this charm about her that drew all the guys to her. He rejoiced that no guys were around her yet, but his eyes were alert nonetheless.

An upbeat song started playing from Wizarding radio Sam Hagens had brought down. He watched her set her drink down and immediately start dancing with her friends. A smile grew across his face unawares as he watched her innocent fun. Her hair shined as her dancing tossed it to and fro. He noticed a few girls come towards him with seductive smiles as their only real adornment. Inwardly he rolled his eyes and pretended to ignore them.

"James!" One squealed with a voice high enough to break glass. It was a clear indication that Padfoot had indeed spiked the punch again. "Oh James! You were just perfect today! SO many scores, I think it's a record!"

He felt the Devil's Snare sneak behind and bind him as they all wrapped their arms around, the smell of Ogden's Firewhiskey confirming his earlier assumption.

"Slytherin's are dreadful, don't you think, Jamesie?" Another one screeched, her arm slowly cutting off his circulation.

"Yes, dreadful, I must be going," he said hurriedly as he tried to wrench himself free. The binds just wound tighter and he was stuck. Mentally cursing the double standard of not being allowed to hurt girls, he frantically scanned the room for his friends.

Padfoot was out dancing with a very pretty brunette, and by the look of it, he would not be concentrating on anything else for a long while. Peter was still steadily demolishing the snack table and Remus was talking with Lily, who was taking a breather. His body stiffened instantly and his eyes flashed. Though he kept repeating to himself that Remus didn't even like Lily as more than a friend, he could not help the jealously coursing through him. Lily was talking, no, not just talking, but laughing and smiling, with someone that was not him. That alone raised his ire. He finally caught Remus' gaze and tried to mute his glare as he motioned to the leeches attached to his side. Feeling had completely vanished from his left arm and he had the discomforting suspicion that the one on the right would not be holding her dinner for very long.

Lily turned around to see what had captured Remus' attention and laughed at his predicament. All she did was laugh. He could not help the hardening of his glare and Remus cast a sympathetic expression as he excused himself and rushed over.

"Excuse me," he tried in the authoritative voice he only rarely used.

It had no effect. The three girls only looked at him blearily before returning their attention to James. Remus stood there hesitating. He didn't want to pull them off, but it looked as if he'd have little choice. The fury and embarrassment radiating from James' face made him hasten to remove them.

He grabbed the girl who looked ready to hurl and tried to pry her fingers off him. Needless to say, it wasn't working. James was getting desperate as Remus looked at him helplessly.

"Hey, girls!" A voice he knew only too well chirped. Their attention rested on her briefly. "Do you know what Sirius Black is doing?"

All their eyes darted to the dance floor where they'd seen him last. The boys looked at each other puzzled. Knowing Sirius as they did, they couldn't see how this would be helpful.

"He's waiting in the dorms for Henrietta Scott, but she's over there standing him up with Patrick. I'm thinking he might be getting awfully lonely."

As one, the girls looked at each other and then stumbled over to the stairs. They disappeared into the crowd of people dancing and milling together.

"Alright there, Prongs?" Remus asked kindly, amusement flooding his features.

"You bloody git! What the hell was that about? I have no feeling in my arm you know," he shouted, rubbing his arm to emphasize the point.

"Hey, that's the price you pay for chasing after them, Prongs," Remus replied nonchalantly.

"I wasn't chasing after them," he ground out, still aware that Lily was there watching him. His face retreated into sullenness as he glared at his friend.

"I thought you enjoyed chasing after girls and them falling hopelessly for you," Lily retorted, unable to hold back the disgust and sarcasm.

He looked up at her, his hazel eyes piercing through her. "There were drunk, Lily. I am still human despite what you may think."

His eyes spoke sincerity and conveyed his bitterness. Nothing he did would ever please her. Not one damn thing. He looked away and did not see her startled expression or how his reproach affected her.

"Goodnight Moony, I'm going for a walk," he stated briefly, standing up and setting his drink down. "Thanks for your help."

Remus and Lily watched him get swallowed by the crowd and could just barely see the portrait hole opening in the dim light. They looked at the floor and then at each other, neither knowing what to say.

"Well, I better go find Alice. I'll see you later," Lily said quickly. Remus nodded in reply and she made her way through the crowd. She shook off Richard Bartin who wanted to dance and finally emerged on the other side. Sneaking to the portrait hole, she quietly slipped out. It wasn't until she had rounded the corner that she realized she was out after curfew. Her rule abiding side ordered her to go back to the common room to escape the trouble they would surely land it, while the other side of her told her to follow him and find him. She hesitated too long and a light peered around the corner. Ducking behind the statue of Louisa the Loony, she clasped both hands over her mouth and sat at the base of the statue. She saw the light shine around Louisa and then continue on. The wheezing she heard made her smile. Professor Slughorn never liked making rounds.

After the wheezing died away, she crept out of her hiding spot looking left and right. Wondering where Potter had gone, she was faced with a horrify realization. She would have to think like Potter. This idea frightened her, more so because she still doubted that any thought occurred there to begin with. Looking both ways again, she decided on the right path. There was no real logic to it, so she figured she was going the right way.

A chill was creeping through the stone walls making her shiver. Hugging herself, she continued on, dead-set on finding him and giving him a piece of her mind. She had no idea where she was going as she could only focus on her freezing body and stupidity in forgetting her cloak. It wasn't until she realized that it was getting exceptionally colder did she realize she was up in the astronomy tower. She groaned and willed herself to go down, but her feet decided to rebel. Her hand opened the door and she found herself face to face with James Potter.

All thought flew from her head and she was sure his mind was equally blank. He looked startled, but soon recollected himself. Holding the door open, he moved to the side to let her in. She, however, remained frozen in the doorway. His eyes were searching hers and traveled over her face trying to figure out why she was there.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi."

They looked at each other for a few minutes, each growing more uncomfortable.

"Is there a reason you followed me?" He asked finally, trying to contain the rudeness.

"Is there a reason you left?" She countered, giving him a pointed look. To her infinite surprise, he sighed.

"I came here to avoid a fight Lily, not start one." He ran his hand through his hair again. It drove her crazy, but this time he wasn't cocky about it. She had started to notice that he did it the most when he was nervous. Maybe it was just a habit, but either way, it was maddening.

"Oh." It was all she could say for a minute before she found her tongue. "Why did you leave?"

"Did Remus send you out? Did he think he'd get a response if he sent his darling Lily instead?" His bitterness could not be stopped.

"I came here myself. Remus had nothing to do with it," she replied, her voice deathly even. He could see her face become rigid after his insult. "Why did you leave?"

"Why are you even bothering, Evans?" He looked away from her and out towards the windows where the hills were standing guard around Hogwarts. He didn't see how she started when he called her by his last name. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Moving forward and resting a hand lightly on his arm, she whispered her challenge. "Try me."

He looked down at her and saw the taunt rising for her bewitching eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop falling into those eyes. Those eyes that prevented him from lying. Those eyes that would figure out the truth.

"I wasn't in the mood to party tonight," he replied simply, trying to deceive her.

Unfortunately she wasn't. "You slaughtered the Slytherins, score the most goals in your life, and you weren't in the mood to party?" The doubt and sarcasm settled on him and tugged the truth from within.

"I would rather watch you, Lily, when you're laughing and smiling, even if you aren't doing that to me. Besides, we're growing up, we are grown up Lily. Times are changing and it puts things in perspective. A game is a game. It's a chance to have fun and forget. But I can't forget about you. Every time you turn me down, I swear I'll get over you. It never works. Never. Lily, I'd rather loose every game of Quidditch if it meant you would at least smile at me."

Silence descended on them, her mouth gaped open ungracefully in astonishment. She'd asked for the truth and she got what she asked for. Part of her wanted to believe everything he said, but that rule-abiding part said it was all a lie. It was the same thing he told every girl and she was nothing to him. Any time before this year, she would have gladly gone alone with that side, but her heart had turned traitor.

"Well, I know you want honesty, so I'll confess," James began, running his hand through his hair again. "I'd give up Quidditch after we cream the Slytherins again and win the Cup."

Before she would have turned away in disgust and shouted that he was an arrogant prick, but his uneasiness and weak smile made her realize his true character. She'd learned that it was just his way to make light of a serious subject. Lord knew he had done it often enough. She found herself smiling back at him when she would have screamed. It grew wider until she broke out in soft laughter. He was immediately startled.

"As long as you make sure you beat them again, I'm sure we can work something out." Her mind was full of inner turmoil and she could not control what she said. All she knew was that the rule-abiding side within her was losing the battle against her other side.

"You smiled and laughed," he stated in amazement, his eyes staring in wonder.

"Don't get used to it," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"Yes, but you did it for me and now I can play Quidditch without any qualms." His grin was wider than she'd ever seen it before. It was a powerful feeling to know that she alone had worked such a change.

She smiled and shook her head, but could not control the shiver that ran down her body. It was then that she realized her fingers were actually blue and shaking violently. James noticed too and cursed at himself.

"We'd better get you back the common room. Why didn't you wear your cloak?"

"You're not either."

"Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"But I'm not as cold as you are."

They reached the bottom of the Astronomy Tower and all talking stopped there. James held her hand and led her along, ducking into numerous secret passageways. She had counted ten before she knew she was completely lost. Soon they reached a door that opened behind the tapestry of the eleventh century goblin wars that was in the same corridor as the Fat Lady. He hurriedly whispered the password and they slipped inside. The common room was somewhat neat again and aside from a few bodies passed out here and there, it was deserted.

"McGonagall must have crashed the party," he whispered to her. Leading her across the room, he sat her down in a chair right in front of the fire. He sat next to her after moving a chair over for himself. They stared at the mesmerizing flames for a while before he finally spoke.

"I... I never thanked you for getting rid of those leeches for me," he said quietly, not looking up. Her laughter floated over him as she replied.

"You looked so desperate I had to do something."

"Was Sirius really waiting up there?"

He was amused as he saw a mischievous look on her face. "No, I believe he was in the other corner of the room pleasantly occupied in some invigorating conversation."

He chuckled at that one. "Didn't you think they'd realize when they got there."
"I didn't think they'd even make it up the stairs."

They laughed again before becoming silent, but it was different. It wasn't awkward or filled with tension, but comforting. Lily couldn't help the smile that settled on her face. The clock above the fire sounded one o'clock. Lily yawned and stretched. Getting out of her chair, she warmed her hands to the embers one last time. James stood up too and leaned next to her so he could look at the face.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked teasingly.

"Yes, the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," he replied before thinking. He immediately cursed himself as Lily blushed a vibrant red.

"If you want to be technical, they're in my face," she stated, willing her blush to disappear.

"But they're still beautiful," he insisted. She said nothing, but stared determinedly at the dying fire. "Lily, would you go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend, if you're not going with someone else?"

He gave her a perfect excuse, but he had been so polite about it. He mind was already forming the answer when her heart jumped the gun.

"Yes." She glanced up for a second and saw a wide grin threaten to split his face. It was all he could do to keep from dancing. "I... I'd better go to bed. Goodnight, James."

She walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek before vanishing up the staircase to the girls dormitory. As soon as she was gone, he couldn't contain a loud whoop from escaping as he danced his way over to the boys stairs. He had always imagined the day Lily would finally give him a chance and now it had come. Nothing could bring him down.
He got halfway up the stairs in this elated bliss before falling flat on his face. Peering down at the stairs, the moonlight revealed three dark lumps. On closer inspection, he realized that they were the three girls who had tortured him earlier. Lily had been right and all he could do was laugh.