Author's Note: Start cheering, it's the second chapter! My goodness, I got a lot of love for the first chapter. 31 reviews, 13 favorite adds, and 34 alert adds. This sequel was obviously wanted. Sorry, no Quidditch scene, like I said. Now for the reviewer/author reccomendation (I need a name for this that doesn't sound so dumb).

This chapter's reviewer/author reccomendation: MissGoalie75. Only two of their works are in the Harry Potter genre, but they're both excellent oneshots (invloving the Marauders, nonetheless). So go read her works as well.

Confusing point: Several people who reviewed the prequel were confused or pointed out the mistake that James never mentioned Remus being a werewolf, or the full moon, or the fact that he, Sirius, and Peter were illegal Animagi. Would you go around writing in a journal your friend was a werewolf and you were an illegal Animagus, along with two of your other friends? I hinted at their full moon antics if you read between the lines. I thought I was being obvious...apparently not.

Chapter title: Refers to the Coldplay song 42.

EDIT: I put in the wrong date at the end of the chapter. Sorry for the false alarm.

On with the chapter!

Later
Transfiguration

Another example of rivalry between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw is in the classroom. Constant spells are thrown whilst the professors have their backs turned. McGonagall has sent several people to the hospital wing already for some of the nastier spells, taken away points, and threatened two weeks of detention to the next person to cast a jinx, charm, or hex in her classroom would have two weeks of detention.

"This rivalry just because of a silly match is completely ridiculous!" she snapped. Oh, really, Professor? Then why did you write this on my homework you assigned two weeks ago?: Potter, excellent work. Now, about Quidditch: I really enjoy having that nice, large Quidditch Cup in my office. I have been sacrificing time I could be using to help the seventh year and fifth year class review for N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s, by giving less assignments. Remember that at practice!

I'm sure she just believes that putting pressure on me is another way of saying "I love you."

Later
Boy's Dormitory

Lily came out to watch us practice like she normally does. I really only saw her as a blur of red and black as I passed her continuously in the air. She just sat there with her books and parchment and did her homework. My Lily; always studying.

She came and waited inside the changing rooms as usual, except in a separate room where the girls always change. The boys have offered to go into that room instead, but the girls decline. I made all the guys change quickly and then run out of there. The girls changed pretty fast as well and soon Lily and I were the only ones left.

"Okay," I called as I pulled my shirt on. "I'm decent." Lily slowly peeked her head out of the room. She grinned and then fully emerged, closing the door behind her.

"Well besides the fact that you have no shoes on, you're missing a sock, and you forgot to put your belt on so your pants are slowly sliding down to your knees…yes, you are decent." I looked down in alarm to see that Lily was right. Especially about my pants. The waistband of my boxer shorts was exposed and my pants were slowly and continuously sliding down farther, displaying more of my undergarments for the entire world to see. I hitched them back up, turning red.

"At least Sirius wasn't here to see that," I muttered, grabbing by belt and securing it through the loops. I found my other sock and sat down to put that on. Lily came over and sat next to me while I tied my shoes.

"Well, we'll keep it between us then," she told me, giving me a light peck on the cheek.

I grinned at her, standing up and tucked her books under one arm. With the other arm, I tugged her up off the bench and led her out of the changing rooms. Once outside I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me.

"So, what are you doing next Saturday?" I asked her once we reached the Entrance Hall. She thought about it for a moment, then grinned up at me.

"Something with you?" she asked.

"Correct! I have to make up for missing last Saturday."

Lily's grin dropped. "No, you don't have to. I told you that I already felt stupid for even being mad about that."

"Well I feel stupid for neglecting the fact that you've been with me for one hundred and eighty six days."

She looked up at me. "Can't you just say six months like a normal person?" I shook my head.

"I did that math all in my head and I even added the days we've been together since Saturday. Speaking of Saturdays…"

Lily sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll go on a date with you."

"I never get tired of hearing you say that," I admitted, smiling into her hair.

Thursday, April 24
Muggle Studies

Two Gryffindors and two Ravenclaws got into a brawl before breakfast. Honestly, people, could you wait until after I have coffee in my system before I deal with stuff like this? It's kind of hard to sound like a stern Head Boy when you begin yawning halfway through taking off points.

Later
Charms

So, do you think you're ready for the game Saturday?-LE

Of course. As ready as we'll ever be.-JP

I'll be at your practice tomorrow and I'll cut our studying short tonight so you can get in as much sleep as you can before Saturday.

Oh, please, Lily. That will just make him more restless.-SB

Padfoot! This note did not include you.

Every time he expects to spend a certain amount of time with you, and then that time is cut short, he just mopes about it in our dormitory.

He does?

No! I do not mope. Make a small complaint or two, yes. Mope, no.

For hours and hours it's just Prongs with this dead look on his face.

Really?

He's exaggerating.

Then, if you're unlucky enough to have him fall asleep before you, you get to listen in on him moaning in his sleep. You'd think he'd have some variety, but all he says is your name, really.

I do not! Don't listen to him!

It's fine, James. I think it's nice.

Really?

Hey, Tomato-faced Prongs is back!

Padfoot…

You shouldn't be sad when I have to go. You always see me later.

I don't get sad.

Liar.

Shut up.

No, Evans. He doesn't really get sad. He did this before you were even going out.

Talk anymore and I'll kill you. You hear me? I will murder you in cold blood.

Someone's touchy.

No fighting! You're both needed for the match Saturday.

I see your point. Your girlfriend's smart, Prongs.

Why do you think I like her so much?

Friday, April 25
Muggle Studies

I swear, this whole thing between Davies, me, Lily, and Annie is old and Annie and I are apparently the ones who think so. I was walking Lily to her first class and Davies and Annie were walking the opposite direction. Annie smile and wave to me and I waved back. Well that earned a death glare from Davies and an elbow in the ribs from a rather disgruntled Lily.

"You know, Lily," I choked, "I do prefer to have my ribs intact. It helps with things. Like breathing properly, walking, having organs without puncture wounds. Just to name a few."

"I don't like her," Lily muttered, looking very cross. No need to ask who "her" was.

I sighed. "I know that but she is my friend. Before you say anything, let me explain," I interjected when Lily's mouth opened to protest. "You may not like her and she may not like you, but she still gave me advice about how to work with you and maybe win you over. Which I did."

"You went out on a date with her," she mumbled so quietly I almost didn't hear her. This has always been a sore spot with Lily and I always have to soothe her.

"And it was the worst date of my life," I immediately told her.

"Why? You found out she has scales? I knew she couldn't keep them covered with all that junk on her face."

"No, because the whole time I was miserable and thinking about how much more fun I would be having if I had gone to Hogsmeade with you instead of her," I said, ignoring the jibe about the scales.

This seemed to console her so I bent down to kiss her and to give her some more reassurance. Then, rather reluctantly, she let go of me, but I could see she was feeling better already.

Later
Transfiguration

McGonagall has gone crazy with the thought of winning. She's just announced that she's letting us out early today. And when I say crazy, I do mean crazy. She just has the manic glint in her eyes every time she hears the word Quidditch. Quaffle, Bludger, Snitch, broom, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw also seem to spark that crazy look.

Perhaps I should owl St. Mungo's…

Saturday, April 26
Boy's Dormitory

Another bloody brilliant day for Quidditch ahead. The skies are clear, but it is still freezing out. One day, I'm going to move far away to a place where it's nice and warm all year round.

Remus is busy flitting through the names again so he's sure he remembers them. Why he keeps on agreeing to be commentator if he's going to put himself through this torture is beyond me. Sirius is polishing his broom. I think it's just from nerves because it's already well past shining. Peter has misplaced his scarf yet again. He hasn't cleaned out his trunks since second year. I really have no room to talk, considering I haven't cleaned mine out since fourth, but that's two years less than his trunk.

It's going to be one hell of a game. Though, if we're lucky it will be short and uneventful. I just want to celebrate it. So the sooner I get through with this game, the sooner I get to the butterbeer.

Sunday, April 27
Boy's Dormitory

Yes, I am aware that it's been a full day since I've written in this. It's a long story that starts with breakfast.

I reached the Great Hall that day with Lily by my side. Like any day of Quidditch, everybody was on edge; you could just feel the tension in the air. No sooner had Lily and I sat down then did the rest of the Gryffindor team descend upon us. We discussed everything from team strategies to the weather. I gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek every once in a while to let her know that even though I was engrossed in the conversation, I hadn't completely forgotten she was there.

I had just finished eating my breakfast when the mail arrived. I spotted Bertie among the bunch before he smoothly landed in front of me, holding out his leg. I quickly removed the letter before giving him a bit of toast. It was just Mum wishing me good luck. A tawny owl landed next to Lily. She took her time undoing the letter.

"I'll see you after the game," I promised her. I kissed her on the mouth, long enough for Sirius to clear his throat at us.

"Good luck!" she called as I walked out. The game was just what I thought it would be. It was over before anybody really had a chance to get settled in their seats. We flew, I scored a goal, the Snitch was caught, and Gryffindor started cheering like mad. Everybody started flooding on to the field before I was on the ground and when I did touch down; Sirius, Remus, and Peter were there to clap me on the back.

"Easiest game we've ever played!" Sirius yelled over the roar of the crowd. I nodded in agreement and let out a loud whoop.

"Where's Lily?" I yelled to Remus and Peter. I had to repeat myself before they understood what I meant.

"She went back up to the common room!" Peter replied. "She wanted to beat the crowds! She said to tell you that you played well and congratulations!"

I nodded and thought nothing more of it; I just went back to whooping and hollering with everybody else out there on the field. It was a while before anybody started making any real progress back towards the school, but our pace was sluggish as we tried to push through the crowd.

The common room was already congested with students and food, despite the size of the crowd out on the Quidditch pitch. I found the butterbeer and cracked it open, scanning the room for Lily. I couldn't find her. Usually, she stands out with her red hair, but today was not the case. I sat down on a couch near the fire to wait I'd be able to see her better from there, anyway. Sirius, Remus, and Peter joined me.

"Cheers to one of the shortest Quidditch game of our lives," Sirius said, raising his butterbeer bottle slightly.

"Here, here," I exclaimed, raising my bottle to his. They clinked together and I took a long gulp. "Now that Quidditch is over we can just sit back and relax and-oh, never mind that. I forgot entirely about N.E.W.T.s at the end of the year. You can stay stressed and panicked as before. Forget I said anything."

"We nearly always do, mate," Peter informed me cheekily. Someone turned up the music to a loud volume to the point where I had to shout to the rest of the Marauders to be heard. Sirius, at one point, went around the room talking to people, and just as they were about to admit something embarrassing, he flicked his wand behind his back and the music turned off, plunging the room into silence. After the fifth time, I grabbed him by the back of his robes before he made somebody else shout what they had done one night whilst drunk or exactly how many girls they were cheating on.

"OK, I am officially intervening as Head Boy," I growled while the most recent of Sirius' victims was cowering on the ground while hexes were being hurled at him by his now ex-girlfriend. "You need to stop doing embarrassing people and ruining relationships; even if the latter did have good intentions behind it."

Sirius shrugged and went to get some more food. I always kept an eye open for Lily, but I never saw her. Not even after I briefly escaped to the dormitory to change out of my Quidditch robes. Well, that visit wasn't so brief since I had the sudden impulse to play a song.

The party was still going strong, long after the sun had set. I was leaning against a wall, half-listening to a story Michael Quincy was telling. Sirius came up beside me and offered me another butterbeer. I shook my head. When he insisted, I finally spoke.

"Padfoot," I said. "I know you're my best mate and all, but if I drink another butterbeer, I will toss my lunch and I'll aim for you when I do." Sirius shrugged and opened the butterbeer himself.

"Any luck in finding Lily?" he asked. A soft song had come on, so there was no need to shout. I shook my head. "Well I have," Sirius boasted. When my head snapped up, he pointed behind me. Lily was sitting at a table all by herself, her expression unreadable as she poked absentmindedly at a plate of food. I told Sirius thanks before making my way over to Lily. She looked up as I approached and gave me a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"I haven't seen you since breakfast," I noted, sitting down across from her. She didn't respond. Instead, she put some food in her mouth and chewed slowly before swallowing. Then she took a long sip of butterbeer and finally looked at me.

"You played well," she told me. "Congratulations. You must be proud. I'm sorry that I left the pitch so fast. I just wanted to beat the crowds."

I felt my forehead wrinkle in confusion. "But I haven't seen you until now."

Lily nodded. "I was up in the dormitory for a while."

She ate for a while longer, not wanting to elaborate too much. I could tell that she was getting ready to burst at the seams. Something was off; I just didn't know what.

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked uncertainly.

"I'm fine," Lily replied, voice cracking. The music turned up again to a loud rock number that seemed to make the room shake. I got up from the chair and knelt beside Lily.

"What's wrong?" I shouted. Lily didn't answer for a moment. She continued to stare at the wall. Finally she turned and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder.

I felt her head turn and she spoke into my ear. "My Mum is sick."

Immediately, just from Lily's tone of voice, the way she had seemed fine before she received that letter at breakfast, how this was the first time I had seen her since then, I knew what Lily meant when she said her Mum was sick. I had been the same way when Mum sent me a letter toward the end of last year informing me of Dad being ill. I skipped classes for two days straight, not really caring that I was missing vital review days that could be used for my final exams. I ignored the long lectures from the Professors on being out of class those days, my mind off somewhere else. Lily at the time had only seen rather disgruntled that I had chosen to show up in class again. I didn't speak to her for the rest of the year, which seemed to lift her mood some.

Now I was faced with a clearly upset Lily in my arms. My arms tightened their grip around her waist and I carefully looked around the room. Everybody was preoccupied so nobody would notice us slipping away from the festivities. I stood up, my arms still wrapped around Lily and headed over to the boy's dormitory staircase. She got the idea and dropped her arms, only holding my hand and she led the way up to my dormitory. I closed the door behind me and looked at Lily, who was standing in the middle of the room, her back turned to me.

"Lily," I began. I stopped when she came back to me and buried her face in my shoulder again. She was crying.

"I feel so pathetic!" she mumbled into my shirt. "I've been crying nearly all day and I thought I had it all out of my system! Why don't I have it all out of my system?!"

"It probably hasn't sunk in all the way," I suggested, leading her over to my four-poster.

We were like that for a while; Lily cried most of the time and talked to me the rest of it. "The letter I got this morning was from Dad," she explained. "It just said that she was sick, it wasn't a cold, it wasn't the flu, she's just sick. She only just turned fifty, how can she be sick? How can she just go now?"

"She's not going now," I insisted, trying to soothe her.

"I've been running into the bathroom every time one of my friends came up to the dormitory," she told me. "Either that, or I've been pretending to sleep."

"You didn't tell them?"

"N-no." And a new wave of tears came. It took a while, but her tears finally became small sniffling noises. I looked down at her red face and red eyes. She looked tired.

"Do you want to go back to your dormitory so you can sleep now?" I asked. Lily shook her head.

"No," she replied, her voice cracking. I left her side briefly to fish through Sirius' trunk, where he always had a few spare butterbeer bottles. I cracked it open and handed it to Lily before taking my place by her side again. She finished the bottle in no time.

"Why don't you want to go back to your dormitory?" I asked, putting her bottle on my bedside table.

Lily sighed. "I look like a mess. They'll ask questions and that'll just start the crying again and I don't want to go back unless I'm sure I'll be able to control it. Right now…I'm just sure I can't. I want to sleep, but I don't want to put it off; I want to sleep now. Not after being prodded for hours by my friends." She looked up at me, blinking. "Do you know of any places in the castle I could stay overnight?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Yes, but it's a bit too risky to sneak you out at this hour; even with the Cloak." I told her about the Cloak long ago. Lily sighed, closing her eyes.

"Could I stay here?" she muttered quietly. I deliberated this for a moment. It would be just a little hard to explain to my friends why Lily was there, but I didn't really see a problem with that arrangement.

I hopped down to the floor and began to rummage through my trunk. I eventually found an old sweater and a pair of shorts from fifth or sixth year. Maybe it was a good thing it had been so long since I had really gone through this trunk. I tossed the makeshift night clothes to Lily and closed the curtains around my four-poster so she could change in peace. I pulled on my own pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt as quick as I could. I rummaged through my trunk again to find a blanket. I would sleep on the floor.

"Are you decent?" I asked, tossing my clothes to a corner of the dormitory where a house elf would eventually clear it away.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes." I heard the curtains open. I turned and saw Lily on her knees. Even in clothes from previous years, my clothes nearly dwarfed her. She didn't seem to mind, though. She just continued to neatly fold her clothes. Once she was done I took them and put them in my trunk for her. When I tried to haul a pillow off the bed, however, she began to question my actions.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as I dropped two pillows to the ground.

I raised an eyebrow. Wasn't it obvious what I was doing? "I'm getting ready for bed."

"You can't sleep on the floor," Lily said, crossing her arms. "I'll sleep on the floor, I'm the guest-"

"Which means your comfort comes before mine," I interrupted, dropping the blanket on top of the pillows.

"No-just-come on. Don't sleep on the floor. Sleep up here."

"I'm not kicking you to the floor!" I told her, getting frustrated.

"Well I won't go to the floor," she countered. Then, for some inexplicable reason, her face turned bright red. I was confused. She got off the four-poster and put the blanket back in my trunk. Then she put the two pillows back in their place on the bed before climbing back into it. "Well?" she questioned. She tried to sound firm, but her voice shook a little. "Are you coming to bed or not?"

I felt my own face grow hot. Oh. Lily had been suggesting that we sleep in the same bed. I understood now. I took off my glasses and set them beside the butterbeer bottle before sitting down next to Lily on the bed.

"You sure you don't mind? Even with my sleep talking?" I asked. She rested her head on my shoulder and nodded. Then she froze. I froze too. We both heard the footsteps and voices approaching the dormitory. In a few quick movements I pointed my wand to the lamp and plunged the room into darkness. Then I shut the curtains and peeled the covers back, settling into the sheets with Lily, just as the dormitory door burst open and the lights turned on.

"Shut up, you git," Remus whispered. "Prongs is asleep."

"So?" Sirius challenged. He didn't bother to lower his volume. "That boy sleeps like a rock, anyway."

"Just get that record and leave him alone. And don't blame me when McGonagall comes into the common room and gets on to us for being too loud. It's already ten o'clock."

"Ten o'clock? And Prongs is already asleep. He's getting pathetic. And he's a liar! He told me that if he had another butterbeer, he'd vomit, but there's an empty bottle sitting right there." The light in the room was extinguished and the door closed, making the room silent and dark.

"Were you as big a mess as I am? When you found out about your Dad?" Lily whispered. I wound my arms tighter around her as my eyes tried to search for her face in the darkness.

"A little bit, yeah," I admitted. "I guess there were some days where I was better than others. Then there were days that I thought would never end because they seemed to just drag on. I don't really have days like that anymore."

Lily was silent for a long time and I thought she had fallen asleep before she spoke again. "Does it…get easier? Do you still think about him?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I still think about my Dad; every day. But every day it gets easier and every day I think about him less and less. I still want to remember him and I suppose I always will think about him a little bit, but not sad memories. I think about better times with him and that's how I coped with his passing: I know he lived a good life. He's just gone on to yet another great adventure. So it's not that I think of him less and less; just the pain of his passing is all."

Lily's lips pressed against mine briefly before she settled back into the pillows. "Thank you," she murmured.

"You're welcome," I whispered back. I stayed up for a long while, watching Lily's sleeping form in the moonlight, fighting sleep myself. I didn't want her to start crying again. I wanted to make sure she was fine. I did drift off to sleep eventually. I vaguely registered Remus, Peter, and Sirius moving about the dormitory, getting ready for bed. I strained to listen to their conversation.

"McGonagall usually lets us stay up even later than this," Sirius was grumbling. "Especially after we've won the Cup."

"It's half past eleven," Remus whispered back. "Normal people are usually in bed at this hour." Peter snorted from his four-poster. "What?" Remus asked.

"Were you seriously trying to tell Padfoot to be normal?" he choked out between laughs. Sirius let out a loud laugh that was much more like a bark and Remus immediately shushed him. I rolled my eyes and went back to sleep.

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I notice was that my arms felt were empty. Cracking my eyes open, I noticed that I was the only occupant in the bed. I fought back the disappointment. Lily must've already left. I tugged open the curtains briefly set my glasses on my face so I could scan the dormitory. All the beds were empty. I groaned and stretched and took off my glasses again.

Just as I was wondering where they had all gone, I heard the shower turn off. I guessed that someone, most likely Sirius, was still there. I rummaged through the trunk for a fresh pair of clothes, sighing. Sirius had probably used up most of the hot water, which meant I had to take a very quick shower if I wanted a hot one. I carefully made my way over to the bathroom door and knocked. No answer.

"Sirius? Mate, you in there?" I called, knocking again. "Come on. Other people would enjoy a hot shower, too." Instead of a voiced response, the door opened. It hadn't been Sirius at all. Lily was standing in the doorway with wet hair and fresh clothes. A bottle was in her other hand.

"No, not Sirius. Nice guess, though, love," she joked, smiling at me. She toweled her hair and the smell of her shampoo hit me like a hammer. So that was what was in the bottle.

"Where'd you get the clothes?" I asked as she moved past me and back over to my four-poster. I had to squint to make her out.

"My dormitory," she replied.

"Did you see your friends? What did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them anything because I didn't see them. Well, technically they didn't see me. I could see them just fine."

There was something in her tone, something she was hiding from me. I stared at her for a moment before it clicked. "You borrowed the Cloak to sneak into your own dormitory?" I asked incredulously. Lily sighed.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," she apologised.

I shook my head. "Oh, no, it's fine. I'm not mad; just surprised. I'll be right back."

Lily nodded and she proceeded to make my bed.

"When are you going to go back to your dormitory without my Cloak?" I called from the bathroom as I shrugged out of my shirt.

I heard Lily huff. "When I'm ready to. What, do you want me to leave?"

"That couldn't be farther from the truth!" I called back as I pulled off my pajama pants. I heard Lily laugh.

A short while later, I bounced out of the bathroom; fully clothed. I stopped suddenly when I came into the dormitory. I had been used to having things in close proximity and not having everything blurred. Now everything was just that: one big blur. I was lucky that Lily was there and she knew me so well. I saw her form moving on the four-poster and she came right up to me and gently pushed my glasses on my face, her hands lingering behind my ears briefly. Her hair was still damp whereas mine was sopping wet. I didn't concentrate on her hair too long. I went straight to her face.

She seemed to be trying hard not to fall apart like she had yesterday. I ran a hand through her hair a few times before something on my bed caught my attention.

"Practicing again?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I have been teaching Lily how to play guitar for a while now. She's only mastered two chords and she's learning to transition to the third chord. Instead of answering me, Lily held up her left hand to display the bright red finger tips.

"My fingers feel gross," she complained.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you that was one of the side effects to guitar. Do you want me to play something for you instead?"

That's what I ended up doing for a while. Now, while I'm writing in this, Lily is staring out the window with my Charms book in hand. She's shown no sign of moving and it's getting late into the afternoon. Yes, I am glad that she came to me and she's improved some, but she can't just hide out here until she's completely over her Mum. Who knows how long it could take?

Later
Boy's Dormitory

I'm not too proud of it…but I kicked Lily out of the dormitory. Although, I like to think of it as encouraging her to go seek the comfort of her friends.

After finishing the last passage, I put this away and joined Lily by the window. I stood there in silence for a while, doing nothing but stroking her hair. I reminded myself that I had to do this sooner or later and took a deep breath to begin.

"Lily," I started.

She knew automatically where this was headed. "No!" she protested before I got another word out. "Please don't make me go back to my dormitory! I'm not ready." She threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shoulder. I sighed.

"I know you aren't, but it could be a while until you are ready. I wasn't even fully ready to go back to classes when I found out about my Dad but we only had three weeks of the school year left so I kind of had to go. You should go back to your dormitory, without the Cloak, and give your friends a chance at cheering you up."

Lily still didn't move but I could tell I had won this argument. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"You don't have to go to classes tomorrow, if you don't want to; I'll lie for you. Then I'll be back up here during my free periods and you can come see me during them. And if you feel like you can't sleep, you can always come back up here with me. However, you should at least try to sleep by yourself for one night before you ultimately decide that you can't."

I dropped my arms and expected her to do the same, but she didn't. She had locked her fingers and had no intention of letting go.

"Lily, you'll be fine. Your friends will be better at this cheering up stuff than I am. Trust me." No response. "Fine, then," I huffed a little impatiently. In one fluid movement, I scooped Lily up in my arms and started heading for the dormitory door, shifting her weight slightly so I could open the door.

"What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!" she demanded into my shirt.

"If I put you down will you run back up to my dormitory?"

She paused before answering. "No."

"You're a rotten liar, Lils," I snorted.

"James Potter, I swear, if you drop me on these bloody stairs I will kill you," Lily threatened.

"There's the old Lily!" I exclaimed triumphantly.

Lily finally looked up and met my gaze. "Please," she whimpered. "I don't want to deal with their questions right now."

"Do what I do when I don't want to hear Sirius droning on about Godric knows what: tell them to shut up. The Silencing Charm also does wonders in those types of situations."

"James…"

"Oh, what do you know? We made it down the stairs," I announced setting her on the ground. I kept a firm grip on her arm while Dorcas and Marlene jumped up from a table by the fire and rushed over.

Lily saw them and immediately turned, wrapping her arms around my neck again. The waterworks had started up again. "Please," she muttered. "Please just let me stay in your dormitory with you."

I almost caved. Almost. "I can't do that. I can try to help you, but I can't be your excuse to hide from the world until you learn how to cope with this. Hi," I added over her head when Dorcas and Marlene approached. "Give her food, water, don't force her to talk unless she really wants to, and if she gets hungry when you can't access food easily from the Great Hall, come see me, Sirius, Remus, or Pete, and we can get to the kitchens." They nodded and waited. I kissed the top of her head.

"Let me know if you need me," I whispered. Lily nodded and dropped her arms. Her face was contorted and twisted and I knew what was coming but she escaped up the stairs before the real sobbing began. Dorcas and Marlene trailed closely behind her.

So now, I wait.

Another Author's Note: Yes, I am well aware that the whole James-and-Lily-sleeping-together-but-not-technically-sleeping-together plot device has been done a million times before (I should probably add that to my list on my bio page) and you probably just rolled your eyes and went "AGAIN?!" when you saw it. Sorry, but I honestly couldn't resist. Which is why I made James strip twice. Plus, he was butt naked at one point, though I did glaze over that for the sake of your poor, slightly innocent minds.