A/N: Hello chums! I seem to be getting emails for followers and favourites… but no reviews? Reviews motivate me to write! And seeing as though I've updated TWICE in one day… I think I deserve to see a few of your beautiful faces in my review box. Enjoy!

Lily's eyes feasted upon every inch of the house. It was grand. The air felt warm despite its size, and there seemed to be fireplaces in every room. It was summer, so they weren't lit, but she could imagine how cosy it would be in the warmer months. The first floor hallway was a sunny yellow, real flowers appeared to be charmed to grow like the floor of a lush meadow across the ceiling. She noticed as she made her way across the landing several lilies bloomed above her.

"Ha, clever." She noted, looking skyward. James' gazed followed. He grinned.

"It's cool, isn't it? It's usually sunflowers with me. Or when mum walks through there's white roses everywhere." He turned left and gestured for Lily to walk in. "Your room."

It was certainly bigger than her one at home, that's for sure. There was a four poster double bed that reminded her of Hogwarts. The sheets were scarlet and yellow. James noticed her gaze.

"Mum was going to put the blue ones on," He strode in to the room and plopped her suitcase on the bed. "But I thought if we were going to get someone from another house, they should at least know their place. Get it? Under Gryffindor. Like, on the ladder! Hah!" He chuckled and turned back to her. Lily's eyes were watery.

"Shit Evans, are you crying? Did I say something stupid again?" He looked around frantically for tissues or a towel or something. She shook her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Ugh, sorry. It's just… a lot to take in. Rollercoaster few weeks is all." She replied and sat on the bed, lightly stroking the sheets. "They're great." She smiled and genuinely meant it. James was still cautious.

"You sure? I can… I dunno, get my mum or something? I'm no good at this stuff."

"Honestly, I'm fine." There was a pause. Lily attempted some conversation. "So… where's your room?" James smirked.

"Why do you want to know, Evans? Planning a late night visit?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Ah, there's the Potter I've come to despise so much. Lily hurled a cushion at him. He caught it with ease. Stupid Quidditch player and his stupid reflexes.

"No, I was just curious."

"Well, you know what they say about curiosity."

"It killed the cat?"

"What?!"

"You know, curiosity killed the cat?"

"That's barbaric."

"Oh, it must be a muggle saying then. What does curiosity do in the magical world then, Potter?"

"It flusters the bogtromp." James stated matter-of-factly.

"What in the name of Merlin is a bogtromp?"

"I'd imagine it to be a very curious being." He replied, and Lily was about to throw another cushion at him when there was a call from downstairs.

"James! Lily! Lunch is ready!"

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Lunch was eventful. Lily was introduced to Shelly, the overly enthusiastic house elf who insisted Lily try at least 11 different meals to decipher which was her favourite for the duration of her stay. She was only too happy to accommodate the fact that Lily was a vegetarian.

"Shelly, I simply cannot decide between the eggplant pie and the turnip medley." Lily patted her bloated stomach and couldn't imagine she'd ever be hungry again.

"Miss Lily, I will make both for you! Both of Miss Lily's most favourite dinners!" Shelly quipped, gathering the plates and getting so excited that Lily feared she'd topple over.

"Oh, no Shelly. Don't make too much fuss, the eggplant pie will do." Lily assured and saw the two Potters grinning at her from the other side of the table. Shelly nodded and left the room with the promise of something special for dessert tonight to celebrate the pretty new houseguest in Potter manor!

"So Lily… James has told me loads about you." Mrs. Potter started. Lily swallowed hard and hoped he had glossed over the countless arguments they'd shared over the years.

"Mum…" James groaned, giving her a sidelong glance that clearly said don't you dare. Mrs. Potter only smiled slyly. Lily noted she had the same nose as James, and her hair laced with grey would have once been the shiny raven colour of his.

"Oh Jamesie, lighten up. It was nothing bad!" Lily saw James blush as she nearly choked on her tea at 'Jamesie'. "He tells me you're brilliant in class. Always earning Gryffindor house points."

It was Lily's turn to blush.

"And you're a prefect?"

"Um, yeah."

"Good. I hope you're keeping my James in line."

"I do try, Mrs. Potter."

"It's Angora, love." Mrs. Potter smiled and checked her watch. "Sorry I can't be here the whole day whilst you're getting settled, but in times like this there aren't enough Aurors to spare." She got to her feet and kissed the top of James' head. "I'll be home around midnight. Have fun you two."

A few seconds later there was a loud crack from outside.

"Aw Jamesie, you get awfully embarrassed when that big gang of mate of yours aren't around." Lily teased.

"She honestly hasn't called me that since I was about 6." He ran a hand through his hair. "And what do you have against my mates?"

"Nothing! Remus is a good mate of mine as you know. Peter is a real sweetheart. And Sirius…"

"Yes?"

"He's… boisterous."

"HA!" James' laugh echoed in the large dining room.

"He is!"

"Oh I know, that's just a very Lily way of putting it." He looked at her, eyes hazel and bright. She poked her tongue at him and got up. With a wave of her wand, the dining table was spotless again.

"Nice wandwork. You'd make a brilliant housewife one day, Evans."

"They'd have to tame me first." Lily called out as she made her way up stairs to sort out her belongings.

"That would be a crime." James murmured.

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That night after a late dinner, James did a tour of the rest of the floor with the flowering ceiling. The bathroom was adjacent to Lily's bedroom. He showed her how the sink worked if you tapped your wand on to the faucet. At the end of the corridor, James pointed out with a wink, was his bedroom. She assured him she would not go within 10 metres of the door. The other two rooms were a study and a guest bedroom.

"Well that's this floor done. I'll show you upstairs tomorrow. And the garden I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck and yawned.

"Sounds good." Lily yawned too. "I s'pose I'll go to bed."

"'Kay. I'll wait up for mum." He glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 11:47pm. "Night Ev- uh…Lily." He eyed her warily.

"Uh, night." She smiled awkwardly and shuffled past him and in to the bathroom.

This is so weird. He just called me Lily. Her thoughts raced through her mind as she jumped in the shower. Why the hell did he call me Lily? Well, it is my name. But not to Potter. It's always been Evans. Hmm. Maybe he's not sure. He seems as confused as I am about this entire situation. I need to make sure he knows nothing has changed. Then he'll stop acting weird. Yeah, that'll be the mission for tomorrow. Sort James out.
I mean Potter.
Merlin, it's CONTAGIOUS!

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"AAAAAAH!"

There was a scream and James jumped out of the armchair he was in, nearly toppling over the coffee table. He registered a few things in his drowsy mind simultaneously. One, he had fallen asleep waiting up for his mum to get home, and she hadn't yet. Two, someone had just screamed. Three, that was in fact the scream of Lily Evans. He brandished his wand and sprinted up the stairs.

Oh shit shit shit. They've got her. The death eaters have got her. They've gotten through the wards and they're killing her right now. Fuck, I should have stood guard outside her door. Oh Merlin, not Lily! Not my-

BANG!

James had knocked the door open and stood ready to shoot every horrific spell he knew at the intruder. However, the sight that greeted him was not expected in the slightest. There was Lily, perched in a tank top and pyjama shorts on top of the chest of drawers, pointing her wand menacingly at the bed opposite.

"Lily? What are you-?"

"There. Is. Something. Under. The. Bed."

"What?"

"Thereissomethingunderthebed." She repeated in a rushed whisper.

"Um, aren't you a bit old to be scared of monsters under the-"

"Listen." She urged. He quietened immediately. There was a definite rattling coming from beneath her bed. James gulped. They exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Oh."

"Have a look then."

"What?!"

"You barged in here like you were ready to take down a herd of hippogriffs and you're telling me you won't check under the bed? Godric Gryffindor would turn in his grave."

"You won't either!"

"Ugh, fine." Lily slipped off the drawers and whispered Lumos, approaching the bed. Then, becoming worried that Lily may have her face bitten off by whatever is lurking under there, James joined. With a deep intake of breath, they crouched down and pointed their wands.

A trunk.

It was a trunk.

"Ohhh."

"Oh?"

"It's a boggart." James explained, pulling out the dusty, rattling object.

"How can you be sure?"

"We get a lot of them here because it's such an old place. Must have missed this one." He positioned the trunk near the wall and stood in front of it. "Remember how to destroy a boggart?"

"Riddikulus." Lily nodded and readied her wand. James flicked his wand and the trunk opened.

It could not decide at first, which form to take. It switched between a number of things, becoming an unidentifiable blur in mid-air. But when it settled on a form to take, there was no mistaking whose fear it was.

Lily heard James take a sharp breath. There, lying bloodied and pale on the floor, was Mrs. Potter. He became as white as a sheet. She could practically see the misery spiralling in his mind, the gut-wrenching devastation that she had been on the receiving end of 2 weeks prior.

"Ri-riddikulus." He tried, but the form merely quivered. He just stared, the grip on his wand faltering. "Not you too." He whispered, so quietly Lily barely caught it. She moved forward, and the form began to change. Suddenly the room was full of spiralling wind. The curtains swung on the hangings. It was a hurricane. Her fear.

"RIDIKKULUS!" She bellowed, and the boggart simpered in to a measly breeze before another wave of her wand made it disappear in a puff of smoke. She let out a long breath. James still appeared to be frozen.

"James?" She looked at him. His eyes were glassy and unseeing. "James?" She touched his arm lightly. This seemed to jolt him back to life. His hands flew up to his now windswept hair.

"Oh yeah, um, good work there Evans." He sniffed. "Really great. No wonder you're top in Defence. I'm uh, gonna let you get back to bed then." He glanced at the clock and started to make his way out of the room. It was a little after 3.

"James?"

"Hmm?"

"Is your mum back yet?" This question turned him stony again.

"Oh, er…no." He managed.

"Did you want me to wait up with you?" She offered. She could see him arguing with himself in his head as he considered this.

"Er, yeah. If you don't mind. That'd be good. Only if you want." He still looked a bit pale.

"I'll have you a game of chess then. They say its best played in the early hours of the morning after a boggart experience." She pulled him through the door and across the landing.

"Who said that?"

"I did. Just then." She grinned, and he managed one too.

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When Mrs. Potter returned an hour later with endless apologies about being caught up in a mission, Lily decided that it was definitely okay that she called him James. Three times. She supposed they were sort of maybe friends now considering she lived with him and that is what friends do, isn't it? Plus, he was quite traumatised. It would not have been very kind of her to go all 'Potter' on him during that. That's what she told herself, anyway. She would write to Sally later that day and see what she thought.

But for now, she must sleep.