A/N: Okay so at this point we can all just acknowledge that I never get chapters up on time and move on. I'll apologize because this chapter is short in addition to being extremely tardy, but again you're going to have to come to terms with it. This is all I can give you right now. I hope to have more chapters up soon, though I make no promises. Thank you for reading, and if you've stayed with me for all of this time then bless you! Reviews are appreciated.

James groaned. He'd fallen asleep on the couch…again. Already he felt the knot forming in his lower back.

"Where the bloody hell…" he cursed, looking around. He was still in the room of requirement. Suddenly it all came back to him. Last night. The pub. The attack. The deatheaters. Hestia. Lily.

James looked down. She was sound asleep, her head resting in his lap. Her hair remained surprisingly curly. Red ringlets were splayed all around her face, and she had a small smile on her face that made him wonder if she was dreaming of something nice. He brushed a stray curl out of her face and smiled to himself.

"Lily," he called softly. She didn't stir so he allowed himself to do something he knew he shouldn't. Slowly, with painstaking care, he bent his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead; then he resumed watching her.

To an outsider, they would have looked very much like a couple in love, but James would have laughed at that thought. He never was romantic, nor was he sentimental. He was awful at relationships and still did not quite understand love. Girls fawned over him because he was attractive, not sensitive, bold, not heroic, and charismatic, not nice. James Potter was indeed faulted and in many ways, not capable of handling his emotions well.

However, ever since he met her on the Hogwarts' Express he'd harbored a crush on Lily Evans. Perhaps the two could have been friends and maybe even something more as they grew, but he made it so that would never happen. He acted awfully toward her and her closest confidents for years. James did not deserve her, and he knew it. Yet…the pair had experienced their fair share of moments over the years. They had undeniable chemistry, and James took full advantage of it. He'd come to treasure moments like these; moments that he could imagine were something more than they ever really had been.

Eventually, he decided he should wake Lily. He hated to do it; she looked so peaceful. Under her eyes were dark circles that revealed countless sleepless nights. James wondered when the last time she actually had gotten a full night's worth of rest was.

"Lily," he said once more, but this time he shook her shoulder.

"What time is it?" she mumbled.

"We have an hour until classes start," he answered.

She nodded and rubbed her eyes. Then, slowly realization came to her as well. Quickly she removed her head from James' lap and actually got up from the couch.

"I'm sorry…I…were you….I…"she rambled. "Have you checked on Hestia?"

Not a moment after she asked, Lily berated herself for it. How could he have checked on Hestia when she had been asleep in his lap? Obviously he hadn't.

James shook his head.

She turned to hide the blush creeping up her neck and began trying to wake her sleeping friend.

Hestia dressed quickly, or as quickly as she could rather. Her head was pounding, and she felt nauseous. She couldn't remember a thing from last night. There was too much alcohol involved, and the attack had left her fuzzy. She'd woken up to a frantic Lily rushing her to get dressed and claiming she would explain everything later.

She was positive she looked like complete rubbish, but Hestia made her way downstairs anyway. Remus had explained on their way back to Gryffindor Tower that everyone really needed to go to classes today, no matter how awful they felt. Apparently someone had tipped off Filch that they were gone during the night, and he had told McGonagall. She hadn't come to check on them so it was eminent that she expected them to be in class. Thus Hestia begrudgingly made her way to Transfiguration, praying that she would be able to make it through the day without passing out.

"Hes?" a voice called.

She whipped around a bit too fast to see whom it belonged to and almost lost her balance.

"Amos," she sighed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked cautiously.

"Bloody awful. My head feels like it's going to explode."

"I knew we shouldn't have gone last night! I told you it wouldn't end well! C'mon we should get you to the hospital wing. Pomfrey really should look at that head injury of yours," Amos said as he wrapped an arm around her to guide her in the opposite direction of her class.

She resisted. He didn't remove his hand from the small of her back and anger began to display itself across his face.

"I'm fine really. Lily fixed everything last night. I don't need to go."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hesita. Sure she's talented, but she's hardly qualified…"

"Not qualified? She's going to be a bloody healer!"

"She hasn't had proper training yet!"

"She doesn't need it. When she isn't studying she's in the infirmary, helping Madam! She's read more healing books than half of the healers St. Mungos employs!"

"I don't think that's really relevant…"

"Enough. Goodbye Amos, I'm going to class," she said defiantly and turned on her heel to leave.

"How much did I drink last night?" Marlene whispered, clutching her head.

She had never gone to class looking so awful. Her hair fell in knots, her blouse lay wrinkled and was haphazardly tucked into her skirt, her face lacked makeup, and she was sure she had two different socks on.

"Two more than you should've," Alice answered from behind her.

"Stop being so chipper. Just because you know when to stop doesn't mean you have to punish the rest of us for lacking self control," she barked back.

"Feisty when she's hung-over," Alice giggled.

"Normally, I would reply with something witty, but my head hurts too much. Where's Hes?" Dorcas asked.

"She's on her way down," Lily answered as she sat down next to Sirius.

"How's everyone this morning?" Sirius boomed. Everyone winced.

James laughed, "Go easy on them, Padfoot. They're inexperienced." He sat next to Marlene, directly behind Lily and Sirius.

"I'll kill you both," Marlene muttered, "As soon as I can move more than a few meters without falling over."

"McGonagall's going to know," Remus said worriedly, "They're too hung-over."

"Mate, she already knows, but relax, I brought the potion."

"Sirius…how much of that is left? We used a lot after the…" James began.

"There's enough to last them one class. I do need to brew some more though," Sirius cut in.

"Wait a minute!" Lily hissed, "You mean to tell me that you lot take hangover potions? That's why you're always so chipper after you go drinking…"

The Marauders nodded reluctantly.

"We all thought you were just used to it," Dorcas added.

James shook his head. "We are, but we aren't invincible. If we drink a lot be take a hangover potion before we fall asleep so we can wake up...err… refreshed?"

"WHY wouldn't you give us some last night then? It takes an hour to take affect," Marlene moaned.

"Well sorry, but last night was a bit stressful. We sort of forgot," Peter said softly.

"You SORT OF FORGOT…."

"Quiet down Miss McKinnon! I'd like to begin if you don't mind," Professor McGonagall cut in.

"Sorry professor," she moaned.

Her friends collectively chuckled behind her as they opened their books.

The rest of the day carried on with relative normality. After taking Sirius' hangover potion, the group felt well enough to go about the day normally. McGonagall never questioned their absence, but she called on each of them demonstrate some particularly tricky spell work in the following weeks. Hestia found out that Amos had been the one who snitched, and she did not speak to him for weeks.

Despite the return to routine, things were changing and everyone felt it. After that fateful night everyone kept their wand a little closer and seemed to sleep a little less.

"Frank?" Alice called. She glanced around the dank room. It was so dark that she doubted she would even be able to see someone right in front of her.

"Seriously, Frank, this isn't funny anymore. It's cold, and I'm not even in the mood."

"Alice Prewett, such a pretty pureblood name. My, my, you will do nicely among our ranks."

"Who the hell are you? And where are you?" she demanded.

Avery Nott stepped out of the shadows and hundreds of thoughts flooded her mind. She noted every exit and had various escape routes mapped out with in seconds. As she fumbled for her wand she remembered it wasn't there. Alice grew increasingly aware that they were in the dungeons, his territory, and though she doubted he would hurt her, if it came down to it, she was going to have to fight a battle she couldn't win.

"Look I don't want whatever you're going to offer me. Now let me leave quietly, and I won't cause any trouble," Alice bartered.

Nott shook his head. "Who said I was offering you anything."

"I'm not stupid."

"Neither am I. Look, as long as we're on the same page, you should know you aren't leaving here without giving me something in return. So, my dear Alice, you can either listen to what I have to stay and respond wisely or things are going to get increasingly less civil and pleasant."

"What do you want?" she responded. Her voice was bitter. She wanted nothing more than to leave.

"You already know. You said it yourself minutes ago," Avery chuckled.

"I want nothing to…"

"Wait," he cut in, putting a finger to her lips, "Remember how I said to respond wisely?"

"I'm not going to say yes. You already knew that. You've known me for so long, Avery. Why are we still doing this?" His hand rested on her arm now. It made her uncomfortable for the first time that she could remember.

"I always liked you," he said softly, "Don't be stupid, Alice."

"Out of the two of us, when was I ever the stupid one?"

"We aren't kids anymore, Alice. This shit matters. You can't afford to be on the wrong side."

"I'm not," she responded boldly.

Avery's hand slipped down to her waist pulling the pair closer together. Instinctively her hands flew to his chest in a half-hearted effort to push him back.

"You've denied your first option, so that leaves the second," he whispered as his eyes roamed her body. The first three buttons of her blouse were undone, exposing her lacy white bra. She'd been expecting to meet Frank. The note said she was supposed to meet him here.

"Please, Ave," she said, using his childhood nickname, "just let me go."

"I can't do that, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," she gasped. As she struggled to move away he tightened his grasp, shoving her against the cold brick wall.

"Shh now, the quicker we're through with this the sooner you can leave."

"Please," she begged. Angry tears fell from her face.

"I love you, Alice. Please, I don't want to hurt you," he said suddenly. She could hear the truth behind his words and hated him for it.

"If you loved me you wouldn't do this," she cried as his hand slid up her skirt.

"I'm doing this because I love you. I have to make you see sense. Maybe…if you want me…you'll leave that bloodtraitor and join the right side. I'm good at this Alice. I can make you want me. I can make you happy," he persisted.

"I love Frank," she answered.

He kissed her. It was rough and passionate…completely the opposite of kissing Frank, her longtime boyfriend. A part of her liked it, and she hated herself for enjoying it. They'd grown up together and been close friends until her fourth year. He was a year older than Alice, and she had always harbored a crush on the handsome older man. Avery would forever be the tall, dark, bad boy that she could never have.

Never the less, she struggled beneath him to push him back, but he was so much stronger than she was. Alice knew then that avoiding it would be impossible. More tears slipped down her face.

It wasn't long before he had her skirt off, and his pants followed. He worked slower than she'd expected and was almost…gentle. Maybe he really hadn't intended to hurt her. His hands roamed her body first before he was inside her, and eventually, she stopped resisting. Oddly enough, she enjoyed herself a little. He pushed and pulled quickly as he left a trail of kisses down her neck, satisfying her in ways Frank never had, ways she would never admit to in the coming days.

Avery moaned as he fell over the edge. She whimpered softly as she did too, only seconds later. After a few minutes, he kissed her once more before pulling back.

As she wiped the tears from her eyes, he spoke. "Are you all right?"

Alice nodded as she redressed.

"You got what you wanted clearly, so we are never going to talk about this again. This never happened," she snapped.

"Okay," he agreed.

She turned on her heel and began to walk away, but something he said made her pause.

"You're mad because you loved it. I make you feel better than he does and you hate it. That's wrong, Alice, and you know it."

She didn't respond. That time, she really left.