This is going to be the shortest chapter of 'Can You, Can't You?' I will ever write. That's because it's a filler to go between chapter nine and the Christmas special! It would just be silly to jump right ahead without an explanation of how Lily and James took the whole business…

Apologies to Neil Cicierega; firstly because I've probably misspelled your name, and secondly because I've borrowed your words. Sorry!

This 'filler' also includes various Charlie-and-Deliaisms as characterised by the 'general babes' they are dedicated to, taken from perhaps the best dictionary ever to be found. Thank you for these!

Chapter Ten

Lily craned her neck to look around the corner. She wouldn't usually invade what she knew was likely to be a private moment, but Delia had rushed over to the area where she had been sitting with her sister and Lily, babbling that she had probably messed up Sirius and Remus' lives forever, and she just had to know what her friend meant.

She was surprised at what she saw. Rather than wearing the sad, empty expressions of people who had just had their entire existences wrecked, they both appeared to be more or less in total bliss – and what's more, they were cuddling. "They look fine to me," she reported.

Delia didn't look like she believed her friend much. "Don't try to make me feel better. They're dieing inside."

"I doubt it. Look."

All at once, Charlie, Delia and Lily leaned to their right to glance at the two boys, who hadn't noticed the small amount of attention they were attracting. "Oh, I see. Well, whatever floats their boats, I suppose."

"Yes." Lily said, but she was paying more attention to Charlie, who hadn't said a word, and was staring at the wall with Sirius behind it. Moments later, something else caught her attention; but yet again, it wasn't poor Delia, who was talking to her.

"Lily."

It had been said that Sirius had the most heartbreaking puppy-dog eyes it was possible to own, but the pair James was wearing were enough to take you past melting point. Lily could never understand why people fell for Sirius' cold grey eyes when right beside him were James' warm chocolate ones. "Hello, James."

"Can I… er… have a quick word?"

"Of course. Just give me two minutes, OK?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. I'll see you in our dorm."

With undivided attention, she watched him turn around and leave the common room. She couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong with him; not least because he hadn't looked back at her once.

After being ignored for thirty seconds, Delia smiled at her sister. "Do you know, Charlie? I think we were right all along."

"Of course we were. It's very clear."

"We've always said that Lily has far more of a thing for James than she thinks she does."

"I do not have a… a thing for James!"

"Unicorn turd," declared Charlie matter-of-factly, and then smiled. "Come on, it doesn't matter. He likes you anyway."

"He did," she corrected, believing herself to be speaking the truth. "He clearly doesn't anymore, and that's a good thing." She smiled in an attempt to be remotely believable.

"Don't kid yourself," Delia commented wryly. "Now go and talk to him before you both spontaneously combust. It's probably about the Christmas ball, anyway." She locked eyes with Charlie, and they both smiled excitedly, shaking their hands about, and squealed, "Christmas ball!"

Lily smiled. "I'll go, then, and leave you two to fling your elbows around at each other."

She left the common room to an orchestra of kissing noises, which she silenced with an embarrassed look.

---

As soon as he heard the portrait creak, James stood up from the sofa he had been reclining on. "Hi."

"Hello." She offered him a smile, as he appeared to be uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for dragging you away from your conversation. I realise you probably don't want to be bothered when you're talking to your friends, especially by me."

"No, it's fine. You don't have to apologise." She blinked, openly concerned. "What's up?"

He waited a while before he spoke, attempting to force away the blush that had patterned his cheeks. "You and Remus… listen, I understand that it's none of my business, but he's my best friend, and you… well, you know how I feel about you."

Unable to comprehend why she was so crestfallen, Lily spoke. "I've told you, he just did it for the dare. Honestly, James, he'd never betray you."

The seeker scratched behind his ear. He knew that what he was about to say had the potential to make things incredibly awkward. "I know that."

She paused. "I don't understand what it is that's troubling you, then."

"I just wanted – well, I just wondered if that feeling was reciprocated. That is, I mean to say… do you, er, fancy Remus?"

Her instincts told her to say, 'I don't see how it's anything to do with you, Potter,' but she knew she couldn't possibly do what her head wanted her to. "No," she replied, as gently as she dared. "I don't."

Instantly, he appeared to lighten up. The spark in his eyes was back, and as much as she had thought the puppy-dog eyes were very sweet, she didn't miss them seeing as they had been replaced with a set so energetic and alive. "OK." He replied, as nonchalantly as he could. "Alright, the next item on the agenda – the Christmas ball."

"Well," she began, smiling at this version of James which she so much preferred. "I have a few ideas."

Christmas special coming up! I'm sorry this was so short.