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She was late. James checked his watch and then glanced at the door for what seemed like the hundredth time. It wasn't like Lily to be tardy. Worried, he turned his attention to the Prefects and wondered if he should wait for a few more minutes or go ahead and start the meeting. Catching several Prefects squirming, James decided to begin.

"Alright," he said loudly. "Let's get started."

"Where's Lily?" a girl from Hufflepuff asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure-"

"I'm here," Lily announced, rushing into the room. "Sorry I'm late."

At the sight of her, James let out a sigh of relief. He waited until she was standing beside him before he asked her if she was alright.

"I'm fine," Lily muttered. "We'll talk later."

James nodded and turned toward the group before him. "Let's begin. Does anyone have anything to report?"

"I do." A girl from Ravenclaw raised her hand and then lowered it. "Last night I was patrolling the corridor outside of the library when I heard a loud crash. I was so startled I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest. Anyway, I hurried into the library to see what happened. I found two students in the restricted section. Two Slytherin's I might add, and first years."

"Did you ask them what they were doing there?" Lily asked, perching on a desk.

"They refused to answer any of my questions." She shrugged her shoulders. "I gave them a lecture about being out of bed, took house points away, and told them to get back to their dormitories."

"Keep an eye on the library," James told her. "Let Lily or me know if anything happens again. Good job, by the way."

"Thank you," she said, beaming. "I wish they had answered my questions though. I would like to have known why they were in the restricted section."

It was James' turn to shrug. "Who knows? Maybe they were looking for a decent book to read. I've sneaked into the library a time or two to borrow a book when I couldn't sleep." He grinned. "You didn't hear that."

"Keep your little outings to yourself, Potter," Lily uttered dryly. "You don't want to give them any ideas."

"Right." James cleared his throat. "Anybody else have anything to tell us?"

"Yeah," a boy from Gryffindor spoke up. "I caught your best mate, Sirius, snogging Harmony Lynch. It was late and I was on my way back to the common room when I heard noises coming from a classroom." He smirked. "I opened the door and found them."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Did you take house points from them?"

"Yeah." He grimaced at James. "Sorry, man."

"Don't be." James shifted on the uncomfortable desk. "He broke the rules and deserved to be punished. Don't bend the rules for anyone. I think-"

Suddenly a house-elf appeared. Everybody turned their head and gazed in his direction. The elf was dressed in a black vest with matching shorts, and a blue bow-tie that was a few shades darker than his tennis ball size eyes. He gave Lily a tentative smile and presented her with a letter.

"What's your name?" she queried, tucking the parchment in her pocket.

"Griffin, miss," he squeaked.

"Please, call me Lily." She returned his smile. "It's nice to meet you, Griffin. That's a lovely bow-tie."

"You're quite the snappy dresser, Griff," James said.

The elf lowered his gaze as his face turned red with pleasure. "Thank you, James Potter, sir."

"It's James, Griff," he corrected him.

"Yes, Mr. James." He bowed to him and Lily. "Griffin must go."

"We understand." Lily grabbed her wand from her pocket and gave it a wave. An orchid suddenly appeared. She held the flower out to the elf. "For you."

Shyly, Griffin took the flower. "Miss. Lily is too kind," he said softly. "May Griffin visit miss again soon?"

"Of course," she answered. "I look forward to it."

The elf bowed once more and then he was gone, having disapparated on the spot.

The meeting ended, ten minutes later. While the Prefects filed from the room Lily read the letter Griffin had delivered. By the time she was done it was just her and James left.

"So, who wrote the letter?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"Andrew." Lily folded up the letter and slipped it back in her pocket. "Don't ask me what he wrote."

"I wasn't going to." He rocked back on his heels. "Why were you late to the meeting?"

"I was doing homework and lost track of time." Lily wandered over to the window and looked out onto the dark grounds. "I overheard a conversation between Charlotte and Devlin. Is it true, James? Did Andrew tell you to stay away from me?"

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Tell me exactly what he said," she demanded without turning around.

Joining her at the window, James filled her in. "He said he wanted me to stay away from you. I told him it wasn't going to happen because you and I are friends. He became angry and told me he didn't care. You're his girlfriend and he didn't want me anywhere near you. He said, and I quote, 'You think I don't notice how you look at her . . . how you find any excuse to touch her?' I told him I didn't know what he was talking about." He paused.

"Go on," Lily urged him.

"He became livid and shouted, 'the hell you don't. I saw the way you were carrying on with her this morning in the Entrance Hall and I want it to stop'." James ran a hand through his hair. "I informed him that I didn't take kindly to be being told what to do and that if he had a problem with us being friends then he needed to take it up with you. That it was your decision who you choose to be friends with."

"I couldn't agree more," she stated calmly.

"He didn't see it that way." He smiled crookedly. "He claimed that I would like it if he came to you and demanded that you stop being friends with me. It would make him look like the bad person and me the good one. He said it wasn't going to happen and warned me one more time to stay away from you. That's when we went our separate ways."

"I'll set him straight in the morning," Lily said.

"And if he doesn't listen to you?" James asked, searching her face carefully.

"Then he and I are through." She squared her shoulders. "I won't let anyone control my life."

"That's because you are a strong and independent person," he pointed out. "You've always been that way. It's one of the things that I admire most about you. Are you heading back to the common room?"

"Yes." Lily rubbed her forehead. "I still have homework to finish."

"Then we'll walk back together."

Lily extinguished the lights and they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room.