James attempted to roll over and groaned as his entire body revolted against him. He had a splitting headache, his stomach was churning and his mouth was dry and tasted disgusting. It must have been a good night, he thought to himself, taking stock of the hangover. Oh yeah, the ball and the after party. He had a small, quick panic attack as he searched his memory for the ball. He relaxed again as he remembered eating and dancing with Lily and escorting her back to the common room. So he had been fine at the ball, and the drunkenness which had caused this hangover had happened later. Lily wasn't going to hate him. There was something niggling at his mind though, an image of her face incredibly close to his, and soft warm lips against his own. James sat bolt upright in bed, hangover-related pain forgotten. No, it couldn't have been. Maybe he had kissed someone else, last night when he was drunk, then dreamed that it was Lily? But the more he thought about the more he was convinced that cuddling and kissing with Lily on the couch had been real. He even remembered her laughing at him as he tried to heroically carry her up the stairs, only to go sliding back down and dropping her against the banister.

"Good to see you're alive," Peter commented from his own bed where he was draining a hangover potion.

"Mmm. Gimme one of those things." The small vial of purple potion came flying at James' head from the wrong side of the room. He caught it confusedly, quickly downing the whole thing.

"Cheers Moony, I needed that," James shook his head as the potion took effect.

"Good night last night, James?" Remus asked with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, I think so. My memory's a bit fuzzy though. Say, Moony, did I umm, you know, make out with Lily last night?" James' attempt at being casual had Peter and Remus in hysterics. James assumed that it was because he hadn't, in fact kissed Lily and his friends found the very suggestion hilarious. Luckily there was one kind person in the dorm that morning.

"Of course you did Potter, you were making out with her for about half an hour," Marlene's head popped out between the curtains around Sirius' bed.

"Right, thanks Marlene. Oh Merlin, I kissed Lily!" A huge grin spread across James' face as he savoured his slightly blurry memories. Then it turned into a look of horror as a realisation hit him.

"Oh crap, is she going to hate me? I took advantage of her when she was drunk? Why did I do that? She's never going to speak to me again!"

"Actually," Marlene interrupted his panicked rant, "she started it. So if any one was taken advantage of it was you."

"Yes, and you were a right idiot about it at the end of the night," Sirius chipped in, his voice rough. "She wanted to stay cuddled up on the couch with you but you insisted, what was it again Moony? Oh yes, 'the fair maiden must get her beauty sleep in her own pure bed'."

"She started it!" James exclaimed happily as he remembered Lily unexpectedly pulling his face down to meet her lips. "She doesn't hate me, she likes me. She kissed me!" Sirius laughed at his friend's excitement while Marlene rolled her eyes and left to find Lily.

Marlene entered the girls dormitory to the sound and smell of Lily retching into a bucket Mary had transfigured from a cup. Mary was rummaging through the cupboards in the bathroom, searching frantically for something.

"Hey Marlene, where're those hangover potions you have? And have you seen my anti-nausea potion?" She called as she saw Marlene coming in.

"Hangover potions are in my trunk," Marlene swiftly walked to said trunk and fished out the potions, tossing one to a sorry looking Alice and putting another on Lily's bedside table. Lily reached for it but Marlene snatched it back.

"Uh-uh Lils, you need the anti nausea stuff first or this will come straight back up," she warned. "Mary I think the anti- nausea potion is under the sink. Unless we took it all last night after watching Lily and James' disgusting display," she smirked at her ill friend. Lily looked up in confusion, but when she opened her mouth to ask she started vomiting again.

"Got it!" Mary called, hurrying back into the dorm. She waited until Lily had stopped throwing up again, then handed her the two potions.

"Oh thank Merlin," Lily groaned as her stomach finally felt still, her head cleared and the vomiting stopped. "Have I told you guys recently that you're the best? Because you are. You just saved me from hell, seriously what was that? I didn't know a hangover could hurt so bad!" Marlene and Alice laughed at her while Mary vanished her bucket disgustedly. The three of them crowded onto Lily's bed, wondering how much of the night she was going to remember.

"So, Lils," Mary began conversationally, "now that you're feeling better, did you enjoy last night?"

Lily looked at her friends in confusion as to why they were all crowded curiously around her. "Umm yeah, it was great. The ball went better than I had hoped and I think everyone enjoyed it. Didn't they?"

"Yeah yeah, the ball was great. How about the after party though?" Marlene pushed.

Lily groaned at them. "Look, I know it was pretty out of character for me but it's the only time I've been completely smashed ever, and I have excellent stories about the three of you in worse states than I probably was, so please don't torture me with this."

"Yes, well it was pretty funny that you were so drunk, but that wasn't actually the part we wanted to hear about," Alice told her.

"What part are you talking about then? Because honestly my memory's pretty fuzzy."

"Oh my God, you don't remember it," Marlene cracked up laughing.

"Should we tell her?" Alice pondered, turning to Mary and Marlene.

"Tell me what?" Lily demanded.

Mary ignored her. "Yes, I think so. I mean otherwise Potter will tell her and that won't end well for anyone."

"True. It would be funny though, watching him try to tell her," the three of them cracked up at that while Lily glared daggers at them all.

"Tell me what the hell you're talking about! What would Potter want to… Oh Merlin." The other three girls only laughed harder as a look of realisation crossed Lily's face, closely followed by horror. "I snogged Potter, didn't I? Oh Merlin, why the hell did I do that? Why did I not push him away? What the hell is wrong with me?" She cradled her head in her hands, shuddering hysterically. Alice managed to stop laughing enough to answer the questions.

"Well Lil, yes you did. You did it because you were drunk, and I'm guessing because you've rather changed your opinion of him lately. I mean, you did go to the ball together. And you didn't push him away because you kissed him first, so that would have been incredibly harsh. And there are a lot of things wrong with you, but that's not the point right now," she grinned, falling into laughter again at Lily' expression.

"I kissed him first? What have I done? He's going to think I'm all in love with him or something, he probably thinks we're dating now! Oh my God, why did I get so drunk?"

"As fun as it is watching you rant and ask hundreds of pointless questions to no-one, it's really not that bad so you can calm down Lil," Marlene told her. "Yes, Potter has been crazy about you for years and last night was probably the best thing that's ever happened to him, but he's not delusional enough to think you're dating him or in love with him because of one kiss. He's just happy he has a chance with you at all. All you need to do is talk honestly with him about what you want."

Lily nodded as Marlene's reasoning settled into her brain. "Yes I guess you're right. Only problem is, I have absolutely no idea what I want!" And Mary, Marlene and Alice all broke down into laughter again, though this time Lily joined in.