A/N: It's been too long, I know. But just a quick thank you to everyone who has added me to their author/story alerts/favourites! There have been a lot of new subscribers lately, but I suppose that's only to be expected when it takes someone this long to complete a story :)

Hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter 36 ~ Potter and Evans

'Ergh. Look at him, just sitting there. Eating.' I rolled my eyes, but managed to suppress a sigh.

James down, Marlene to go. Resting my chin on my palm I let Marlene rant at me, throwing in the occasional nod or 'ahh' whenever she paused for breath, which wasn't often.

I amused myself by shaping the mash potato into some resemblance of a mountain, and pouring spaghetti sauce onto it.

'I've never seen a natural disaster look more delicious.' A voice above me said.

Blushing a little, I shuffled up to let Remus sit down.

Marlene was still ranting, seemingly oblivious to Remus's arrival.

'How you been?' I asked.

'Ok.' He smiled back, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the worry in the way he carried himself. 'The dorm's been rough lately.' That it would have been. 'Sirius arrives just as the rest of us are leaving for breakfast. And then if he is there, James refuses to stay. I don't know where he sleeps half the time.' Remus's eyebrows were crinkled with worry. 'Of course this has been going on longer than full moon.' I gave him a blank look. 'Since Halloween.' He nodded, as if I should have a clue what he was hinting at.

'What? James has been avoiding Sirius since Halloween? Obviously everyone was aware they had been having trouble, but I didn't think it was that serious.'

Remus gave me an odd look. 'I'm starving; are you going to eat that or am I?' he asked, in a none-too subtle subject change. Not wishing to display my ignorance any further, I let it slip.

'All yours.' I pushed the volcano toward him. I'd just lost my appetite.

'And have you seen his hair?' Marlene continued in the background, having run out of things to complain about, and starting the whole 'I hate Sirius' speech again. With James absent she was also doing his part in their now, finely tuned script.

'Where's James?' Remus asked.

'I don't know.' I mumbled. I'd been so sure James was going to go and speak to Sirius, but here was Sirius, down the other end of the table, shovelling food into his mouth and James nowhere to be seen.

JPOV

'It's freezing up here.' I declared to the heavens, wrapping myself up tighter in my quidditch robes and looking down upon Hogwarts from my spot in the clock tower. In hindsight, the best idea would have been to change into something that wasn't mud stained and sweaty, but excitement had overwhelmed me. Now hunger was. Why the hell didn't I go to dinner? Sirius better know what I'm giving up for him.

The sound of heavy footfall alerted me to his arrival.

Sirius said nothing, just walked up and sat down next to me, his feet dangling over the edge. It was a comfortable silence.

'You're not like them. You know that, right?' Sirius just nodded mutely. 'I'm serious, Pads. Do you really think I'd be up here if I believed anything different?'

''Cause you're always right.' he mumbled, raising his eyebrows.

'Of course I am'. I grinned. Giving him a quick slap on the back I jumped up. 'I'm starving. You coming to dinner?'

'Already been.' He admitted, getting up as well. 'But I'm sure I could make some room for pie.'

'You always have to make room for good pie.' I agreed, leading the way down the steps.

I groaned as I was smashed into the floor from something heavy landing on top of me. A quick rugby tackle and we were back to normal, I thought as I tripped Sirius down the stairs.

Remus and Lily were still at dinner when we arrived, Marlene disappearing as soon as we appeared.

I scootched up to Lily and placed an experimental hand on her waist. I waited for a reaction, but she had frozen; apparently unable to choose between giving me permission to continue and ripping my arm off.

'Hello Sirius' she leaned around me grinning wildly once she had refound the ability to move. To my immense shock she had not thrown my hand off, nor had she in any way observed that she had noticed it at all; I'm unsure whether I should be pleased with this or not.

'Lily' he drawled back, his eyebrows rising at my hand position. I glared at him and went to elbow him, but Lily had already turned away; it seems it wasn't just me she was being unobservant with today.

'Where did Marlene go?' she asked, bewildered, to Remus.

'Oh, she headed off a while ago.' He answered. 'She may have also mentioned something about you being a traitor, James.'

'Great. No one wants that girls annoyed at them.'

'Agreed.' Sirius nodded, scooping lemon meringue onto his plate.

'Didn't you already have dinner?' Lily questioned him. Sirius just nodded wide eyes and innocent back at her. 'I should have anticipated that. I gotta go. See you guys later.' She got up, and I let my hand slip from her waist, upset that she was leaving so soon when she seemed to be in such a companionable mood.

'I don't know what to do anymore.' Mary whispered. We can't keep locking her up like this. We need to go to madam Pomfrey. She'll know what to do.'

I stopped walking, and ducked into the nearest alcove. This was interesting.

'Lily's too private for that. She wouldn't want her problems plastered out to the school nurse.' Lily? Problems?

'Well, if she doesn't improve soon, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have no choice but to go.'

'You're right.' Marlene sighed, rubbing her temple. 'She can't keep going like this. Jane and Amelia beginning to ask questions.'

'And what about that morning when she rolled out of bed in Potter's shirt?'

'I know, what was that all about?'

'I've no idea. I hinted at it once, but she seriously looked like she didn't have a clue what I was talking about.'

The girls kept on nattering but I stopped listening. I hadn't realised Lily hadn't stopped having nightmares. I mean, if they were talking about my shirt, then they must be referring to her late night wanderings. I thought she'd gotten over them seeing as I hadn't seen her wandering about late at night in her underwear recently - as I had just learnt was because Mary and Marlene had been locking her up.

Merlin. That whole debacle with Johnny had really messed her up.

'Hey James' Lily said, brushing her hand up my arm as I turned to face her.

'Lily.' I squeaked. 'I didn't see you there.' I peeked down the corridor but Mary and Marlene were gone, thank Merlin.

'Sorry.' She grinned mischievously up at me. 'Hey' she announced, seemingly only just realising where she was, 'what are you doing in an alcove?'

'Nothing.' My hand shot straight to my hair - she was onto me, I could see it in her sharp eyes.

'OK.' she said, shrugging. 'What are you doing now?'

'Umm, I was heading back to the common room. Why, what are you doing?' I asked, unable to let go of my hair.

'I was just gonna go for a walk.' she smiled coyly. 'Wanna come with?' she asked, her fingers sliding down my arm, leaving behind trails of heat until they captured my hand.

'Yeah.' I said eagerly as she ran off, dragging me along behind her.

LPOV

I was surprised by how easily I had slipped into the role. Even now, I don't really feel like I'm acting at all. The decision had been the hardest part of it all. I wanted the truth, but what was the best way to get it out of him? Flirting always seemed to put him in the best mood, so the pretence of a romantic stroll seemed to be the best way to loosen those lips of his.

I still wasn't totally ok with the deceitfulness of the whole plan, but I was unable to think of another, besides, if I was being honest, this wasn't the worst way to spend a Friday night at Hogwarts. The feeling of my hand in his rough, warm one was... nice, comforting.

'Where are you taking me?' James asked.

'I haven't decided yet.' I told him truthfully. Where best to take him to get him to confess?

'A spontaneous Lily? This is a surprise.' He joked casually.

'Yup.' I replied distractedly, looking around for a good spot. 'Wanna sit down?' I asked, too agitated walk any further and pulled James down onto the floor after me, leaving him no time to refuse.

'Okay.' he grinned awkwardly, hand flying toward his hair, uncomfortable. Not as much as me, I thought. I leant my head on his shoulder as I pondered how to bring up the subject.

JPOV

The silence dragged on. And on. There have been many times I have wished to know what Lily was thinking, but I think now topped them all.

It appeared Lily was waiting for me to speak. 'Have you seen my quidditch shirt anywhere?' I asked the first thing that popped into my head to break the awkwardness.

Her head shot around to look at me. There was guilt written all over her face. 'What? W-w-why… why would you ask me?' she stuttered out, her voice rising in pitch as it does when she's trying to hide something.

'Oh, just wondering' I grinned, relaxing.

LPOV

I felt James relax beside me, and supressed a sigh of relief, he was buying it.

'Actually, James' I said, knowing that if I didn't do it now, I never would, 'there was a reason I brought you down here.'

'Oh yeah?' I couldn't see him but knew he'd be grinning like an idiot.

'Yeah.'

Silence.

'So, why did you?' James asked, picking up a strand of my hair and twirling it idly between his fingers, making it hard for me to breath, let alone talk.

More silence, longer this time.

James dropped my hair and caught my chin, turning me around so he could search my eyes with his blazing hazel ones.

'Lily?'

It wasn't fair how he could sound so cute, so caring… I gazed at him, unable to find my voice. He was coming closer, leaning forward, his eyes beginning to drift shut…

I jumped up and away from his touch, afraid that he was getting totally the wrong idea about why I'd brought him down here.

His eyes flew straight back open and he looked up at me, hurt written all over his face. My heart thumped awkwardly in my chest, but I couldn't get distracted. I needed to find out the truth.

'James, is there something you need to tell me?' I asked straight out, giving him the chance to out everything now.

His confused look had me wondering if I was going completely crazy. He stood up, pushing his glasses back up his nose, before fondling his hair.

'Lily, are you alright?' He asked, trying and failing to cover up the hurt he was feeling at my rejection. I didn't, however, have time to feel guilty about my leading him on.

'I'm fine. All I want is the truth. I thought maybe you'd just tell me whatever your secret is, and not embarrass me any further than you already have.'

'Embarrass you? What in Merlin's name are you on about Lily?' He actually sounded angry.

'Don't play stupid, Potter, it doesn't suit you.' His misplaced anger was rubbing me up the wrong way.

For Merlin's sake, Lily, I have no idea what you're talking about!' He shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

'I know about the other girl, Potter.' I flung at him.

'Other girl?' James now looked not only extremely confused, but murderous, making me suddenly doubt my conviction.

'Bleeding hell, Lily!' What's wrong with you? Who the bloody hell told you about another girl? There is no other girl, there's only you! You must know that by now!' He shouted, his hand flying up to yank at his hair.

'Why do you insist on lying to me? I don't care if there was; October was a long time ago, all I want to know is the truth, because lately if feels like I'm the only one out of the loop.' I screamed back.

'Lily.' James grabbed my shoulders and shook me. Although I saw the struggle in his hands to not crush me, his grip hurt. 'There hasn't been any other girl. Not for months. Since before summer. Please believe me.' He bit out.

'I don't think I can.' I said lowering my voice to a whisper, and struggling to control the shaking in my hands. 'Something's happening to me and everything seems to be coming back to you.'

'Well it would, wouldn't it? Everything bad that happens to you is always my fault.' He spat, his eyes sparking dangerously. 'And yes something's happening to you. You're becoming attached, and that scares you, terrifies you even. But I'm not Severus, and I'm not going to hurt you. Once you understand that and come to your senses, I'll be here, but until then, I not going to stand here and just accept all the blame and guilt you dump on me.' He bundled the words up and threw them at me, striking me straight in the heart, before he turned on his heel and stormed off.

'You know, stupid doesn't suit you either, Evans.' He spat over his shoulder, twisting the knife in further still.

A/N: Like it, hated it, indifferent? I WANT TO KNOW! Review?

Anna-Cate xxx