Over the next week, the professors must be conspiring to keep everyone away from the things that make their lives fun. Lily knows their exams are coming up at the end of the year, but did everyone have to decide to assign their biggest projects of the year at the same time?

Almost all of her free time - if it can even be called that - is spent in the library. The common room is fine for light studying, but that won't do with her current workload.

Besides, she's not the most welcome presence there at the moment.

Lily spreads out at a table in the back where no one will find or bother her. Between the stack of books on one side and a pile of discarded crumples of parchment on the other, she's bound to write the perfect essay. Soon, preferably.

For the past few days, she's spent time in the library rather than going back to her common room or dormitory. She goes there to sleep, but it isn't as comforting as it once was. Honestly, Lily doesn't remember ever spending this much time in the library, even when O.W.L.s were coming up.

Or maybe she now notices the time slip away because she has somewhere else she would rather be.

With a frustrated sigh, Lily drags a hand through her hair and scratches out her last written paragraph. Why did she ever decide N.E.W.T. Level Transfiguration was a good idea? She should have accepted that she was average at best in the subject. She should have had the wisdom to not take every N.E.W.T. class she could. If she didn't have this stupid assignment, she could be -

"Why are you hiding?"

In the midst of her Transfiguration haze, the shock of someone actually trying to talk to her makes her start. Her hand knocks over an inkpot, and the ink splatters over her current pitiful essay draft before she can save it.

Why do wizards insist on using this stuff instead of pens? If she didn't get such dirty looks from her housemates, she would probably stuff a few in her bag and forget about this quill nonsense.

Lily turns the inkpot upright again. "I'm not hiding," she counters as she pulls out her wand to save what she can of the essay.

"So you always hang out in the back corner of the library alone?"

Perhaps she makes too much of a show while trying to put everything back in order. Once her workspace is reasonably settled, Lily's eyes dart up to the other person. The voice gave her away, but Lily swallows when she actually sees the other girl.

Jamie leans against a bookshelf, her arms crossed over her chest.

She's wearing an aggressively Gryffindor scarlet jumper that's too big for her. Lily knows from the fit that it's one of Sirius' that he bought specifically to annoy his brother.

No wonder half the school thinks Potter is involved with her best friend. It isn't so far fetched when she's dressed like this. Jamie, proud as always, has enough confidence to wear someone else's clothes like they are her own.

Probably because she knows just how good she looks in them.

Lily's eyes travel past the hem of the jumper to muggle jeans that are not too big for her. She almost does a comical double take to confirm what she sees. When she lifts her gaze with a blush, Lily notices that Jamie's glasses are approaching the end of her nose, but she doesn't make a move to correct that. It makes Lily want to push the frames up herself.

"I'm studying," Lily replies. She attempts to keep it cool, but she can hear a squeak in her voice.

Jamie raises her eyebrows and nods, but she doesn't press. Instead, she pushes herself off the bookshelf and pulls out the chair across from Lily. "Mind if I sit?"

"Did you want to study too?" Lily asks the question before she can stop herself. Her thoughts are racing around like Jamie on her broom. "I mean -"

She detects the suggestion of laughter behind Jamie's specs. "Sure." She looks around and gives an exaggerated sigh. "But I guess I forgot my books."

Lily smiles, despite the buzzing in her head. "That might make studying hard."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

Since seeing those jeans, Lily has about a million. She has to stay a little cool, though. They have a bit of flirty banter going. She can work with that. She can play along and say something that will make Jamie stay.

Confidence, Evans, she tells herself. It shouldn't be that hard. She already knows this girl likes her. They've said as much to each other. So why is her mind acting like she's a nervous fan meeting her celebrity crush?

Jamie is just a girl. Just a girl who plays Quidditch like every game is the World Cup and whispers too loudly when she sneaks around the castle. Just a girl Lily has kissed. Just a girl who is wearing -

"Could we go to your dorm?"

That's what she could come up with?

Jamie's eyes widen.

Lily scrambles to save it. "I didn't mean - not that I don't like… I mean, I-I just meant…" She lets out a breath and twists her hands together under the table. "Okay. No. Let me start over. Is there somewhere we can be alone?" Her eyes widen to match Jamie's. "Not to - not that I don't like... I like that stuff. But I was hoping we could… talk?"

Behind her glasses, Jamie's eyes switch from shocked to amused. Laughing at her, admittedly, is a better reaction than what Lily feared from her botched attempt at flirtation.

"'Course, Evans. We can talk."

Jamie helps her sweep textbooks and parchment into her bag. She takes a careful few seconds to make sure the inkpot is safely tucked in the outside pocket so it won't shatter all over her things. The thoughtfulness gives Lily a warm feeling in her chest that makes her wonder just how far gone she is for this girl.

Pull it together, Evans.

With her friends, Jamie has probably explored every nook and cranny of this castle. They've likely seen more of the place than anyone else, so it doesn't surprise Lily that Jamie knows exactly where to go.

They end up in an empty room that isn't large enough for a class or small enough to be a cupboard. When they sit on either side of a shared desk, their knees knock together. Lily nudges Jamie's knee with her own and pushes her bag into the corner.

Sure, she has more schoolwork than she knows how to handle, but she's not stupid. She's not going to miss a chance to spend time with…

Her mind searches for the right term for whatever Jamie is to her.

For all the times they've managed to sneak away together, they haven't exactly defined what this is. It is something, isn't it?

They said they liked each other at the Gryffindor party. In the hospital wing, Lily didn't confess everything, but she pushed close to the boundaries of her comfort. Since then, time and kisses and stolen moments have passed between them.

It's definitely not just fooling around for Lily. It can't be that way for Jamie either, she tells herself. They don't act like they're fooling around.

Not that Lily would even know what acting like that would be.

Was Jamie's teasing at the last game really the only time she's asked her out?

"What are we?" Again, Lily's inability to contain herself strikes. Once the thoughts go around enough times in her head, they have to come out.

"What?"

No wonder Jamie doesn't know what she's saying. Lily has barely made sense since Jamie appeared by her table in the library.

Lily might as well finish what she started.

"This. Us." Lily gestures in the space between them. "It's something. Something special, at least to me. I think we should… define it. Maybe. So we know that we're on the same page?"

Now Jamie's blushing too. It makes Lily squirm in embarrassment but also helps her realize that she isn't the only one struggling with this.

If she wants this to work (and, yes, she absolutely wants it to work), she has to be all right with the uncomfortable bits. Not talking about them leads to the worst parts of the romance novels hidden in the bottom of her trunk.

Maybe, somehow, this conversation will go well enough that they get to snog at the end.

Jamie clears her throat. She tries to speak once but has to try a second time before she manages to say anything. "What page do you think we're on?"

"A good one," Lily supplies, knowing that doesn't exactly answer the question. Jamie doesn't say anything but her knee is still pressed against Lily's, so she continues. "Obviously, I like you. A lot. And not just because I like snogging you, though I'm sure you know I like that too." She tries a smile to lighten the mood of the room and reaches across the desk to take Jamie's hand.

After a short glance at their hands, Jamie weaves their fingers together. "You're important to me," she says quietly. Her hazel eyes meet Lily's green ones, and they root her in the spot. "I meant what I said about spending time with you. You're… not like anyone else in my life."

Lily nods because she understands. She knows their situations aren't the same (Jamie has Sirius, Remus, and Peter, while Lily wonders who she has anymore), but Jamie isn't like anyone else in her life either.

"For me, it's…" Lily struggles to find the right words. "I know this part isn't true for you, and that's okay. Really, it is." She looks down, not quite willing to meet Jamie's eyes. "But you're… you're my best friend, Jamie."

Jamie squeezes her hand. Lily takes it as a sign to keep going.

"You're who I want to talk to whenever anything happens. You're the first person I want to tell. I catch myself looking at you, and... You're who I think of when I wake up. I'm always trying to figure out how we can spend more time together. Jamie, you make me happy." She regains the nerve to look Jamie in the eye, so she does it. "My point is, I really like what's happening and think we should be clear about what we want to be."

"Lily," Jamie answers softly, lifting a hand to trace the line of Lily's jaw with her fingertips. "I think about you so much that McKinnon keeps asking me about what is so distracting at practice. When you're around, it's like I forget about everything else, but I'm so happy about it that I don't even mind. Sirius might be my best mate, but you are one of my best friends."

Her lips move into a smile, but her heart is beating too loudly for her to speak. The world narrows to Jamie and the spark that starts where their skin meets.

Jamie's thumb almost brushes Lily's bottom lip, making her suppress a shudder. "Would you also want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Lily answers, fully grinning. "Yes. Of course."

That answer is one of the easiest she's ever had to give.

Lily isn't sure which of them is the first to lean across the desk to meet the other, but it doesn't matter.

She's kissing her girlfriend.

Even though the events shouldn't be connected, Lily's conversation with Jamie gives her a new boost. They only get a few chances to exchange glances, but they're enough. For the next few days, it's almost like she's floating. The essays are easier, and the work doesn't seem so daunting.

For the first time all week, Lily sits in her common room with the intention of relaxing.

"I'm surprised you're still here."

With her legs over the arm of one of their common room's chairs and her back against the other, Lily looks up from her book. "Where else would I be?"

"I don't know," Cornelia says. Her tone, however, suggests that she has a few ideas. "I haven't seen you around as much anymore. Haven't you been spending time with some of the other houses?"

Lily nearly bites her tongue so she doesn't respond too quickly. If she isn't careful, she could regret a few wrong words.

"I have," she allows. "I don't see why it matters, though. This is still my common room, isn't it?"

"It is."

A few beats of silence pass, but Lily is still uneasy. She keeps her finger marking her spot in the book rather than returning to the text.

"Did you want to talk about something, Cornelia?"

"Not really." Cornelia's mouth turns up in a way that can't mean anything good. She flips her hair back from her face and goes to leave. Before she gets out of hearing range, Cornelia turns her head over her shoulder with a smirk.

"Oh," she says offhand, like the information doesn't really matter, "did you hear about Macdonald?"

A pit starts in Lily's stomach. Every part of this is wrong. It's too familiar. Cornelia is using the same tone she adopted when Jamie was sitting in the Hospital Wing.

It's not an accident. It can't be.

Nothing Cornelia does is an accident.

"What are you talking about?"

One shoulder lifts in a casual shrug. The corner of her mouth becomes all the more worrying. "I heard there was a little… mishap."

That sends an unpleasant shock down Lily's spine. "What should I have heard?"

"I don't know the details," Cornelia says. Lily doubts her immediately. "All I know is that something happened in the corridor by the Potions classroom. I don't know why Macdonald was even down there, but Avery said -"

"What happened, Cornelia?" Lily asks more firmly. "Is Mary hurt?"

"Like I said,'' Cornelia returns, a little testy, "I don't know all that happened. The boys are all okay, thankfully, but they took Macdonald to the Hospital Wing."

Lily tosses her book aside and stands abruptly. She can't give herself the luxury of thinking about what this looks like or what Cornelia thinks.

What does it matter? Cornelia is already suspicious. Being friends with Mary isn't the worst thing Lily is doing, going by Cornelia's rules. If Avery and Mulciber are involved, and Mary is sitting in the Hospital Wing, it can't be anything good.

How can she sit here when anything could have happened?

"Thank you for the information," Lily says quickly. "I have to go."

"Lily, are you even worried about -"

Without looking back, Lily shuts the common room door behind her and takes off down the hall in a sprint. Partway down the corridor, her heroic entrance is halted when she nearly crashes into another person. Lily pulls back in time to see Severus' wide eyes. A second late, once they widen with recognition, Severus puts a hand out to catch her arm.

"Lily, are you...?"

"What happened?" she demands. Lily jerks her arm out of his grasp and holds her wrist over her chest. "Is Cornelia full of nonsense or did something happen?"

His moment of hesitation says more than any of his words will.

Lily's stomach sinks even further.

"It's not that bad," Severus says. "Mulciber has a few scratches, but it's all minor. He only stopped by the Hospital Wing to get checked out because -"

"Because what?"

"Because Macdonald attacked him like some muggle," Severus answers sharply.

"What? Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?' I don't know. I don't understand Gryffindors."

"This isn't about Gryffindor or Slytherin," Lily replies impatiently. "Why did she have to scratch him? What did he do?"

"He didn't -"

"I don't believe that for a minute."

Severus' mouth stays open for a few beats too long. He closes it finally, meeting her eyes and matching her fierce expression. Something between them cracks in the silence. It's a challenge, and Lily doesn't lower her eyes or back down.

Slowly, Severus takes a long breath in and out through his nose. "You don't believe me?"

Lily crosses her arms and straightens her shoulders. "I don't believe Mary attacked someone for no reason."

"Those are our friends you're talking about, you know," Severus says. "I would think you would give them a chance."

"Severus," Lily says, letting some chill enter her tone. This has gone on long enough. "I've given them a chance. I've given them so many chances. You know I don't like some of the people you're hanging round with. They might be in our house, but they aren't friends to me."

"So it's all his fault?" Severus scoffs. "That's what you think? Without even pretending to hear the whole story?"

"I know enough," Lily snaps.

"Oh, of course. How could I forget? You're hanging out with all those Gryffindors now. What have they been telling you about us?"

"We don't talk about you. I'm allowed to have friends who actually -"

"So they're your friends now? The last six years don't mean anything? You spend a few months with them, and they have you convinced that everyone in Slytherin except you is awful. Because they're all so perfect, aren't they?"

"What are you talking about? Mulciber and Avery go around bragging about Dark Magic and you know it. You even join them sometimes."

"What about the stuff Potter and her mates get up to?"

"What's Potter got to do with anything?"

Her cheeks warm. In the moment, she isn't sure whether it's anger or the mention of Jamie causing it. Her own doubt, though, can only help however Severus sees this.

"They're not as wonderful as you seem to think they are," Severus answers. "You've seen what they do to me. How they treat us. You're a Slytherin, you know. It's only a matter of time before they decide they hate you too."

Her nails bite into the meat of her palms as Lily's hands tighten into fists. She forces every other part of her to still when she asks her next question through gritted teeth. "What did he try to do to Mary?"

"It was nothing," says Severus coolly. "It was a laugh, that's all."

"A laugh? If it was a laugh, I would know what the hell is going on right now."

"Why don't you ask Potter? She can tell you all about how they were provoked and -"

"Provoked?" Lily repeats, voice strained. "How were they provoked?"

"By Potter and her friends doing the same things they always do. They're a bunch of Gryffindors poking their noses in where they don't belong and getting in the way. It's only a matter of time before they -"

"Get attacked in the corridor?"

"Before we have to react," Severus says. "The rest of us shouldn't have to take whatever they do because they happen to be Dumbledore's favorites. This time, Macdonald got in the way too. Mulciber was tired of dealing with it, and I don't blame him."

"What did he do?"

"He defended himself! He shouldn't have to deal with that from filthy little mudbloods like her!"

Severus' eyes are cold and black. She's seen him start to get this way before, but this is farther than what she remembers. In the past, he had a few buttons that stayed unpushed for her. Both of them extended patience to the other that they didn't have for anyone else. In all the years they have been friends, there are a few things he would never say to her.

Lily watches the moment where all those things shatter.

"Fine," Lily says. "I won't bother asking next time."

It takes Severus a few extra seconds to recognize the significance of his outburst. His eyes widen again, one hand waving in front of him like he can erase the last few seconds of time.

"Wait, no. I didn't mean -"

"Good bye, Severus."

What started as her mission comes into sharp focus. She can't let Severus and his bigotry distract her. Mary is in the Hospital Wing, and her housemates had something to do with it. She can't waste her time on what is happening between her and Severus.

She needs to be Head Girl.

She needs to be a decent person.

She needs to be a friend.

When she gets to the Hospital Wing, Lily doesn't hesitate. She storms through, the door banging against the wall when she shoves it open. Like usual, it's mostly empty. A few people are clustered by one of the beds, murmuring in low voices.

That must be where she needs to go.

Before she makes it to the bed, Sirius looks up. His face twists and kills some of the righteous anger that brought her there, freezing her in place and making her stomach knot. Jerkily, he tugs the curtains closed so she can't see the person on the bed.

Lily's mouth goes dry.

"What happened?"

Jamie turns. Her hand is so tangled in her hair at first that Lily wonders how she gets it out so quickly. Though her hand drops to her side, Jamie's lopsided curls tell Lily that it isn't the first time she's tried to find answers there in the last hour.

"Padfoot, it's Lily," Jamie says. "She didn't -"

"It was one of her friends," Sirius says harshly.

"What?"

Sirius casts a glance toward the curtains covering Mary and looks back at Lily, his gaze steely. "Where have you been, Evans?"

"You don't have to answer that," Jamie says. "Lily's not responsible for this. She would never -"

"What's going on?" Lily says for what feels like the thousandth time since Cornelia talked to her. She's seen nearly everyone except the person she needs. She has some of the answers but not enough for everything to fall into place. "No one will tell me. What happened to Mary?"

"Mulciber."

Remus stands so he draws Lily's attention away from the venom in Sirius' gaze. He tugs on the bottom of his cardigan self consciously when everyone's eyes go to him. "Mulciber happened."

"Severus said -"

"Oh, because Snivellus is the most reliable person to ask."

An hour ago, Lily might have been defensive. She might have told Sirius that he was wrong. That even though she had her suspicions and her own problems with the person who was supposed to be her best friend, he wasn't allowed to give those things a voice. He wasn't allowed to bring his own problems with Severus into this.

But it's not an hour ago anymore.

"Mulciber is definitely not one of my friends." As she talks, Lily's voice gets louder. She takes a step forward and looks to Sirius again. "None of them are."

"Lily," Jamie says, "you don't have to prove anything to us. We know you didn't -"

"No," Lily says. She keeps her eyes on Sirius. "I mean it. They aren't my friends. They can't do this to people and think it's all right. I didn't come to apologize for them or try to explain it away. I came because I want to check on Mary."

If she wasn't looking for it, Lily might not have seen how Sirius' features soften. He has the kind of sharp jaw and angled nose that belong in her house more than his. While the people with those same features in her house use them to sneer, it looks like Sirius uses his to best advantage when standing guard.

Lily sees the moment when she changes from something he needs to guard against to someone he needs to add to his protection.

"Come here, Evans," Sirius says.

Her shoes are heavy like they're filled with lead, but Lily takes another step toward him. She passes by Jamie. They're close but for once, there's something in the same room as Jamie that she wants to see more.

Maybe that's not quite right.

She doesn't want to see a hurt Mary at all. She doesn't want to see what Mulciber did to cause this much mess and worry. She doesn't want to see it, but she wants to be here. If something happened, she doesn't want to be sitting in the common room or ignoring reality.

Lily wants to do something about it.

Sirius guides her to a seat and helps her move it a few inches closer to the bed. He reaches up to shift the curtains.

Mary's face comes into view, pale and lacking her usual energy. The playful smile that often plays across her face is wiped smooth by whatever Madam Pomfrey must have given her to sleep. Lily looks carefully, scanning for traces of the girl who accepted her so readily. Her eyes stick on the bandages wrapped around the wrist that rests on her stomach.

"Pomfrey says she's done everything she could for the curse," Sirius says quietly. He sits on the chair next to Lily's and scoots it close.

"Mary's tough," Peter says.

"She doesn't let anything keep her down long," Jamie agrees.

Lily lets her eyes leave Mary at that. She tilts her chin up to see a determined look that is so Jamie it almost hurts. The hope igniting in her chest manifests in the faintest suggestion of a smile.

"She's going to be all right," Remus says, putting a hand on Lily's shoulder. "I've been down here enough times to know all of Pomfrey's facial expressions. She wouldn't lie or make us think it's better than it is."

"She's going to be okay," Lily says. "I know it. In the meantime, we should make a plan to get all of her notes and take care of everything for her."

Sirius gives a strangled laugh. "Evans, are you really talking about school right now?"

"If I was stuck in the Hospital Wing, I wouldn't want to fall behind," Lily says. "Do you think McGonagall is going to accept this as an excuse for skipping out on N.E.W.T. studying?"

"Don't remind me," Sirius groans.

"Lily is right," Remus says, laughing. "You lot are always more concerned about updating me on pranks than letting me know what schoolwork I missed."

"Then it's good that you have me now," Lily says.

For a second, she thinks she might have gone too far. They've let her into this moment, but that doesn't mean she's one of them. It doesn't mean she'll be welcomed back at any time.

"It is good," Jamie says, dropping into the chair on Lily's other side. She grins and runs her hand through her hair. This time, the action tames some of the snarls rather than exacerbating them. "Moony has someone else to quiz him. Frees up some time for us, Pads."

"You hear that, Macdonald?" Sirius says. "I'd stay asleep for a little while longer. So much studying to look forward to when you wake up."

They all laugh, breaking the worst of the ice. Nothing is perfect or fixed or right, but it isn't all shattered either. If Pomfrey says Mary is going to be all right, she's to be trusted. If Sirius Black is letting a Slytherin sit with them, they must think she is to be trusted too.

When Jamie slips her hand into Lily's, she lets it stay there.