I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE PARTY

Lily smelled something funny. She had put up silencing charms, so she wouldn't be disturbed by the Marauders that would most likely be around later, but the smell. It smelled like cigarettes and liquor, something Lily was familiar with because of her father. She hated the smell of cigarettes with a deep passion, though she didn't mind the occasional drink herself.

Putting down her books and parchment, she decided to investigate. She undid her charms and was immediately hit with the loud sounds of a party. Her blood turned to fire as she swung open the door and took in the scene before her.

Empty bottles of beer lay on the ground, long forgotten. Smoke hung thickly around the ceiling, creating a musky scent which burned Lily's nose. The entirety of the Gryffindor Quidditch team looked up at her, all in various states of disrepair. She realized she was wearing only a nightgown and flushed a bright red.

"What is going on here?" She asked, disbelief overtaking her features.

"Care to join us, Lovely?" Dorcas asked, raising her bottle of firewhiskey.

"No! No, I absolutely do not! What is happening here?"

"It's a party, Evans. People have them to have fun," James said in a condescending tone, intoxication making his words slur.

"Get. Them. Out of here!" She said to him through gritted teeth.

"Ah, don't be such a prude, Evans! Lighten up!" Arabella said, sitting on the arm of Lily's armchair.

"Silencio!" Lily shouted, and the music disappeared. "Now out, all of you."

The Quidditch players didn't move.

"Now!" The Head Girl said in a demanding voice. "Before I take points!"

The team scrambled to their feet, chairs screeching against the hardwood floor and bottles clinking. They filed out the door, sending apologetic and frightened looks towards Lily, who was still furious.

"Did you really have to do that?" James asked, the alcohol in his veins turning sour.

"Did it escape you that this is a shared space?" Lily asked, marching up to him. She barely reached his chin, but still held an intimidating figure.

"No," James replied, holding his head high.

"Is your ego so thick that you couldn't use basic observation skills to look around yourself?"

"No."

"Then why, in the name of Merlin, did you not think to inform me of the party you were throwing?"

James quieted.

"Clean this up, please. And don't throw another party without telling me." She turned on her heel.

"You don't get to speak to me that way!" He said harshly, reaching for her wrist. When their skin made contact, Lily nearly screamed.

"Don't touch me!" She said, her breathing quickening.

James pulled away, raising his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't think-"

"Of course, Potter. You didn't think. Because you never think. Stay away from me, please." Lily's voice sharpened like she was about to cry and she fled to her room.

She leaned against the door, tears trekking down her face. She'd heard her father yell that at her mum just days before she left. When Jocelyn had said good night later, there were bruises around her wrist where Richard had grabbed her. Jocelyn never complained, even when the marks couldn't be covered, just put on a brave face and stood between her husband and her daughters like a barricade.

Lily remembered one day in the early summer, Richard had left for the bar late at night. Lily had left her bedroom to find her mother sobbing at the kitchen counter.

"Why don't you leave him?" Lily had asked, warming old tea in the kettle.

"Oh, Lily. You wouldn't understand. Love is too vast for any one person to understand until they are fully immersed in it. One day, Lily-flower, you will understand."

"I don't understand who you can stand by someone who hurts you. Mum, isn't it enough to see that he doesn't love you?"

"He's broken, and I can fix him." Jocelyn thought her mission in life was to fix what was broken. She didn't understand that some things were not meant be fixed.

James didn't bother Lily at all for the next week. He left rolls of parchment on the table for her to review for their paper, but only nodded in the kitchen or when he was tying his shoes. Lily certainly didn't miss the conversation, it was just weird that it was not there. James had always talked her ear off, even when she was so ticked off at him that she couldn't see straight.

"Good day?" She asked him one night while eating ice cream at the table.

"Yes, how was yours?" He dropped his bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes. Lily cringed inwardly.

"Fine. There's ice cream in the icebox."

"Alright."

That was the extent of their conversations every day. Lily didn't want to yell at him again, so she picked up his robes and shoes when he left them on the ground in hopes that he might catch a hint.

"Complete radio silence?" Marlene asked her a few days later while they were sitting at the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Complete. He barely even says hello, just nods and asks me how my day was," Lily replied. She cradled her mug of warm tea between the sleeves of her argyle sweater and set a pawn down in front of Marlene's king.

"It's strange, but so is he. He'll be back to fawning over you in no time. Checkmate."

"How do you do that?" Lily asked, clearing the magical chessboard of the broken pieces.

"Haven't you noticed that chess is one of my many finely-tuned areas of expertise?"

"Anyways, how are you and Sirius?"

"Perfect. He brought me flowers and chocolate the other day, my favorite kind, too."

"Careful there, Mar, you're getting swoony."

"Am not!" Marlene said crossly.

"You are!" Lily giggled, pushing Marlene's shoulder. They fell over in a fit of giggles, the chessboard long forgotten.

"How's your Potions project going? I am so glad I didn't take Potions this year."

"It's… fine. It's weird working with Potter. It's not like he does anything other than read the stuff I leave on the table. The project is fine, though."

"Is he any good with Potions?"

"I honestly have no idea. We should start working on prototypes soon, but I'm nervous about going back into the lab."

Marlene sat up, resting on her elbows. Her blonde hair fell like a sheet behind her, tiny strands of it thrown across her heart-shaped face. "Do you-" She hesitated.

"Has Snape tried to talk to you?"

"No." Lily turned her head away, ignoring the pinch in her chest.

Marlene fell silent and the conversation was over.

That night, when James returned from Quidditch practice, Lily was sitting at the table studying. He nodded when she lifted her hand in a small wave and dropped his boots near the door. As he headed to his dorm, she stood, the chair scraping against the floor.

"Potter?" She asked hesitantly. He turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"I just- I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to snap at you when you touched me the other night. It was wrong, and I apologize. Also… about the party. I shouldn't've freaked like that." She tucked her arms behind her back and ducked her head, vaguely ashamed.

"No, you shouldn't've, but I get it. I should've run it past you. And sorry if I invaded your space. I was drunk, though that's no excuse." He said after a pause.

"So, are we alright? No more radio silence?"

"Radio silence?"

"Are you going to acknowledge me?"

"Sure. Again, I'm sorry."

"I am too. Do you want some ice cream?"

He thought for a second before nodding and sitting beside her at the table. She grinned and accioed two bowls and some Chocolate Frog ice cream.

Hey everyone! Just a quick disclosure: these characters are not mine!

Also, thank you to my AMAZING beta, InSpiteOfAllTheHeartaches, for all the work she's done for this fic!

Have a great Saturday!

Lots of Love,

LilyoftheValley