"What do you mean we have to paint this mural?" James demanded.
  "Well, only the two of you will know how you want it to look like. It's April. You have two months to finish that mural." Dumbledore said flatly. "And this will not take up time that you should be studying for your N.E.W.Ts."
  "This is your fault, you know?" Lily hissed behind the headmaster's back.
  "My fault? It was YOUR idea about Paris."
  "No, it was your 'compromise', dumb ass." Lily retorted, getting up in a huff. "I take it we'll do the sketching in the Common Room tonight?"
  "You think you know it all, don't you?" James spat.
  "Seven?"
  "Yeah."

  In two days, a Hogsmeade day, the two started to get to work. Lily promised to bring the magic paintbrushes and paint, and James promised to set up for them.     When Lily showed up barely wearing any make-up, her hair pulled away from her face and not styled at all, and wearing overalls, James dropped the bucket of paint that he had brought. And it splattered all over the floor.
  "I know, I know. I look like a wreck." Lily murmured. "Rub it in, why don't you?"
  "An attractive wreck." James said with a smirk.
  Lily rolled her eyes and went up the ladder. "The sky first?" She asked, setting up their paint.
  "Yeah, it's the first layer."
  In one hour the paint was painted and dried (magically, of course), and the two exhausted Gryffindors sat on their raised bench.
  "I am tired." Lily murmured.
  "Me too." James said.
  "You've got a little--.." Lily touched his nose. "It's dry!"
  "What?" James wrinkled his nose and Lily began to giggle.
  "You've got this smudge of dry paint on your nose." Lily said, making another attempt to wipe it off.
  "Like this?" James picked up his brush and dabbed Lily's nose with it.
  "I can't believe you!" Lily exclaimed with a giggle, grabbing her own brush that was covered in green paint and dashing his cheek with it. They both got up, sword-fighting with their brushes and sending paint everywhere. Lily had to walk backwards to win. With one slick wrist twist, James's brush went flying and she caught it with her other hand.
  "Ah-ha! Victory is mine!" Lily shrieked happily.
  "Oh, is it?" James asked, taking a step forward.
  And Lily fell.
  And James caught her by her right wrist.
  "Seems like the past is repeating itself, eh?" He whispered, pulling her up with a little effort and a little magic.
  "Except last time I was more stylishly dressed." Lily grumbled.
  "You look nicer now." James admitted shyly.
  "In overalls with no make-up? My hair isn't styled, I'm dashed everywhere with paint…"
  "You look nicer now." James said flatly. "Tomorrow morning?"
  "You think you know it all, don't you?" Lily asked, her paint-splattered hands on her denim-covered hips.
  "Seven?"
  "Yeah."


  "Look at this, Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, that following Monday in the Common Room. The Prince James Watch now featured a photo of James and Lily on this sort of raised billboard-paint thingy. This time, the film had been developed magically, so that you could see James and Lily chasing each other around with paintbrushes. Lily was laughing and her face was covered in dashes and dots of paint. To make things worse, the color was one of those rare color photos.
  "Does Prince James really love this Muggle heiress? Ms. Evans allegedly fits every whim of Prince James's search for the perfect young woman. And considering their history, will Ms. Evans be wearing a tiara by this time next year?" Sirius read. "Yeah, right. Like Lily would marry James."
  Lily walked in, wearing one of her newest dresses. It was this periwinkle gown that was sleeveless and the top part went down to cover half of her thighs. The second part was a lighter periwinkle pleated skirt that swung when she walked, that went just past her knees. She wore light periwinkle t-straps, and her hair was swept up, with a light periwinkle scarf holding it in place. She sighed happily, a dreamy smile on her lips.
  "Uh-oh." Sirius exchanged a worried glance with Remus.
  "What's that?" Lily wrinkled her nose.
  Sirius grinned. If there was one way to make Lily mad, it was through the press.
  "Uh, nothing." Remus muttered, and Sirius poked him in the stomach.
  "Just some silly girl's magazine." Sirius said with a toothy smile.
  "Oh, is it the latest Witch Weekly? I haven't read one of those in ages." Lily said, reaching for the magazine. Remus reluctantly gave Lily the magazine, shooting Sirius an 'I-hope-you-know-what-you're-doing' look.
  He shot Remus an 'I-do' look.
  "Wow, I didn't know that about Aria Kenning." Lily murmured, wrinkling her brow. "What's this?"
  Remus ducked under a chair.
  "The Prince James Watch." Lily whispered, her nose wrinkling as well. "Does Prince James really love this Muggle heiress? Ms. Evans allegedly fits every whim of Prince James's search for the perfect young woman. And considering their history, will Ms. Evans be wearing a tiara by this time next year?"
  Like Sirius, she sounded shocked, but unlike Sirius, Lily was outraged. She threw the magazine down on the floor.
  "I am going to have a word with this playboy prince, this randy royal, this disgusting disease, this rumor-spreading, back-stabbing, flobberworm!" Lily spat, standing up and picking up the magazine gingerly. She left the room with her nose in the air.
  "And the point of that was?" Remus asked wearily, coming out of his hiding place.
  "Why let her fall in love when all she's going to do is hurt both of them?" Sirius asked with a knowing look.
  "I guess you're right."

  "Oi! Mr. Prince!" Lily shouted across the Entrance Hall. James looked up and was indeed confused. What had he done now'
  "Take a look at this!" Lily spat, throwing him the magazine.
  "Wow! Aria Kenning had her nose repaired?" James said after a moment, still looking utterly confused.
  "Not that! Turn the page, you dumb ass!" Lily muttered exasperatedly, placing her hands on her hips.
  James looked around. Several Slytherin girls giggled, and they were joined by the Hufflepuffs. They knew what Lily was talking about. Lucky bastards. Then James looked down on the magazine. In bright pink bubble letters read the headline, "The Prince James Watch' What in bloody hell is this?"
  "Why don't you tell me?" Lily demanded through gritted teeth.
  James looked over the magazine and stared at Lily. She looked great, except for the whole angry thing.
  "Does Prince James really love this Muggle heiress? Ms. Evans allegedly fits every whim of Prince James's search for the perfect young woman. And considering their history, will Ms. Evans be wearing a tiara by this time next year?" James sounded as shocked as Lily had before, but not so outraged.
  "Well? I can't believe you did this!" Lily stomped her foot.
  "Me?" James was even more shocked than he had been seconds before.
  "Yes, you! Wouldn't you have been more angry if someone had written this about you?" Lily demanded.
  "I'm used to it, Lils."
  Lily cringed. "Don't call me that."
  "I'm used to it, Lily. FYI, I'm a prince." James said, looking into her eyes with a 'please-don't-kill-me' gaze.
  "I thought you were a duke!" Lily exclaimed.
  "Grand duke. AKA Prince." James muttered wearily.
  "I still can't believe you. If you lied to me this long, I don't know when I can trust you again." Lily whispered. "Why don't you check the other magazines and start making notches on your wall. I'm sure they've connected you with tons of other women." She turned on her heel to go, half-sobbing. The funny thing was, the only person they ever connected him with was her.


  "He's a playboy prince." Lily murmured, hitting her pillow with her fists. "A randy royal." Punch, punch. "A disgusting disease." Punch, punch, punch. "A rumor-spreading, back-stabbing..."
  "Flobberworm that you are completely in love with." Coco finished. She and the other Ravenclaws had come up after the 'scene'.
  "That too." Lily murmured. "I'm hopeless."
  "Ly devoted to you." Leola crooned in play. Lily hit her with a pillow, trying not to smile through her tears.
  "Summer lovin', had me a blast." Coco whispered.
  "Summer lovin', happened so fast." Diana joined in.
  "Met a girl crazy for me." Jennifer played in a very fake deep voice.
  "Met a boy cute as can be." Lily sang.
  "Summer days a driftin' away.." Clarisse whispered.
  "Oh-ah! Oh, the summer nights!" They all sang.
  "Fuck love." Lily said triumphantly. "This is my last year, damn it."
  "That's the spirit!" Mia said, jumping up.
  "Well, let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Coco asked. The girls giggled.