Disclaimer: does this need to go on every chapter? There not mine, okay I admit it! :'( *holds hands up in defeat*

A/N: Thanx for all the reviews; sorry it's taken a while to post this chapter, exam madness took over (as well as insane amounts of 'Pride and Prejudice' watching *grin*), enjoy :)

Summary: James takes a well deserved cold shower!

CHAPTER 5

It was half an hour later when they started mopping the floor after finishing on the toilets.  Lily went over to the taps to refill her bucket, she was just thankful that Myrtle hadn't shown up again.  Lily had once been stuck in there for an hour talking to her, when she was in the first year, because Myrtle had thought Lily had insulted her.

James stood up, groaning as his back spasmed, "I can't believe we had to do this without magic," he complained.

"You're just not used to it," Lily argued, "I'll bet you never have to lift a finger at home."

"It's called magic," James said in a patronising tone.

"Well not all of us have wizarding lineage," Lily replied sarcastically.

"You have to do this often when you're at home?" he asked, indicating to the mops.   I can't believe we're having a normal conversation, he thought. "You don't have a maid or anything?" he added.

Lily glared at him. "No," she replied shortly.  "Some of us weren't born with silver spoons in our mouths," she added cruelly.

"Look, it's not my fault if you're jealous is it?" James shot back .

"Jealous!" she exclaimed. "Of what?  Your patronising tone of voice and ability to piss off the world?"

"Hell!" he yelled, annoyed. "What in God's name is wrong with you?  You are jealous, just 'cause I have money and breeding,"

Lily stood frozen in shock.  I can't believe he just said that, she thought. 

James' eyes were widened in astonishment.  I can't believe I just said that, I didn't mean to say that, I don't even think that, he thought, horrified at himself.  "God, Lily I'm sorry," he whispered.

Suddenly her fiery temper kicked, "You know what," she paused, "you should have been in Slytherin," she said and she dumped her bucket full of water over his head.

~*~*~*~*~

James blinked the water out of his eyes, it was icy cold and he was starting to shiver, Lily was just staring at him, wide eyed, her temper having subsided and appearing to be in shock at what she'd done, she was shaking slightly.

"Lily, I am sorry," he whispered again, like she was going to snap at any moment. "I didn't mean it, it just came out, I'm really sorry."

Lily sank heavily to the floor, tears streaming down her face, she buried hands in her face and started to sob, she was shaking violently now.  James leaned down awkwardly to comfort her, debating whether to hold her or not, he was soaking and he didn't want to make things worse.

"You know what?" Lily said through her tears. "I can't help being Muggle-born," she raised her head to look at him, James could see that her eyes were red. "I'm not ashamed of what I am," she added, staring defiantly at him, "I'm just as good at magic as you," she said.

"Better," James acknowledged as he ran a hand through his hair and sat down her. "You're top of the class in most subjects, I can only beat you in transfiguration and you wipe the board with me in charms," he smiled wryly at her.  "I didn't mean it, Lils, I'm sorry."

"I know you didn't," she said stretching her legs out in front of her. "It's just I have to deal with being called 'mudblood' everyday from Malfoy, Snape and their friends, I didn't expect it from Gryffindors as well. I didn't expect it from you," she added quietly.

James swallowed hard, "I never meant it, I don't even know why I said it. I'm so sorry," James pleaded desperately.

"You said that already," Lily replied, half a grin forming on her face.  "I think I got you back anyway," she said smiling and indicating at his soaking wet clothes.

"No you didn't, I deserve more punishment than this," James said, but he smiled tentatively back at her.

"Well," Lily said, "I could always tell everyone you have red love heart boxers," Lily grinned.

"You wouldn't!" James exclaimed, horrified.

~*~*~*~*~

Professor Roulash walked into the bathroom, and stared in shock at the dripping wet James Potter.  "What on earth have you two been doing?" she asked. "Did you do this Miss Evans?".

"It was me," James interjected quickly. "I was spinning the bucket round, the water was meant to stay inside it though," he grinned slightly. "Guess I must have spun it too slowly."

"Well," said Prof. Roulash, "that will teach you to try and impress girls during detention."  James' eyes widened slightly but he didn't dare dispute her assumption.  "You two better go now, before you catch your death of cold Mr Potter, you can finish this tomorrow night," she added.

~*~*~*~*~

The next two nights of detention passed quite inconsequentially.  The only mention of their first detention was when James whispered to Lily after Potions, when they were clearing up: "They were a gift from my aunt…. my Mum made me bring them," he continued, sounding embarrassed.

"What were?" Lily whispered back, confused.

"Those boxers," James elaborated, turning red.

~*~*~*~*~

"What's with you and James?" Fee asked as soon as Lily entered their dormitory that evening. "You were whispering in Potions and you haven't had an all out row for three whole days."

"What?"  Lily asked defensively, "he's been less annoying recently."

"No," Bella said, "he's been the same as he always has. What happened in detention?" she added suddenly, her eyes gleaming

"Nothing," Lily said a little too quickly. Her friends disbelieving looks prompted her to add in a rush: "He said something really horrible, but he didn't mean it and was soooo apologetic, and well I think he's trying to be nicer to me to make up for it, ok?"

"Ok," Fee and Bella said, bemused looks on their faces.

"It will wear off in a couple of days, I'm sure," Lily said.

~*~*~*~*~

"Oy, Medusa!" Sirius yelled. 

Lily whirled round, fixing him with a death stare.  "What?" she ground out.

"Sirius leave it," James whispered to him

"You don't think I can stand up for myself?!" Lily asked, infuriated.

"To be honest? No," James shot back at her.

"What? You think that because Sirius is on the Quidditch team and a guy he's better than me?" she demanded angrily.

"Actually it's the fact that you're you that makes Sirius better than you," James retorted

Lily's eyes narrowed and her fist swung forward to connect with James' jaw before she turned and stormed out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Lily was sitting on her bed nursing her hand, still fuming with anger, when Fee and Bella ran into the room.  "Lils, did you have anything to do with the reason that James Potter is pacing the common room, clutching his jaw and spouting profanities?" Fee asked. 

Bella glanced down at the way Lily was holding her hand on her lap. "You hit him didn't you?" she enquired gleefully.

"Yes!" Lily admitted.

"Bloody brilliant!"  Fee exclaimed, causing Lily and Bella to giggle.

"Are we going to make that plan to get him back now?" Bella asked.

"Definitely, and Sirius too," Lily said with a grin.  "We have to be quick though, the full moon starts on Friday so we don't have much time."

~*~*~*~*~

"James what happened?" Remus asked eyeing the rapidly purpling area on his jaw.

"Evans has quite a left hook," James said, sounding impressed.

"He pissed Lily off again," Sirius added.

"What did you do now?" Remus asked, wearily.

"Me!" James exclaimed. "It was his bloody fault," he said, pointing at Sirius.

~*~*~*~*~

"We'll do it on Friday," Lily said decisively

"Saturday," Fee demanded instead, prompted by Lily's look she supplied: "It's not like they can stay with Remus the whole weekend, people would get suspicious and at least this way they can play unharmed in the Quidditch Match that morning. I'm not risking our Quidditch Cup Chances," Fee said firmly.