(wow! Now lets keep up THAT review pace!)

That night in the common room, James tried to be as collected and mature as possible. There were no vulgar jokes, no rude words, and no conceited displays of magic or pranks. He was intent on showing Lily he could be what she wanted him to be.

Sirius nudged his best friend when Lily came down the girls' staircase, holding Hairy. A grin spread slowly across his face.

"Hey, Lily?" Sirius called innocently. James watched him with an expression of mingled horror and curiosity. Lily shifted Hairy on her shoulder so she could wave, and walked over to James and Sirius.

"Something you need?" She asked, yawning. "I was just coming down to give Hairy to James before I go to bed--"

"Actually," Sirius interrupted. "I've been thinking about that. You see, muggle parents don't switch parental responsibilities every night. I think you and James should sleep with Hairy, together."

Lily gasped. James swallowed hard, not sure whether to laugh in exuberance or cringe. "SIRIUS BLACK! ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT--THAT JAMES AND I…"

Sirius flung up his hands to protect himself from her wrath. "No! God, no! I think you should both kip here, in the common room. With the niffler…?"

James mused over this blatantly. Lily narrowed her eyes, thinking. Finally she handed Hairy to James. "I get the good couch."

Lily was settling herself into the depth of the couch cushions as James placed Hairy in his makeshift niffler crib and made sure he was content. The embers in the fire flickered, glowing dimly in the hearth. James fell onto his couch happily, just barely stopping himself from ruffling his hair. Lily turned over to face him.

"Don't ever mention this to anyone," she warmed ominously. James smiled.

"I won't."

Lily closed her eyes for several moments, then opened them.

"James?" She asked softly.

"Hm?"

"Why are you such a bullying toe-rag?"

James frowned and turned over, blocking her out. He had to remember to punch Sirius for putting him through this. Lily continued.

"Because I think I would otherwise really like you." She sat up silently.

James lifted his head, sure he hadn't heard her correctly. Suddenly he felt her weight on his couch. He sat up.

"You would?" He affirmed. She nodded, not meeting his eyes "Yea…Well…I can't really help who I am, but I've been trying…"

Lily edged closer to him and tried to casually run her hand through his hair. James was staggered. She had caught him completely off-guard.

"If you're going to be my husband, you have to act like a husband," Lily whispered, leaning closer.

James' eyes widened. He was afraid to breath. Slowly he lifted his hand to place it behind her head. He leaned in slowly.

A log in the hearth fell with a crack. James and Lily jerked apart. Lily regained her composure.

"Well, maybe someday, Potter. Goodnight then." Deftly Lily returned to her cough and buried herself under the blankets.

James lay awake for hours after, listening to Hairy trying to tunnel out of his crib, and thinking about what had just happened. He had almost kissed Lily. He had almost kissed Lily. And he didn't even know how it came about. Suddenly, she was there. James started to nod off, no longer being able to differentiate between dream and reality. For a moment he thought that Sirius was in the shadowy corner of the common room, laughing. Then he opened his eyes and realized that it was a dream. Sighing in defeat, James turned over and closed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lils!" Elle's shrill cry came from somewhere above James. Lily and James woke with a start. Lily's jaw dropped when she saw her best friend.

"Elle!" She stammered. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight!" The brunette replied, eyes bulging. "What're you doing here?"

James groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"'Morning," he grumbled, stumbling off of the couch.

Elle eyed him coldly. Lily licked her lips.

"I was doing my Muggle Studies project," she explained, pointing at the niffler's crib.

"And that requires you to sleep here with him?" Elle demanded. Lily's eyes flicked from James to Elle.

"Well, I want the good grade," she said coldly. "Otherwise you couldn't do anything to keep me in the same room as him for more than ten seconds."

James looked around the room, looking for the boy Lily must be talking about. Elle glared at him with a triumphant smile in her face. Lily marched up the girl' staircase.

"You take care of Hairy today," she called over her shoulder, and disappeared from sight. James rubbed his temples and picked up Hairy from the crib. Elle remained where she was, arms crossed.

"I would look at you, but I'm afraid I'll turn to stone," James muttered, picking up his blankets and vanishing them. Elle made the distinct "Uh!" sound that girls make when they're annoyed. James rolled his eyes, flattened his hair, and bounded up the boys' staircase.

All of his year mates were asleep when James burst into the room. He set Hairy down, and the niffler immediately commenced to search the room for shiny objects. Sirius, Remus, and Peter stirred and started to wake as James paced the room, seething.

"Something wrong, James?" Remus asked, his words thick and slurred.

"No, everything's great!" James said hotly. "Well, it was great, until Elle came!"

Remus jumped out of bed. "Don't you say that!"

Sirius wiped his face with his hands and sprang up, holding James back.

"He didn't mean it, Rem," Sirius assured the brown-haired boy. "He's just peeved that Lily spent the whole night yelling at him."

James whirled around. "Yea, that's it," he said sarcastically. "And Elle had nothing to do with her change of heart?'"

Peter watched this exchange with interest, his eyes going from boy-to-boy as they spoke as if he were watching an exciting quidditch game. Remus shrugged.

"Sorry James. If you had a bad night, then…"

Sirius pushed James onto his bed. "Cool it, James. You're acting out of order."

James looked away. "Yea, sorry. I'm going to bed again." And, with all of his friends watching closely, James buried himself under the heavy crimson comforter and feigned sleep until they, too, went back to bed.