Sorry for all the delays (well...you know what i mean anyway) in posting, i'm having a really hectic week and...yeah. So tired! Anyway, here's the next lot.

Curse all exams!
Rock on!

(Disclaimer; I own nothing but my genius)

Back in the Hospital wing with James and Lily, things were not going so well. James had just asked Lily to go out with him again, and this time she had refused outright. James was baffled; no girl had ever rejected him twice in a row before, especially not after all the attention he had been paying her. (A/N; I know he hasn't really, but he's used to getting what he wants easily.)

"Wh-why?" he sputtered, dumbfounded. Lily looked amused.

"I thought you were supposed to be, you know, a ladies man. You're a bit useless at it," she told him sunnily. He was stammering too incoherently for Lily to make out what he was saying, so she carried on talking herself. "I mean, you make out that you really like me and want me to go out with you, but two days ago you didn't even know my name…" She widened her eyes innocently. "Seems a little shallow to me."

She stood up and walked out.

James banged his head increasingly hard against the wall, wondering where the hell the pretty, shy little bookworm had gone to, and who exactly had taken her place….

It was Friday night; and for the Marauders, that meant a party. They had just finished the last in a long, rowdy series of drinking games involving the last few bottles of Sirius' Firewhiskey and were beginning to head upstairs to bed.

It was three in the morning.

Sirius, who was very hardheaded and still almost sober, was trying unsuccessfully to help James and Remus up the stairs at the same time. Peter had fallen asleep on the sofa after throwing up copiously into the fireplace, and was being no help at all. Sirius, reeling precariously half way up, gave in and sat James carefully on the bottom step. "Stay here," Sirius told him, slowly and clearly.

"Don't go anywhere," he elaborated, just to make sure…

James blinked owlishly up at him, but made no effort to move.

Sirius hauled Remus up the stairs, took off his shoes, heaved him into bed and went back down to get James. He found him halfway across the common room, heading unsteadily for the girls' staircase.

"Woah!" He grabbed his friend's arm and steered him back in the right direction. "Where you off to, man?"

"Wanna gosee Lily," James slurred.

"Uhm…that's probably not the best idea right now," Sirius advised, helping him onto the first step.

"She's fucking hot," James informed him. "Gotta great body." He made vague passes in the air, indicating that Lily's body was indeed great. Sirius made agreeing noises, concentrating on stopping James from falling back down the few stairs they had managed to climb.

"I'm gonna go see her," James decided, trying to turn back around.

One short, very off-balance wrestling match and a series of ear-splitting cracks later, and Sirius was flat on his back on the floor. He drew a long, slow, calming breath and shoved James off him. "Get up, you bloody idiot."

James obeyed for once and stood, swaying apologetically, as Sirius struggled to his feet.

"Are you going to go up the stairs now?" Sirius asked him hopefully.

James shook his head stubbornly. "Lily."

Sirius groaned.

He deposited James on a sofa and sat beside him. "Right Prongsie, get it off your chest. What about Lily?"

"She turned me down," James told him drunkenly. "Twice!"

He held up three fingers for emphasis.

"So?"

"But she'sso sexxxy." James rolled the words around his mouth. "I want to fuck her," he added, and tried to stand up.

Sirius forced him back down. "No! You are going to sit here and talk, and then you're going to get your own arse up those bloody stairs so we can both get some sleep."

James frowned uncomprehendingly.

Sirius broke it down. "Sit!"

James sat.

"Talk!"

"I wantedt'go," James began, then stopped to sort his mouth out. "I wanted. To. Go. To the ball with her at first." Sirius stared at him, surprised he had managed such a complicated sentence all on his own. "But then…then she said no to Hogsmeade and I thought she was just playin hard t'get y'know, but turns out she's serious and she reallydoesn't want to go with me." He looked miserably at Sirius. "She thinks I'm shallow."

"So? Mate, she's obviously not worth it. Leave well alone, is my advice."

"But I need her," James whined. "Sh'touched my arm like this," he tugged Sirius' sleeve, "n' it tingled." He shook the sleeve hard to demonstrate.

Sirius took a moment to detach friend from shirt before speaking.

"Prongs…I know she's hot and all, but…you need to get over this. Just shag her and get it over with."

"How?"

It was amazing, Sirius thought, how much agony could be stuffed into one little word.

"Simple," he said jubilantly, glad to have an answer. "You take someone else to the ball. You turn up with another girl; get a bit friendly, little red'll get all hot and jealous. Dance the last couple with her, take it from there. End of story." He looked across at James to gauge his reaction. James hadn't moved. "Simple," Sirius repeated.

James let out a tiny snore.

Sirius got up, disgusted. "Fine. Fall asleep then, y'bastard," he muttered. "But don't think I'm carrying you up those stairs. You can bloody well sleep here."

He just about managed to mount the stairs and shove open the door of his dorm, then fell gratefully into bed; and before long he, too, was snoring.

The next day Sirius returned from breakfast to find James still asleep on the sofa. He debated leaving him there, but they had a Quidditch practice in an hour and Sirius wanted James' advice on a new move.

He bent down.

"Jamie," he called quietly, in a high voice. "Jaaaaaaamie."

James rolled over and stuck his head under the pillow. "Five more minutes, mummy," he muttered hazily.

Sirius sniggered.

James came awake properly to find Sirius gurgling happily a few inches away from his face. He let out a yell and scooted to the other end of the couch.

"Morning, sweetie-pie," Sirius chuckled. "Would you like mummy to make you some toast?"

"Aagh." James waved him away and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Ten. You've got an hour until Quidditch," Sirius replied. "But you've missed breakfast. You might get something if you go to the kitchens."

"Did I do anything interesting last night?"

This was usually James' first question on a Saturday morning; normally Sirius said 'no' and let James find out for himself, but this time he repeated his advice of the night before.

When he had finished, James wrinkled his nose. "Makes sense…but it's too early to tell."

"After the hangover?"

James' hangovers always hit him about five minutes after he woke up. Sirius laughed at the look of panic and handed him a phial of hangover cure – their own brand, extra-strong. James gulped it down gratefully.

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Katrina bounced joyfully past them on the way to the portrait-hole, more cheerful than either of them had ever seen her at this time in the morning. "Morning James, morning Siri. Quidditch practice in an hour."

"I know," James mumbled, staggering to his feet.

"It's Siri-us," Sirius muttered rebelliously, when Katrina was out of hearing.

"Hey Lilsy," Katrina greeted her friend.

"Quidditch practice," Lily reminded her, without looking up from her Potions essay.

"Cancelled," Katrina replied. "S'raining, in case you hadn't noticed. And this is for next month," she added, picking up the essay in disgust. "Why are you doing it now?"

"I had some spare time," Lily muttered. "Nothing else to do."

"Why don't you go and talk to James?" Katrina questioned. "I thought you fancied him…poor guy, he pays you a bit of attention and you back right off."

Lily stared at the ground. "I do fancy him," she murmured. "He asked me out."

Katrina let out a happy squeal. "Great! Go you! Where are you going, Hogsmeade?"

Lily mumbled something.

"Didn't catch that…"

"I said no," Lily confessed, rather defiantly. "Twice," she added.

Katrina's face fell. "Oh, Lils," she said softly. Lily winced at the disappointment in her friend's face.

"He was being a dick," she insisted belligerently, trying to justify herself. "All sure of himself, like he knew I was going to say yes."

Katrina gave her a hug, which Lily resisted stubbornly.

"Honey, just because a guy is confident doesn't mean he's like…like that. We've talked about this," she persisted.

Lily sniffed, glaring at her mutinously. Katrina had seen this all too many times; it even happened with girls. If anybody tried to get too close, Lily pushed them right away again; yet she clung fiercely to Katrina, refusing to put her trust in anyone else. Katrina was the only one who could see through Lily's alternation between smouldering glares and shy refusal to meet people's eyes.

"It wasn't right," Lily insisted for the hundredth time. Katrina took a slow, deep breath. She hated this dilemma; Lily needed toughening up, and James would be great for that; but from Katrina's point of view, Lily also needed someone safe; someone who wouldn't push her further than she could go. Katrina hoped she knew James well enough to be sure he wouldn't try it.

"We decided on James, remember? We said you needed something casual, where you were just as much in control as he was."

Lily wrinkled her nose, looking surprisingly like James had half-an-hour before. "How am I in control if I have to go out with him?" she asked finally, mystified.

Katrina blinked.

She had never seen it that way before…maybe Lily had a point…

"I'm right, aren't I?" Lily sounded surprised. "So should I go to Hogsmeade with him or not?"

"Do you want to?"

"I will if you think I should."

Katrina shivered. Having this much influence over Lily's life scared her. "You're in control here," she reminded her friend. "You decide." Lily's face dropped. Katrina took pity on her. "But…I would recommend not. Don't go to the ball with him either, if he asks. But then, he might have decided to play it cool too…" she added, half to herself. "You can dance with him when you're at the ball, though. And in between now and then, keep flirting."

Lily smiled. She was getting to like flirting.

"Problem solved?" Katrina hazarded.

"Problem solved," Lily confirmed, returning the hug this time.

All this fast posting when I'm at home is kind of a hassle, so I was thinking I might move to harrypotterfanfiction.com which still gets through my school's blocks. If anyone has an opinion on this let me know what you think.