A/N: My A/N is actually at the bottom today. But here is Eihwaz.... grits teeth B/N: subliminal message: Sev is a gorgeous god. WORSHIP HIM!!! ...except First Light of Eos

A/Interruption: Yes, hallo, First Light of Eos... do you really hate the story now or have you just disappeared?! If the latter I guess you won't be reading this.... never mind...

B/N continued: Huh! If Lourdaise is going to insult me, she could as least learn to do it properly... no that is NOT an invitation, dear! the verb is 'to salivate'! makes disapproving tongue click Anyways, my favourite quote of hers this week is: 'I am a MAN!' (said in indignant voice)

A/Interruption: I would just like to point out that I was dressing up... but mascara WAS still necessary! There was no need to question it...

B/N continued: ... and Invisible Voice - applauds you are right, there is definitely not enough Sev!!! sighs oh yeah plus I must pimp Lourdaise's fic on FictionPress.net - go read! it's called 'The Echo of the Broken Vase'...

Chapter 31

He stayed in the hospital wing for a week after the fall, but I didn't go to visit him. There was enough gossip circulating about us as it was.

Professor McGonagall stopped me on my way out of Transfiguration on the afternoon he was allowed out. "Miss Evans, would you mind awfully doing a patrol tonight? I know it's not quite three weeks since your last yet, but Mr Pringle has been complaining..."

"Of course, Professor."

"Thank you... I take it you don't mind being on your own? I know Potter's officially left the hospital wing, but I don't think he should be staying out all night... you can cope, can't you?"

I smiled. "I should hope so."

But night time patrols were quite creepy alone, I decided, shivering, as I walked down the charms corridor for the umpteenth time.

"Hi ya," said a voice beside me. I jumped about a foot in the air, but had to fight a smile when I saw who it was.

"Potter! What are you doing here?"

"I believe we're meant to be patrolling the corridors. Isn't that what you're doing? Or should I dock points from Gryffindor for your night time wandering?"

I turned my head away haughtily. "You know perfectly well I'm patrolling, Potter."

"Then I'm joining you. So tell me, why am I back to Potter now I'm back on two feet?"

I tutted and ignored him. "How did you find me?"

"I have ways. Now come on, Evans, admit it - you didn't want me to die last week."

"I don't wish death on anyone."

"Not even Snivellus? That would be one less follower for Voldemort..."

I didn't answer.

"No, OK, but you were worried about me, weren't you?"

I shrugged. "You fell fifty feet, I'd be worried about anyone."

"Well," he said, "if that was really all it was then perhaps next time, if there is one, you could let Sirius get down first? Only he was quite put out. On the other hand, if you had any particular reason for worry...?" He gave me his special 'You're-going-to-love-me-whether-you-want-to-or-not' smile and waited.

"Well, I'd hate to lose the Head Boy," I said at last.

He stepped into a classroom and I automatically followed.

"There's no-one in here, Potter." He shut the door behind me.

"Then we're agreed on something. Look, Lily, I intend getting the whole truth here. And you know that I already know it. So just let me hear it."

Damn, of course he knew. The whole school knew. But if I let myself confess, he'd just laugh at me, wouldn't he?

"Look, Potter, I wasn't thinking last week. Let's just go back and forget it. Go back to disliking each other in peace."

"You forget, Lily - I never disliked you."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I didn't! Maybe for a short while in second year, but apart from that... I was indifferent to you as much as possible, but since fifth..."

"Oh. I always assumed you were joking when you asked me out."

James's jaw dropped. "You thought I was joking? No, Lily, no. It may have sounded like that, but only because I didn't want anyone else to see."

"But why not?"

"Oh, come on, I wasn't supposed to get hung up on one girl. I was supposed to have a whole string of girls hung up on me!"

I couldn't help it - I laughed.

He looked surprised. "I thought that was what you hated most about me?"

"Yes, but... just the way you said it... so complacent..." I trailed off. "Never mind."

He smiled and shrugged. "So, seriously... last week?"

I looked at the floor. "OK, OK... I was worried about you... as a... friend."

"A... friend?"

I said nothing, but I could feel his hazel eyes burning into me. "Look at me, Lily."

I didn't - couldn't - move. He took a step closer.

"Do you like me, Lily?"

I swallowed. "But I can't!" I burst out. "I can't, because it'll cost me my friends, my reputation, Robert... and you can't really want me. I'll just be the next in a line, and I'll be laughed at - 'Who does Lily Evans think she is, the girl to tame James Potter? Not likely'!"

"Your friends should want you to be happy. And haven't you noticed that my so-called 'line' has disappeared since summer? Remus thought... that is... I mean, he's more sensitive than... and he reckoned you'd prefer it if I seemed... and besides, the others were easy. I wouldn't spend six years trying to get a girl and then ditch her!"

"But how do I know that?"

"Take my word for it. And my word is good, whatever else you may think, or have thought of me."

I wiped the tears off my cheek.

"You do like me, don't you?" His voice was low.

I bowed my head mutely. His hand gently tilted my chin back up and he stared into my eyes.

"So kiss me," he murmured.

No sooner had out lips touched, however, than a voice cackled loudly behind us. "Who'd have thought it? Mr Potter and goody goody Miss Evans - the head boy and girl, out at night and kissing! Wait 'til Professor McGonagall hears! Ooh, she'll be FURIOUS!"

I had never seen James so angry. Cold and taunting, certainly, and irritated, but never so clearly blinded with red-hot fury. "PEEVES!" he roared, spinning away from me, his wand immediately at hand. I could hardly make out any of the curses and jinxes pouring out of his mouth, but clearly they were working.

"Stop!" Peeves was squealing, cowering in mid-air.

"You must be joking," James growled. "I'd curse a wizard who was like you, so why not a poltergeist?"

"Be - because..."

"Get out of my sight, Peeves, and I'm warning you - one word to ANY teacher or ANYONE, and I will track you down and make you wish you'd made your presence known earlier."

"Yes, Potter," Peeves said quickly. James had clearly given him quite a fright, but still there was an untrustworthy glint in his eye.

"I'm serious, Peeves - I hate the Dark Arts but that doesn't mean I'm past an Unforgivable on a poltergeist. Now GO!"

Peeves, wide-eyed, zoomed out of the classroom. I don't think he was used to being threatened by students.

James slammed the door behind him and took several deep breaths. "I'm so sorry," he began.

"Don't be. I, um, didn't realise it was possible to hex him."

"No. It's not easy. I read somewhere that you have to feel pure hatred for a poltergeist in order to hex him - otherwise they'd have all evaporated long ago. Course, you can't kill them."

I smiled, but an awkward silence fell between us.

"Shall we, er, get on with the patrol?" I suggested at last.

"Yes. Yes, you can do the remaining classrooms, I'll do the towers. I know you hate them."

He wanted us to go separate ways already, my brain screamed. I had let him kiss me so I was finished with now. How utterly, utterly stupid was I?

"Fine." I turned to go, trying to hide my hurt.

"Will you meet me up North afterwards?"

My fists unclenched. "What?"

"When you've finished the classrooms, I mean. Would you... I mean, will you meet me up North Tower? Please. There'll be no Peeves, I promise," he added, laughing softly.

"But Professor McGonagall...?"

"Won't be out this evening. She thinks you're on patrol."

"And Pringle?"

"Is a Squib. Any door can be sealed against him." James' eyes glittered. "So?"

I was not the type of girl who went up North Tower, one half of me was saying firmly. Certainly not with James Potter. But the other half of me looked round the classroom, at the door and finally back at him. Oh, why not be reckless for once in my life? "Yeah, OK," I mumbled.

I did not hurry through the rest of the classrooms. The last thing I wanted was to get there first and be waiting, not knowing if he would turn up. That would be embarrassing, not knowing what to do. I stopped in a girls' bathroom to tidy my hair and make up and finally, when half an hour had passed, I made my way to the North Tower.

He rose out of the shadows as I stepped through the door; my heart jumped then began to hammer.

"Lily." His voice was low as I shut the door behind me. I heard the fizz of a sealing spell click into action and realised what I was doing. It was too late to turn back now, that was for certain, but I didn't know if I wanted to or not.

He took my hands loosely in his and leaned forward to kiss me gently. Only our mouths, not our bodies, touched.

"Lily," he murmured again.

I stepped closer to him instinctively, though my action did not bring us close; his hands went to my waist, then he himself moved in and he kissed me again, but differently. This time I could feel his need, rather than calmness; it was like fire, not air, and it surprised me. I had realised that he might think me pretty, but I hadn't realised that there was anything about me he could desire that much. His tongue captured mine, and I felt him begin to lean me backwards. I felt precarious, bending back under him, but his arm came under my shoulders to stop me from falling. I had never realised how strong he was, but now every part of him seemed powerful, from his mouth bruising mine to his legs, keeping both of us balanced. I, by comparison, was weak; weak with dizziness, dizzy with need. It was like a key was turning inside me. I had always been a reserved person, modelled into a prim, proper girl by my parents who had been concerned by my more choleric side when I was small. It had not been hard to crush, and it had not resurfaced since except in my temper - until now. I had never sensed it in anyone else, but now I felt the same passion in James Potter, and I was responding.

What was scariest was that he knew. I could feel that, too, as he kissed me more and more forcefully. Suddenly he tore himself away and went to the balcony itself, where he stood looking out over the grounds. I could hear that his breathing was ragged.

Feeling cold where he had been, I ventured forward. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing."

But I knew. I knew what had been running through his mind that had made him turn away so sharply. I felt it too, an overwhelming yearning, almost a greed...

He was gripping the balcony rail so hard that his knuckles glowed white.

"James..." I murmured again, moving forward and laying a hand on his shoulder. Ifelt his body convulse as I stepped up against him.

"Don't," he pleaded, still not looking at me.

I didn't move. "Why?"

"You know why!"

"I mean why not."

It took a minute for what I'd said to sink in - I saw his eyes widen, but he did nothing. At last he chuckled hoarsely. "Lily, I don't..."

He turned to look at me, and even I was unnerved by the hunger I saw in his eyes. I glanced at the floor, and felt him begin to revolve away again. I reached up and made him look back at me. As my blazing green gaze met his own hazel, he gave a deep groan.

"Lily, stop... I don't have that much self-control."

But I didn't stop. I began to pace slowly backwards, not breaking eye contact. At last his urgency won over, and he lunged forwards and slammed me into his chest.

"Just remember," he said firmly as he lowered me to the ground, "this was not my fault!"



A/N: Ok. Now I have an apology - I think this went WAAAAAAAAAAAY too quickly. But it didn't seem to work any other way. In my defence, the tension had been building up, and the point is that Lily is never reckless but James allows her to be. Also, you have all been demanding more L/J - so there is the ultimate! Lol.

IMPORTANT! Next week, there will be TWO chapters updated. The first will be an R-RATED continuation of this chapter by Eihwaz. The second will be the continuation of the story. OK? So you can skip. And so I don't want any complaints that I didn't warn you!

Right. Anyway, thanks to Egypt's Star, Child-of-Scorpio, cherryblossom, PriBAngel, Suji, Invisible Voice (the lack of Sev is not depressing!), zing- zing-zing-zing-bah (of course it is spun out and cliché!), Red-Emerald, distant34 (:D), Twilight66, KrisKG, RedRaspberry, Katrina Swan and atiya (what is funny? our story or our AN/BN fights? lol) Keep reviewing (AND COULD ZING-ZING-ZING-ZING-BAH KINDLY REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL WHAT SHE SAYS THIS TIME?!)