B/N: subliminal message: Sev is a gorgeous god. WORSHIP HIM!!! Hmm. Brain has been exhausted with too much smut. Cannot type coherently. Umm... Oh yeah, huggles to chocoliciouz and Invisible Voice as before. Plus, yay! Bubble fetish coming up! grins

Lourdaise and I seem to be experiencing technical problems at the moment, which is why this is (a) late, (b) without an A/N and (c) probably formatted wonkily. Apologies! (Plus apologies to you too Lourdaise for updating without you, but otherwise it might not have happened!) Anyways, thanks to Oliverwoodschic, Katrina Swan, cherryblossom (yup! Lourdaise writes, I create cliffies. smirks ...not that I'm obsessed. Oh no), atiya, distant34 (how... interesting), kate (I don't think Lils expected it either!), PriBAngel, Burner the Echidna, Invisible Voice, Red-Emerald, chocoliciouz, mrs. hunt, RedRaspberry (well, it has been building up for a long time), KrisKG and zxudle (you love us? Which one? grins ...well, we've updated now...)

Thanks for so many reviews! Now, on with the chapter...

Chapter 33

I awoke unsure whether or not I was still asleep. I could feel that my head was resting against something warm, and I could hear the thud-thud of a heart beating, but I was sure I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and turned my head - there was the black of the school robes, albeit open from the neck down, and there... was the Head Boy's badge. I shivered as I sat up gingerly. Did this mean that I hadn't dreamt what had happened? My own robes were closed but not fastened. I glanced down.

James Potter was asleep again, looking very similar to he had that night I had come across him last year, except now a smile played on his lips instead of a crease in his brow.

He stirred as I shifted away from him but did not wake. It was still dark, although the sun was beginning to rise, shedding a purple hue over us. I took out my wand and did a time spell. Just after five o' clock. I leaned over and shook him gently.

"James."

He opened his eyes slowly. "Where - ah. Lily."

I blushed as he grinned. "We ought to be going, you know, back."

He nodded and stood up easily, fastened his robes with another grin at me, and held out a hand to haul me to my feet. I tried in vain to tidy my hair, and he leaned down and retrieved a mirror from his bag.

"Here."

It was precisely the thing to shatter the tension. "James, why do you have a compact mirror in your bag?"

He laughed. "It's not how it looks," he protested. "It's a method of communication. Not just a mirror."

"Right... I believe you." I fixed my hair with a simple spell. "That'll do... I'll have a shower before breakfast."

"I'll come," he said.

I stared. "No you won't - boys can't come in the girls' dorm. And that's where the showers are."

He looked astonished. "You mean you don't use the prefects' bathroom?"

"No," I admitted. "They overwhelmed me the one time I went in fifth year, so I haven't been since."

He chuckled. "Right, come on, we're going there now." He took out a piece of parchment, tapped it whilst muttering something, and nodded. "OK, all's clear. Come on."

I couldn't help feeling nervous of bumping into someone else as we strolled towards the prefects' bathroom. James had taken my hand in a way more natural than Robert had ever done, and I was equally comfortable, but still I was concerned what anyone else would think, observing us.

"Right, here we are," he said. "Rose petals."

The room was just as imposing as I remembered it. Everything was made of white marble, lit with soft light from the magnificent candle-filled chandelier. Piles of fluffy white towels were piled on shelves; the curtains were made from bright white linen. On the wall was one painting, of a mermaid. I was glad to see that it was currently asleep; on my last visit, it had been giggling and watching us, which had been rather disconcerting.

The bath, which in reality was more like a swimming pool sunk into the floor, was empty. James smiled at me. "I suppose when you used this there were other people here?"

I frowned. "Yes..."

"Well, let me tell you, it's a lot better on your own. No-one complains if you put all one hundred types of bubbles in, for a start!"

I giggled despite myself as he bounded towards the golden taps and water began to gush into the pool. I turned away as he threw aside his robes, and heard the splash of water as he jumped in. "Come on," he called, "get in."

I turned round and gave him a Look, and he averted his gaze obediently until I was in the water. My feet touched the bottom, but only just. "This is why I use the showers," I grumbled as I resorted to treading water.

He smiled. "I take it you can swim?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then what's the problem?" He reached behind him and, before I could get out of the way, flipped on a tap that sent water arcing towards and raining directly down on me.

"Potter!" I spluttered, but he had disappeared. A sense of foreboding came over me just a second before something knocked me off my feet.

We decided to head straight down to breakfast afterwards, rather than return to Gryffindor tower. We were two of the first people in the hall, James laughing as I mock-remonstrated him for being such a pain.

"You gave as good as you got," he pointed out. "Who stole my glasses so I was completely helpless?"

I smiled. "I shall never forget that - making James Potter surrender in a water fight."

Professor McGonagall saw us and came over. "Ah, Potter, feeling better?"

"Yes thanks, Professor. Up and about for the re-match next week."

She smiled. "Good, good - hasn't put you off Quidditch, then?"

He feigned horror. "Nothing could, Professor. No, it was just a silly thing, not paying attention to Bludgers. I've learnt the lesson."

"Yes... so, Miss Evans, was patrol all right?"

"Yes, not many about. Twenty points from Hufflepuff, fifteen from Ravenclaw, ten from Gryffindor and five from Slytherin."

"No," James said, "I took ten more from Slytherin, five from Hufflepuff and five from Gryffindor up the towers." Then he clapped a hand to his head. "I mean, I thought you did, Lily?"

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Are you telling me you went on patrol last night Potter?"

"Well..."

She sighed despairingly. "Well, it's up to you," she said. "At least I know you're keen."

We began to laugh again as she moved away. "You idiot!" I scolded.

"Sorry... I swear, that's the first time I've ever incriminated myself like that. Well, actually I may have a couple of times in the first and second year, but..."

We proceeded to the Gryffindor table. I sat down in my usual seat, and James dropped into the one next to me. I was startled.

"Er -"

"Yes?" He gave me a surprised look.

"That's - that's Juliet's seat."

He stood up. "Oh, sorry." He moved down the table to where he normally sat with his friends, and held out the chair next to him. "Well, come sit here then!"

"But -"

He began to frown. "Sorry, Lily - do you not want to sit together?"

"N-no, it's not that..."

"Then what? Oh, come on, your friends can surely cope without you for one morning? They can join us, in fact."

At last I went to sit beside him. "Do you know," I commented as he handed me the rack of toast, "this is the first time I've sat somewhere other than that seat?"

He guffawed. "You are joking?"

"No."

"Well, I'm glad I've got you to move then. In fact, no, I'm honoured. Marmalade or honey?"

I smiled. "Honey, please."

His friends arrived before mine. I felt my stomach contract slightly - I did not know what we were planning to explain to our friends about not returning last night, but I knew I did not want to be around if he told his friends the truth. However, Sirius Black, who was leading the group, walked straight past us and sat further down the table.

"Shall I move?" I asked James, bewildered.

"No. Why?"

"Well, only your friends don't seem to want to sit here while I am, so I thought you might want me to go. If it's that they don't like me."

He gave me a bemused smile. "No, Lily, it's not that at all. It's just our policy. If one of us is sitting with a girl, particularly at breakfast, the others go else where."

"Policy?"

"Well, yeah. We decided it after an unfortunate incident with one of Sirius' girlfriends who spent all of breakfast twittering about what a good... well... you know... he was. God, it put us all off our food."

I smiled. "I do see that it would, yes. So it's not personal?"

He shook his head. "Nah. It's also something he and I decided on when we had the same girlfriend in fairly quick succession... it avoided embarrassment."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's awful!"

He grinned. "Hey, don't look at me - I was first. And besides, it was ages ago."

"Hmm."

We were talking when Juliet and Rebecca - always late down to breakfast - arrived. I didn't see them at first.

"Lily!"

I froze. James gave me an encouraging smile and I turned round. "Uh, hi."

"What are you doing?" Juliet demanded shrilly.

"Ha-having breakfast."

"Very funny," Rebecca snapped. "You're with Potter."

Juliet's gaze flickered down the table. "So it wasn't Lupin, after all," she said coldly. "But, Lily, why?"

I was beginning to lose patience. "Why what? Why am I sitting in a different seat to normal? Why am I talking to someone else? Why didn't I consult with you first?"

"Yes, I think that would do as a few questions," Rebecca responded. "Add in a couple that don't start with why - where have you been? What exactly do you think will come of joining Potter's fan club? - and you can start answering the questions."

She paused. "Oh, and - change 'someone else' to 'a sworn enemy'."

James turned round now as well. "I'm so glad everyone's happy to forget old grudges," he drawled. "Equally, I'm delighted that Lily has such nice friends. Not everyone has friends who want them to be happy, to do what they feel best, without questioning motives... in fact, I hear some people actually face the Spanish Inquisition if they get talking to someone else."

Juliet's eyes narrowed. "So you think we don't care that in exactly twenty nine days time Lily will be a mess because you've dumped her? You think we don't want her to be with someone who will really make her happy? All you'll do for her is temporarily turn her into the sort of person she hates, who goes up North Tower and - and - does things with you!"

James smiled slowly. "'Things?'"

Rebecca glared at him now. "You're repulsive, Potter."

"Oh dear... I'm sensing a conflict of interest here. Poor Lily. Seems to be torn between friends... and... boyfriend."

I didn't seem to be part of this any more.

"We have no problem with Robert!" Juliet sneered.

"Ah, but someone seems to have moved on," James commented.

"Been forced to, more like."

"What are you trying to insinuate, exactly? That I manhandled Lily into having breakfast with me?"

"I wouldn't like to rule that out."

James's eyebrows lifted. "Well, that's actually quite disturbing. Until now, I assumed that girls ate breakfast with boys through their own accord, but never again will I think that. Hey, do you think Eric Attley hexed Rowena Figg into sitting with him? Or..."

Rebecca drew out her wand. "Shut it, Potter, you know we didn't mean that."

He eyed her in surprise. "Going to hex me? Oh dear. I guess you'd better go first, I wouldn't like to appear any less than a gentleman. Normally, wizards will only do verbal duel with witches. It's more comfortable."

"More like you're worried you won't win."

"Well, there is that possibility - perhaps I ought to call Sirius to be my second. Hey, Pad -"

"No!" I interrupted. "James, you're Head Boy, you can't start hexing people over breakfast. Juliet, are you mad?"

"I'd like to know whose side you're on," was all she said.

"Nobody's," I said firmly, "unless my being with James pits me against you."

"So you value him more than us?"

"Did I say that? No. All I'm saying is, if you can't grow up enough to let me go out with who I like, then no, I'm not on your side."

Juliet looked at me with an air of disappointment and anger. "Speak to us in a month's time. If you still feel the same, then I guess you've won." And with that, she and Rebecca stormed away.

After a minute, James cleared his throat. "Well... let's just say, that's never happened before."

I felt slightly numb. "No..." I was shaken, not so much by their abandonment of me - I had other friends, after all - but more by the Petunia-ness of their distress. Why did everyone expect me to be so normal - or in this case, boring? Because that was the problem. Robert was boring, but he was nice - Juliet and Rebecca wanted me to be like that, like I had always been, except for my temper. Being paired with someone like James rather ruined that image.

I could hear whispers following us as we made our way out of the Great Hall. I caught snatches of 'Lily with James?' or 'James with Lily?' and, from somewhere, the dreaded 'I suppose she wants to tame him.' But did it really matter what everyone else thought?

"So," James said, breaking into my thoughts, "do you want to go out tonight?"

"Out where?"

"To dinner? There's Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, or even the muggle world, if you want."

"Er, James, is that safe? I thought we weren't allowed..."

"We're not," he said cheerfully. "But as I see it, we're just as likely to get killed when we leave school as when we're here, so why worry?"

I swallowed. He had a point. "And how exactly are we supposed to get there?"

"Brooms and Apparate."

"I can't fly."

He gave me an astonished look. "Why?"

"I got a fright with some Bucking Broom Powder in first year - you might remember - and never did very well since."

He looked guilty. "It was meant for Marcius Malfoy! And I did rescue you..."

"Yes, I was very ungrateful. Thanks for that." We had reached the portrait hole.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady, eying us curiously.

"Pointy hat. Hmm. Well, all right, change of plan. We can go flying. I'll look after you. I taught Sirius to fly, after all."

I gave him a desperate look, but he smiled and kissed me in the middle of the common room. "Relax," he said. "It'll be fun. I promise."

"I'm trusting in rather too many of your promises lately," I grumbled, but I agreed nonetheless.

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