Chapter 15

A Nighttime Visit

Later that evening Lily was reading in her bed when her foot shifted her bed cover. She

heard a crinkling noise and imediatly remembered the invisibility cloak. She got out of bed and

stepped out of the curtains. The rooom was dark, Lily looked at the lighted dial of her clock and

saw that it was 1:00 in the morning. She unfurled the cloak, shaking it out and draping it around

her shoulders, making sure to cover her head. She looked in the mirror and struggled not to

scream, she was not there. A slow smile spread across her face. She opened the door and crept

down the stairs. She went into the desertated common room, lit only by the glowing embers of

the already extinguished fire. She walked across the room, bumping into a chair and feeling her

way around a table. She reached the stairs to the boys rooms and started climbing. When she

reached the door labeled '5th year' she pushed the door open. She looked around, the room

was silent. There were trunks at the end f each of the five beds. The curtains were pulled on the

windows and all of the beds. As she slid the door shut she was plunged into complete and utter

darkness. The only light came from the lighted dial of a clock, just like the one in her own

bedroom. She felt her way across the room, clothes were strewn around the floor, posters hung

on the walls acording to taste, and one of the trunks was open, books and robes spilling over the

edges. Lily approached the first bed and peeked hrough the curtains. She saw a head of blonde

hair, knowing that this could not be James's bed, she moved on to the next. In the second bed

she found Sirius, thrown across the bed with his arms spread eagled. He seemed to open one

eye and look at her, but since she was invisible, there was nothing to see. He started murmering

as Lily closed the curtains and she heard him roll over. Lily went to the third bed. This bed was

empty and still made, it must be the one belonging to Remus. She closed the hangings. She

went to the fourth bed. When she opened the curtains she knew at once that it was James. He

was curled into a ball , with only his messy hair showing above the bedding. Lily lay down on his

bed and tapped him, covering his mouth. He opened his eyes and she could feel his jaw working

underneathe her hands. She swished her hair, throwing off the cloak. He looked at her in

disbelief.

"Lily?" He asked in a hoarse whisper. "Is that you? Am I dreaming?"

"Shhh, I think Sirius is awake, keep your voice down. It's me, I'm wearing the invisibility

cloak." She threw off the rest of the cloak and lay it in his hands. "I brought it to give to you. It's

an appology, as well as a Christmas gift. Don't expect anything else this year."

"Are you sure? I mean, I hardly think you can give me this, you are sure, right? I'll forgive

you anyway Lily."

"I want you to have it." She lay down next to him on top of the blanket, he stretched out his

legs and put his arm around the back of her neck. She curled in to him, her head on his chest,

her ear to his heart. She could feel him tense, his heart rate picked up.

"Lily, I think you should go. We'll get in trouble, I don't want you to get caught here."

"I'm not embarassed to be seen with you. I want to be with you James. I'll leave if you want

me to though."

"Of course I don't want you to, I just dont want you to get in trouble."

"I wont." She lay her head back down and felt him relax. She fell asleep like that. The next

morning when she woke up they were lying exactly like that.

"Ooo, what have we here?" Came the mischeivous voice of Sirius Black. Lily opened her

eye and saw light pouring in through the open curtains. "James, you dog." James opened his eyes

and lazily through a pillow to him.

"Shut up man, will you? I'm not a morning person and your jabbering is giving me a

headache. What time is it?'

"Around 6:30, about half an hour before all the others will be waking up so you had better

get Lily out of here unless you're trying to get caught." He winked at her and gave her a rougish

grim.

"Sirius, you wont tell will you? Not that it's a big deal, we weren't doing anything."

"Sure you weren't. My lips are sealed. But you'd better get out of here, and hope no one's

in the common room."

"James, can I borrow the cloak?"

"Of course, as long as you don't change your mind about giving it to me."

"I never go back on my word. See you later." She smiled ad walked out of the room, half

way to the door she disapepared, all they could see was a door opening and closing . They

heard footsteps descending down the stars.

"What was that man?"

"Long story, I'll tell you at a more social hour."

"No way, now. I want to know, you owe me for waking you two lovers before Petey went

and blabbed to a teacher."

"Alright, but there's not much to tell, she came up in the middle of the night and spent the

night, we didn't do anything, we didn't even kiss."

"Are you kidding? You had a hot girl who you're into in your bed and all you did was

sleep?"

"Yup."

"And the disappearing act?' "She gave me an invisibility cloak as a sorry/christmas present."

"She gives you presents for being a jackass?'

"When was I a jackass?"

"Well, you were in a fight with her right?"

"Yeah, but how does that make me a jackass?"

"Dude, haven't you learned yet? Must I tell you everything? Whenever anything goes wrong

it's the guys fault. Women are perfect, it is never their fault. That's the best way to handle fights

man, you were wrong, no matter what you did, even if it was right, it was wrong."

"That makes perfect sense, I'll bear that in mind next time I see her."

"Oh my god!!!" Holly ran over to Lily, almost in tears. All of the girls looked up as she

walked in. Pushing her away, her voice becoming more serious, "where the hell were you?!?!

You never came in last night, we were so worried. We thought you had like, died or something.

We were imagining all of the terrible things that could have happened, and how we would have

to tell all of the teachers and you're parents that you were gone without a trace."

"Nowhere important," she replied waving away the question and ignoring Holly's concern.

"Tell us right now." Caroline sat down on her bed, crossing her legs and looking up

expectantly.

"I was with James."

"In the middle of the night? Right after a fight?" A sly smile spread across Caroline's face.

This was a Caroline none of the girls had seen before, normally it would have been Alice or

Holly who would think of something like that. Caroline would not have understood, it would

have had to be explained to her a million times. "Did you two, you know?"

"Of course not! We just slept."

"In his bed???" Janette looked shocked and horrified.

"No on the floor. Of course on his bed. I just wanted to be with him, you know?"

"No, I do not know. What has gotten into you latley Lily? Your acting really irresponsible,

and if you ask me it all dates back to the day you started speaking with James Potter. I'm sorry,

I know you like him, but you are making a mistake. Your acting really different lately, not at all

like yourself."

"Maybe this is myself, the self I want to be. How would you know? Who are you to tell me

who I am? I like him, okay? So shut up!"

"Lily, you wanted me to tell you if I thought you were dating someone I didn't like, and I'm

telling you. You change when you're around him. He's a bad guy, i don't trust him or like him."

"You're just jealous." Why did I say that? Janette is the last person to ever be jealous

of anyone, especially not for a guy. Maybe she was right, maybe James was the bad guy,

maybe Severus was the right guy. Have I made a huge mistake?

"I'm out of here," she gave Lily an evil, upset, hurt look, "if the rest of you want to talk, I'll

be in the dining hall, otherwise, see you later. I'll talk to the rest of you later." With a last, angry

look over her shoulder, she left. Lily siged, she knew she was wrong, but was too proud to

admit that to Janette or anyone else.

"Why did you do that?" Holly was ready to take up the stand for Janette, Lily could tell. By

alienating Janette as an ally, the other girls woud be predisposed to be on Janette's side. Lily

siged again and turned to face Holly, massaging her temples.

"Holly, I don't know okay? I don't know what I'm feeling, but I will not associate myself

with James Potter ever again, I can assure you of that. Guys may come and go, but friends are

frever and I intend to tell just that to Janette. After I've given both of us some time to cool down.

Don't interfere, for real. I'm not kidding."

"Fine, jeez, Janette was right, you have changed, and I don't like the new you that much

Lily, frankly, you're becoming a major bitch. You were right about one thing though, you should

apologize to Janette." Lily did not respond, she merely twitched the curtains to her bed closed

and started to get dressed.