I couldn't help but be upset with her. She had chosen, I suppose, but the two of them were suddenly so close, like the rest of the world didn't exist. As much as my rational mind denied it, I could not help the feeling that she led me on for half of my life. I walked in on a right scene this morning. Lily was wiping her cherry red nose on the covers she had tucked around her, and James had her by the shoulders, muttering something in her ear.

When I walked in, neither of them looked up. I supposed she and he had had sex the night before and she now regretted it. Good riddance to the both of them. Lying hypocrites the whole lot. I grabbed my towel and brush and left to go take a shower. It was about nine and Sirius was still sleeping. Peter was hungover, and I doubted he knew his way back from the Prefect's Tower so I left the map on the coffee table, wiped of course, with Farrah there and all.

I hoped Lily and James weren't coming to breakfast, I wasn't quite ready for the great announcement. I hurried to get ready, wanting at least to grab something before it was all gone, being Sunday morning, a busy time for the house elves.


She had in fact passed out before they could do anything.

When Lily and James came down to breakfast it was close to eleven. Remus had indeed left with the rest of the "early risers," but the majority of the school's population was just now waking up. There was a quiet chatter at the Gryffindor Table and when they entered, it thinned abruptly.

The two sat down at the seats someone had left open for them in the center table in front of Sirius and Cerulina, both of whom were busy with their porridge.

"'Lo" Sirius muttered, giving Lily a wary glance. She wasn't paying attention.

"Hey," said James, loading up a plate and setting it in front of her. "Eat."

"Yeah, ok," she said to her own surprise, picking up her fork and moving her bacon around.

"Sprout gave me a 79 on the Phosporescence Essay," Cerulina said to Lily, "Something about 'not enough original contribution on top of Lily's work'."

"Figures she'd have a Charm or something to see that we'd copied," Lily said, "She's probably going to give me a fifty 'cos I let everyone copy off me."

"Don't be a pessimist, Lily." James grabbed a piece of bacon off Lily's plate and watched Marianne Worthings cursorily.

"Don't you have to help Marianne with her Charms homework, by the way?" Lily commented nonchalantly.

"Hmm? Yeah…s'pose I could get one of the other Prefects to do it…" he trailed off.

"Oh no, she'll be disappointed then won't she? Probably failing Charms on purpose. Why put all her efforts to waste?"

James rubbed his hot neck. "Lily, please," he muttered under his breath, as Sirius had stopped eating and Cerulina began to pretend she hadn't heard anything. Lily's friends Wendy and May, sitting close by were no longer making a secret of their curiosity.

"Will you help her, James?" Lily said, looking at his eyes, challenging him. If he disagreed, he would prove her right, and if he agreed, he would mess things up with her. Either way, she got what she wanted.

"If you want me to, I will Lily," said James, reaching for her hand under the table. He had waited so long for this, he didn't want to ruin it because of his silly reputation. He no longer cared for it, or hers for that matter. When she pulled her hand away at his touch, he got a little more than angry.

"It doesn't matter what I want you to do…you have your own freewill, James Potter," she said. James pressed his lips together and fisted his hands. She was absolutely impossible.

"You're impossible," he said. He stood up and kissed her briefly on the side of her forehead and left the Great Hall. "You know where to find me when you've decided to get over it."

Wendy and May couldn't stop staring at her. Lily dropped her knife with a loud clatter, cracking the porcelain plate. "Miss Evans!" said McGonagall from the Head Table, "Control your temper!"

"Yes madam," said Lily, also throwing her napkin on the table and exiting similarly.

"Er…domestic conflict," she heard Sirius explain to the remaining Gryffindors.

"What happened with those two? Last night?" asked May.

"I'm not sure, exactly." Sirius and Cerulina looked at one another then at May. Cerulina also shook her head.

"They seem a great deal closer," said Wendy.

"Last night we were playing a game of cards in the Prefect's Lounge. Lily got really drunk and told James she loved him and they went off together."

"What?" exclaimed May, "No!"

"Don't look at me, I'm just as confused as you are," said Sirius, shrugging his shoulders, "I came back to the dorm, and they were both in James' bed, not looking too innocent might I add," he said.

"Lily?" said Cerulina, "Impossible!" They were now talking in hurried whispers, and the rest of the table kept shooting them curious glances. "Remus is going to be crushed when he finds out," she remarked. Sirius gave her a pointed look.

"He was with me."

"Oh, no! Have they talked to him?" asked Wendy. May looked pale, and silent.

"I think he's avoiding them. He's in Hogsmeade, 'posting something' he told me."

Cerulina shook her head again. "I had no idea Lily could be so irresponsible."

"Give her a break," May piped up, "she was drunk!" Cerulina looked a little surprised that May could talk much less that she was standing up with the same girl that she'd been fighting with for the past week.

"Yeah," Lina gave a conciliatory smile to May and Wendy, "I had no idea Lily was such a party animal…James is guaranteed good sex for the rest of his life, and that's good I guess," she said, waggling her eyebrows for emphasis. The four of them erupted with giggles, and startled quite a few first years at the far end of the table.


"Lily, if this is going to work, you're going to have to trust that I love you. You're more important to me than any Mariannes or Farrahs, or Cerulinas that come round…for as long as we do feel this way about each other, got it?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, James."

"Alright then," he pulled her into a hug that she returned. "I have a feeling that things are getting a little out of hand in the magic world, Lils. I'm glad I have you with me at least."

She pulled away, "What do you mean?" she said in a whisper. They were standing in the corridor in the East Wing where she had caught up to him.

"The wizarding world…" he said, holding her hands in his own, "is far more dangerous now than it ever has been."

"And the Ministry? Dumbledore will take care of things, right? Or is he part of this danger?"

"I'm afraid people don't want to believe Dumbledore when he bears bad news, whether he can help them or not."

"Sirius? Is he going to side with his family?" Lily seemed hesitant to ask this question, for fear of making James angry. She knew that he'd run away from home, but she still saw him going off to talk to his brother Regulus, sneaking off during Hogsmeade Trips or late nights when she sat downstairs in the Common Room with homework.

"I…hope not."

"He won't," said Lily firmly. "We have to set things straight, let him know that we're there for him forever, whether we're fighting or not."

"And you have to fix things with your friends too," James said, pushing a strand of hair away from her cheek, "and Remus."

"We both have to fix things with Remus," said Lily. "I'm glad we're together, James, and I'm glad you've stopped being a stupid prat."

"I'm glad too, now let's go work on that stupid project for Defense…Its due in three days, and I have a Quidditch match to plan for."

"Yeah, remember you promised to go to Hogsmeade with Brunhilde," reminded Lily.

"Yeah, she's one hell of a Beater. I hope your break-up with Antonio doesn't affect his performance in the match. Maybe we should keep our relationship low-key until I can find myself another Chaser."

"Good thinking, I really want that House Cup this year…Sirius and Cerulina are single handedly losing us a thousand points snogging in the hallways."

"Sirius and Cerulina, what a perfect couple, yeah?" They looked at each other and snorted.

"I don't care how great a couple they are, if I have to settle for second place to Slytherin, I swear…" Lily trailed off.

"I can't wait till you're Head Girl next year, Lils," James said, "you can just take off points to even things out." He noted that her face fell a notch.

"I'm pretty sure I heard McGonagall and Sinistra discuss Marianne's getting the position in Astronomy last Wednesday," she confided.

"Nonsense," said James, "They're just trying to throw you off your guard, make you think you're not going to be Head Girl so they can watch you overwork yourself. Screw Marianne, she's got nothing on you."

Lily smiled widely. Yes, screw Marianne. Screw the world. She tightened her hold on James's hand.