"I heard about your confrontation with Norma last night," James said to Lily that day during lunch. He sat down next to her and she moved over showing her disdain.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily asked James without looking at him.

"Many things, you among them," James said. "But right now I just want to talk to you…or at least congratulate you."

"Congratulate me for what?" Lily asked, still in a voice that made James feel inferior, like he was a little boy again getting in trouble with his mum. It didn't feel so great to think of someone you love as your mother.

"Congratulate you for standing up for yourself, of course," James said. "It's good to know that the mousy, shy girl who came here in her first year is replaced by a confident person who can now take care of herself. I just wonder if you still have the innocence and morals of the first year girl."

"I could always take care of myself, Potter, so don't pity me," Lily said and then got up. "And I have all my morals, thank you very much." Lily started walking up the aisle to walk out of the Dining Hall.

"I don't pity you, Lily," James said. "I admire you."

Lily turned around slowly and walked up to him and quietly said, "I would prefer if you admired me from afar. I'd rather not be seen with you." Lily walked out of the Dining Hall. She was about to turn the corridor when something grabbed her. She screamed but couldn't see what it was. The thing took her to the North Tower. It unveiled itself.

"Lily, how can you talk to me like that?" James asked Lily after he took of his cloak.

"I should have known," Lily said. "Only a Marauder would pull such a horrible, inconsiderate, quick prank. Oh yes, let's capture the prefect and hide her in the North Tower. Can't capture Remus, though, he's one of us. Admire me? You mean you admire how I don't look back to see if someone is following me when I walk down a corridor? Or do you admire how I don't scream loudly so nobody hears?"

"Lily, it's not what you think," James said.

"I'm sure it's not. I'm sure it's much more thought out than just capturing me," Lily said. "When's your next big Quidditch match? Are you going to present me then? Show a Gryffindor victory academically to give your team a little more pep? But why would you think of academics? I'm sure you're not going to even bring me my homework while you keep me up here."

"Lily, will you be quiet for a moment so I can talk?" James said, but Lily just continued.

"I mean, I even told you I don't know how to work the staircases very well. Nice thinking, putting me in the highest tower. More staircases, right?" Lily said. "It's genius in your own little warped way. I'm sure you're proud of yourself. Haven't pulled a prank in a while, but this will put you back on top, won't it? You and Sirius will be the prankster kings again, right?"

"Lily would you just shut up for a minute?" James said and grabbed her before she could respond and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss that exploded all the feelings James had kept up inside himself all this time. Love, anger, excitement, lust, happiness, frustration and many more flowed from James into Lily. He held her tight and never wanted to let go. It might have just been James caught up in the moment, but it didn't seem like Lily was making an intention of stopping either. The two just flowed and communicated through one long kiss. When it was over, both were speechless. Lily didn't say anything, but she just left.

'After that, she just walked out?' James thought. 'How can she just leave? Did that mean nothing to her? It meant the world to me. I thought…I thought…I guess I thought wrong.' James sat on the windowsill and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon. He sat and thought about what Lily thought that was. Just a kiss? An opening? A closing? Why did Lily see it as James saw it? The afternoon trickled by like the water dropping from the leaky faucet in the boy's bathroom. Drip, drip, drip went the minutes. Drop, drop, drop went the hours. The teachers knew it was bad that James Potter wasn't in their class, but they were grateful for an afternoon without a Dungbomb. It wasn't until that evening that James came back to the common room. He walked right through, aware that no one was talking because the infamous James Potter was there, and he just skipped the whole afternoon! Usually, James would get a kick out of that, but today it didn't matter. He just walked to Lily's room. It wasn't Lily he found there.

"I knew you would come back," Norma said as she lay sexily on her rustled bed.

"I'm not here to see you, whore," James said. "I came to see Lily."

"Lily's not here," Norma said. "Like she would even want to see you."

"Will you tell her I was here and I desperately need to talk to her?" James asked. Norma glared at him, trying to see if this was a prank or some sort of trick. She could only see sincerity in James's eyes, though.

"Sure," Norma said. "After all, what are old friends for? Now would you mind leaving? My boyfriend will be here soon and I don't want you to be here when he gets here." James half-smiled as a thanks and left. Barely a minute later, Lily came out of the bathroom.

"Why did you do that?" Lily asked.

"Do what?" Norma asked.

"Tell James I wasn't here?" Lily asked.

"Do you want to see him?" Norma asked.

"No," Lily said quickly.

"Then what's the problem?" Norma asked.

"I just don't know why you would do that for me," Lily said.

"Why?" Norma said. "Because, after all, that's what old friends are for." Norma smiled a genuine smile.

"Well, thanks then," Lily said.

(Thanks for your reviews, especially FrostQueeneva! Love ya! What new relationship do Norma and Lily have? Do James and Lily even have a relationship? Please Review!)