CHAPTER 2; ROUNDS

"Where the hell is he?" Lily asked, looking at the portrait hole.

"I am sure is coming," Liana said, looking up from her book to reassure her best friend.

"Some things never change!" Lily fumed, plopping down on the couch next to Liana.

"I beg to differ," said a deep voice behind them. Lily narrowed her eyes, and stood up looking at James.

"Come on," She said, walking out of the common room. James looked at Liana.

"Potter, she's pissed." She said, shaking her head.

"Damn, and I though we were getting of to a good start!"

"Don't worry," she said, winking. Liana and James had known each other since they were little. She knew all his secrets, including the one where he was in love with Lily.

"Yea, I'll try," James said, hanging his head.

"Chin up, mate, she'll figure it out eventually," Liana said, returning to her book, "But I would suggest you go do rounds with her, or that will never happen."

James nodded, and headed to where Lily was standing.

As he neared, Lily narrowed her eyes. She knew that this truce would never work, he would never cease to annoy and infuriate her. He approached, smiling. She continued to glare.

"Shall we go patrol?" he asked, extending an arm. She looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"Come on." She said, sweeping past him.

She walked five feet in front of James down the halls in silence. Lily's anger gradually ebbed away as the rhythm of their footsteps calmed her. They reached the sixth floor, when there was a loud banging noise to their left. A suit of armor, ax raised, began to fall towards Lily.

"Lily!" James called, as he raced to knock her out of the way. She looked to her left, and as if in slow motion, the suit fell.

James ran faster than he ever had in his life. He flung himself at Lily, knocking her out of the way. He landed on top of her, as the suit clattered to the ground. James looked up to see where it had fallen, and saw Peeves laughing at the two Heads lying on the ground.

"Peeves, you bloody well run, because McGonagall is going to hear how you almost killed the Head Girl, so bugger off!" James yelled. He looked down at Lily, who was white and shaking. He put his arms around, and pulled her into a hug. He could smell her perfume, vanilla sugar.

After a few moments, he could hear Lily mumble under him.

"Er, James, I think I am quite fine from the fall, but you are crushing me."

The realization hit him that he had been on top of her. He rolled off her, blushing.

"Er," he said scratching the back of his head. She sat up, still looking a little shaken up. She looked up to him (two feet to be exact) and smiled.

"Thank you James. It looks like you have changed after all." She got up, and started walking to the east tower.

"Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" James called after her. She turned around and shook her head. Lily continued to walk to her room. What she needed was to sleep, to sleep until she couldn't sleep any longer.

Lily reached her bedroom door, and muttered the password, "emeralds". The door swung open, and she threw herself on the queen-sized bed with the Gryffindor lion stitched on the bedspread.

'James Potter, the egotistical prat, just saved my life. What is this world coming to?' She turned over, staring at the canopy. Her eye lids felt heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

"Lily, RUN!" James yelled from the downstairs hall. He had his wand out, and hooded figures glided towards him.

"JAMES!" She screamed, tears falling down her face. He looked back up at her, his glasses slanted on his face.

"TAKE HARRY AND RUN!"

She ran down the hallway to her son's room. She flung the door open and threw herself in. She could hear menacing slow footsteps on the stairs. She shut the door, and ran to the crib in the middle of the room. She picked up the little smiling boy, and held her to her breast. If they were going to die, she would die protecting her son. She heard the door blasted off it's hinges.

"Give me the boy, mudblood," a snakelike voice said behind her.

"Never!"

"Then you die, Avada Kedavra!"

"HARRY!" Lily screamed, as she sat up in bed. She was sweating and breathing hard. Dawn was breaking, and a light drizzle was falling on the grounds. Lily shook her head, thinking about the dream she just had.

'I was married to James, and we had a baby? Yea right!'

She got up, walking over to the bathroom.

"It felt so real…" she said, opening the door, "Oh my God!"

"Lily!" James screamed, trying to cover himself with the shampoo bottle.

"James, what are you doing in my bathroom?" she asked, covering her eyes.

"We share a bathroom I guess," James said, exasperated.

"Right, right," she parted her fingers, and got another glance at James. She whipped around, facing the wall.

"Are you going to leave, or watch me shower with that blush on your face?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll, I'll, I'll go. Yes, that's what I'll do," Lily stuttered.

"Oh, and please refrain from screaming out your boyfriend Harry's name."

"I don't have a boyfriend, it was a dream, and my son Harry was killed." She snapped, closing the door with a crack. She slid down the door and buried her head in her hands.

James Potter quickly turned off the shower, and wrapped a towel around him. He rushed into his room, slamming the door behind him. He felt mortified. The girl of his dreams (literally) just saw him naked and trying to cover up with a shampoo bottle.

'My life is over,' he thought. He walked up to the wall, and began banging his head. After a good long head bashing, and loss of brain cells, he got dressed and headed for the common room to meet his friends whom he was late meeting already.

Lily rushed to the common room to meet Liana. She was supposed have met her twenty minuets ago, but after her little run in with James and the shampoo bottle, she was a little disoriented.

"Sugarplums," Lily said to the fat lady.

"Oh, it is so nice to see you! Congratulations on making Head Girl!" she said, swinging open, revealing the entrance to the common room. Lily rushed in, and collided with no other than James Potter.

"Potter, is there anyplace I can go where you aren't?" Lily asked in an exasperated voice, as she picked herself up off the ground.

"I could say the same to you. A man can't even take a shower without someone bursting in on him!"

Images of James trying to cover up with a shampoo bottle ran through her head, and a blush crept upon her cheeks. She shook her head.

"Have you seen Liana? I was supposed to meet her for breakfast."

"She left about ten minuets ago with my three friends, apparently," James said, brushing past her. She shivered as his shoulder touched hers. After he left, she turned around, and ran out of the common room.

"SHE WHAT!" Sirius yelled, spitting pumpkin juice everywhere.

"Let me get this straight," Remus said, trying not to smile, "She walked in on you in the shower, and you tried to cover up with a shampoo bottle?"

James shook his head, and placed his hands over his eyes.

"I wish I had walked in on her so it wouldn't have ruined my…"

"Ego?" A voice next to him said, " Well, I bet Lily is as mortified as you after seeing that incredibly out of shape body you have there."

"Hello Liana," Sirius said, shooting her a smile and winking.

"Sorry hon, your boyish charm doesn't work on me. Now James, eat some toast," she said, pushing some toast in between his arms.

"Thanks, mum," James said in between mouth a full.

"Now Jamise," she said in mock exasperation, "don't talk with your mouth full! And when will you learn to tie your tie right?" Everyone laughed.

"Where is Lily, anyway," Peter asked, looking around.

"Where does Lily always go in time of need?" Liana asked.

The four boys looked at each other and said in unison,

"The Library."

Over the next few days, things were very awkward with Lily and James. James avoided Lily, and when they had to spend time together, he would walk a few feet behind her. After the fifth day, Lily had had enough, and when they went on rounds, she decided to tell him just so.

"James."

"Yes?" He asked, his eyes glued to the ground.

"Will you stop that!" She snapped, reaching up and lifting his chin so he was looking at her.

"Stop what?"

"Avoiding me and stuff! I'm sick of it. We have to be together," she said, putting her hands on her hips, "its not like you can avoid me forever."

"All right." He said, still looking at the ground. She rolled her eyes.

"I know that you were embarrassed, I was embarrassed, too, but please just put it behind you, I have," but in reality, Lily hadn't put it behind her. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She would catch herself daydreaming about him during classes, and staring at the back of his head. It was creeping her out, and she wanted it to stop.

"OK," James said, looking her straight in the eye. She blushed, and tried to hide it by turning around and clearing her throat.

"Yes, let's check the third floor, and call it a night."

"Let's," James said, walking with her to the third floor.