This chapter is dedicated to kairiyuna14, my most loyal reader. Thanks, dude. This is going to be the last chapter for a while. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Kam and Candi.

Chapter 8: Frights and Fights

She hugged him.

She, Lily Paris Evans, hugged him, James Brennan Potter.

She had no idea how it happened, or why she did it for that matter, but the next thing she knew her arms were around his neck and his cologne was filling her nose and she could feel the entire length of James' body pressed up against hers.

He was just as surprised as she was. Luckily for him, instinct took over and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

She buried her face in his neck, causing James to pull her impossibly close. But as they stood there, James felt an uncomfortable wetness spread down his shirt. He pulled away to find Lily in tears.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, completely bewildered, as most males are when confronted with a crying female.

"It's just––" Lily looked up at James and tried to wipe off her face. He stilled her hands.

"That was the nicest thing any guy has ever said to me!" Lily cried, hugging James again.

"Then why are you crying?" James asked, still confused. Her compliment didn't pass him unnoticed, however. He had finally done something right for her.

Lily pulled away, wiping her eyes for the final time.

"I don't know," She shrugged helplessly, running a hand through her hair. She couldn't believe she had lost control like that. But, she thought, it had felt nice. And it was so sweet of him.

"We need to go patrol." James did a double take. First she hugs him, then burst into tears, and now she's back to business? His mind was reeling.

"What?" James demanded. "You're done crying? Just like that?"

"Um, yes?" Lily looked at him, her brow furrowed. "C'mon, James, stop dawdling…It was really sweet of you, and I'm glad we're friends, but we have to go!"

"Um, ok," James replied. Just friends? After all that, they were still just friends? Well, he decided, beggars can't be choosers. A grin spread across his face as he readjusted his robes to hide the wet spot Lily had left on his shirt. He was never going to wash these clothes again.

Lily pulled him by the hand out of their shared common room into the maze of Hogwarts' famous hallways.

"Ok, which way do you want to go?" James looked up and down the hallway, not really focusing, as Lily was still holding on to his hand.

"James?" She prodded.

"Oh, I'll go left." Lily smiled and turned on her heel, down her half of the hallways. James watched her walk around the corner, and then he pulled out the Marauder's Map. He scanned his hallways to see if there were any particular spots that he needed to check, as he always did.

As he checked Lily's figure, his eyes wandered down her side of the hallways quickly. He squinted at one particular room, and tapped it with his wand, enlarging the font that was written inside. It was definitely two dots, very close to each other. He brought the map closer to his face, readjusting his glasses in slight disbelief as he read the two names. He stuffed the map in his pocket after clearing it, and sprinted down the hallways after Lily.

"Lily!" He called out as he neared her lonely figure. She spun around to face her partner.

"What is it, James?" She asked, a little worried.

"I- I think we should switch sides…I mean, you did right last time." James said, trying to catch his breath. Lily looked into James' eyes, raising an eyebrow, trying to discern what he was up to. She was met by pure sincerity. She shrugged.

"Whatever, James." She walked back down the corridor, glancing behind her at James briefly.

James pulled out his map as soon as Lily rounded the corner, and started walking in the direction of the deserted classroom.

He pressed his ear against the door upon reaching the classroom. He could heard distinct smacking noises, however muffled they may have been, that one does not usually make when one is in a room with a girl who is not one's girlfriend. James' face hardened with anger and determination as he blasted the door open, breaking the locking charm.

There they were, lying on the teacher's desk in the dusty, and, up until now, unused classroom.

Kam Pohorylo sprang apart from the girl he had been kissing in surprise. She quickly turned her back before James could get a look at her face, buttoning up her disheveled shirt and skirt in haste. It didn't matter whether he could see her face or not; he knew it was Candi Bell, a Hufflepuff seventh year who had about as many morals as she had brains, which was not much.

When Kam realized who it was, he lost the guilty look immediately.

"Potter," He sneered. Candi looked up in fright, her brown eyes wide with nervousness.

James could almost see the gears working in her head as she decided to leave the boys to handle their grudge, not wanting to be caught in the middle of the fight that was sure to break out. She nodded quickly to James and moved to walk out when Kam grabbed her arm, causing her spin around and almost topple over. He pulled her close and kissed her soundly, staring at James the entire time.

James could feel the rage start to rise within him at the disrespect that Kam was showing to both himself and Lily, not to mention Candi. James jerked Candi away from Kam.

"Miss Bell, you should leave now, unless you want to add another week's worth of detention to your punishment," He said coldly. Candi nodded and left the room, but not without a quick wink for James. Her tongue flicked over her top lip before her red curls vanished out the door. He stared after her briefly, until the sound of Kam's raucous laugh reached his ears.

James' gaze flicked back to the boy –– no, the ass wipe, before him. He took a step forward, making Kam flinch involuntarily. He stared into Kam's eyes, his own smoldering with suppressed anger.

"Potter, you should definitely hit Candi up. She's a good lay," Kam said, smirking, covering up fear with bravado. James snapped. It was the comment, the disrespect, the arrogance, and the chauvinistic smirk.

He punched Kam. This wasn't an I'm-going-to-bloody-your-nose-punch; it was an I'm-going-to-lay-you-out-flat-for-what-you-did-to-her-and-bloody-your-nose-too-punch. And as Kam lay on the floor at James' feet, rolling on his back, clutching his nose, James crouched down next to Kam's eyes.

"Look at me." He commanded. His voice left no room for argument. Kam opened his eyes, still cradling his nose with both hands.

"If you ever treat another girl like that again, I will do so much worse than just punching you. And if you ever steal a girl from me like you did with Lily, I will hunt you down and you will not be found when I'm finished. And if you ever make a girl believe that you love her, and then use her to get at another guy again, I will cut off your family jewels, and feed them to a thestral. And if I ever, ever see you near Lily again, I will kill you, so help me, Merlin.

So when I leave here tonight, you will get off the ground, clean yourself up, and go to bed. When you wake up tomorrow, you will not tell a teacher. Instead, you will tell Lily that you cheated on her, and we'll just see how she handles that news, okay? If I know Lily, she won't need my help. Got it?" James said with a completely calm and controlled voice. Inside, he was seething.

He couldn't believe that this kid thought that he could steal Lily Evans ––Lily Evans –– away from James, and then use Lily and cheat on her. James couldn't understand why he would need to –– no, why he want to kiss another girl when he already had the most gorgeous girl, and the object of so many other boys' fantasies, dating him.

James turned to walk out of the classroom, fully planning on leaving Kam there to suffer alone, when something connected with the back of his knees, causing him to stumble and fall on his face. James sprang up and turned around, wand drawn. Kam had reached his feet and his own wand, and was standing ready to duel.

Both boys were staring each other down, waiting for a moment of weakness from the other.

"James!" The door burst open, revealing the object of the imminent fight. Lily's wide green eyes took in the scene before her. The dusty room, the floor covered in blood, Kam with his wand out, blood still dripping off his chin, James, without a scratch on him, with his wand also at the ready.

"Boys!" Lily cried, whipping out her own wand. "James, what the hell were you thinking?" She asked as she came between the two boys, shoving James to the side and sitting Kam down on the very same table he had been lying on with Candi half an hour earlier. She started fussing over Kam, wiping off the blood and surveying his broken nose and busted lip. James walked over to the table.

"Lily, it wasn't my fault!"

"What, James? Do you really expect me to believe that he broke his own nose?" Lily replied, looking at him incredulously.

"Ok, well, I did that, but he started it!" James shot back.

"What are you, two? Why did you have to beat him up? Just because he got me first?" She looked between the two boys, shocked, " Is that what this is about? Me? Guys, grow up." She shook her head, and quickly kissed Kam.

"Kam, hun, go see Ms. Doherty, and then go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Kam nodded his head, and with one final kiss, walked out of the room, not sparing James a second glance.

James stared after him, burning holes in his back until he couldn't see him any longer. He turned his head back to Lily to find her standing directly in front of him with her hands on her hips.

He took a step backwards. Not good.

"James," She started, her voice surprisingly quiet, "You need to understand this. I'm with Kam. I love him, and as much as you're sweet and gorgeous, I'm with Kam." She took her hand off her hip and placed it on James' cheek, continuing, "And no amount of fighting is going to change that. I'm sorry."

"No, Lily," James told her, taking her hand off his face and holding it in his own, "You need to understand this. Well, two things. First, I'll never stop fighting for you. You think I've given up, but I'll never, ever give up on you. Remember that," He sighed, "And second, you need to believe me. Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied, not hesitating.

"I fought with Kam tonight, because I walked in on him kissing Candi Bell. He's using you. To get back at me." Lily took a step back.

"I can not believe you, James Potter! I trusted you, and then you do this. You are by far the most jealous boy I have ever met, not to mention the most arrogant! And on top of it all, you're the worst friend. Congratulations on breaking the record for shortest friendship, Potter."

She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, head held high. James was left for the second time that night staring after her, open mouthed.

"Lily, no! Wait!" He moved to run after her, but she stopped. He let out a breath of relief.

Without turning around, she put up a hand, crushing any hope he had of reconciliation.

"Save it for someone who cares, Potter." He stopped immediately, and Lily continued down the corridor. James slowly walked back into the room. How had this backfired on him? Stupid question. He was James Potter. When did things like this not backfire for him?

Lily walked up to Gryffindor tower, slightly dazed. She didn't know what to believe. There was the part of her that wanted to trust Potter because of every sweet thing he had ever said to her; then there was the part of her that made her remember every stupid, idiotic thing the boy had done, and the security that was Kam. She was torn.

She couldn't wait to talk it out with her constants. The only stable things in her life. Her friends.

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