Author's Note: Another chapter- yet again, I am reminded of the fact that I really hate the way I write. I mean. Ew. Everything is so contrived. I have a bad feeling that a lot of the stuff in the chapter is rushed - like I have the images all set up in the head, but they don't come out quite as vivid on paper. This is why I'm going to become a director; it's so much easier to represent thing in images that words :P. Anyway some mention of sex in this chapter. Nothing graphic. A lot of the stuff in the chapter spawns from real life experience. Like getting a bra thrown at me during a party when I walked in a couple. Yeah. That was a priceless moment. So! Enough of me giving away parts of the chapter - read away! And review too : )
Disclaimer: I'm not even going to pretend that I'm creative enough to have written all this shit from my own imagination. Praise J.K.R.! Goddess of all things Harry Potter!

Chapter 3 - "Change Your Mind" by The Killers
"We're all the same and love is blind,
The sun is gone before it shines,
And I said; if the answer is no
Can I change your mind?"

Lily clung to edge the toilet bowl, her knuckles white with urgency as they tightened around the lid. She knelt on the cold tile floor, back hunched over and hair damp with sweat. Lily felt absolutely miserable… Her head was spinning, her limbs were sore, she had just barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up… How humiliating. The Gryffindor girl hung her head, trembling a little bit as her stomach heaved again - was this a part of getting drunk! Why - why - had she done this? Lily cursed herself, coughing feebly over the toilet as she struggled to hold herself up… What a disaster.

A gentle knock came from the door frame - Lily didn't even have to look up. She knew who it was. "Go away." She mumbled, just barely able to hold back her anger; but James didn't leave. In fact, she heard him take another step closer.

"You should probably drink some water." He offered softly; the tone was alien to Lily's ears - she had never heard James speak so gently. "It's easy to get dehydrated after drinking… Especially if you get sick."

She paused, much too weak to tell him to go away again. "I don't think I can stand to have anything in my stomach right now…" Lily grumbled and, as if in agreement, her stomach seemed to twist within her. Coughing, she launched herself forward and over the toilet once more… Eugh; gross.

James knelt beside her and pulled her hair away from her face, ignoring the small squeak of protest that emerged from her lips. "I know." He murmured. "But you should still try to drink the water; it'll help in the long run." He told her, getting down a hand towel and wiping away the sweat from her brow.

"Look, I don't need your help." Lily was being awfully ungrateful, but the last thing she wanted to be was in debt to James Potter. "I'll be fine." She hiccupped, flinching as the toilet seemed to spin beneath her - ugh… What a headache she had.

"I know you don't need my help." James responded. "But I'm going to give it anyway." He shrugged, brushing her hair away once more.

"You're being a prat, you know." Lily growled.

"I'm sure I am."

"Can't you just leave?"

James hesitated, seeming to consider this for a moment. "I don't think so… I'm quite comfortable." It was an obvious lie; Lily doubted that anyone could be comfortable on the bathroom floor. At least one thing reassured her; she doubted that James would try to kiss her now - not after throwing up. That would just be disgusting.

"Suit yourself." She said finally, closing her eyes for a moment and leaning back on her haunches. It seemed her stomach was settling down - for a moment, at least. Lily flushed the toilet, flinching at the sound - it hit her ears like a waterfall…

James watched her for a moment, remaining silent. She seemed especially vulnerable at the moment - still a little bit drunk, a lot a bit sick, probably still pissed off at him… He couldn't help but smirk; she had no choice but to put up with him right now… After all, James doubted she had the strength to slap him - or even to argue, for that matter. Was this his chance? He cleared his throat, running a hand through his already messy hair, leaning back as she did and nodding. "The first time I got drunk, I had a similar experience." He admitted.

"What, you got into a fight with your worst enemy and then spewed your guts?" Lily muttered, glaring at the floor - she was in no mood to hear any of Potter's stories.

"Ouch… I'm hurt; you think I'm your worst enemy?" He asked, tone miffed and expression clearly surprised. "I mean… I know you don' really like me but… Worst enemy? Harsh." James muttered.

"Fine. Not worst enemy. You're not threatening enough to be my worst enemy. You're just a pain in my neck." She conceded, tone unpleasant.

"You don't have to be so mean you know. There's no one else around - you don't have to impress anyone by being all strong and witty." James told her… Lily frowned; she didn't want him to be here. She felt sick, she felt miserable - she didn't want to get into another fight.

"Fine. Whatever. Just leave then, if you don't want to risk your poor ego being bruised." Lily's mood was steadily worsening… She just wanted to curl up and cry - this was just too much… Leaving home, then getting stuck with Potter and Black, and then getting drunk? She couldn't even remember why she had chosen to do it in the first place… Bug she wished she hadn't. Drinking was like breaching some terrible code of her morals. Lily had never supported underage drinking - the only reason she tolerated it was because she was such close friends with Madison and, well, it was more common to see her drunk than sober. Why had she allowed curiosity to get the better of her? She stole a glance at James, eyes flickering a little bit as she recalled their earlier conversation. Surely it wasn't to impress him. Maybe to prove something to herself - but never to impress James Potter.

"I'm not leaving." The Gryffindor boy responded flatly. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow to find you dead in a pile of your own vomit." James snapped bluntly. "I don't feel like dealing with a dead body."

"Oh thanks." Lily responded, closing her eyes and sinking a little bit lower against the wall. "Oh Merlin… Is a headache like this normal?" She whispered, hardly aware of the fact that James could hear her.

"Unfortunately, yes, it is. Water would really help…" He trailed off. "Even if you never trust me on anything ever again, you should trust me on this. I would know."

Lily rubbed her temples gently, a small chill running down her back. "Fine. If it'll make you happy, get me a glass of water." She continued to speak in a whisper - she almost sounded a little bit scared.

James shook his head and got to his feet, walking softly towards the sink and taking a cup down from the cupboard. He filled it with water, being careful to turn the water on gently as not to make too much noise. Returning to Lily's side, he handed her the glass and leaned against the wall beside her. She took the water and drank it slowly, wary of throwing up again. "Thanks."

"No problem."

A silence grew between the two of them; James sat with his eyes on Lily, who had long since finished her water and was sliding slowly down the wall. She was whispering something to herself and clutching the locket that she wore around her neck, there was a slightly pained expression on her face… She looked upset and unhappy - not that James could blame her for feeling that way but he wished there was something he could do or say to change it.

He sighed.

Lily heard him.

Her eyes snapped open and she glanced up, sitting up quickly and backing away a little before realizing just how stupid it had been for her to make such sudden movements. Moaning angrily, she sank back to the ground, curling up on her side and clutching her head. Lily didn't want to be here… She just wanted to go to sleep and forget about everything - she wanted this blasted headache to go away and, even more than that, she wanted James to go away… But she was too weak to say anything at this point. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she might throw up again.

"You'll be okay Lily." James said quietly, reaching out and touching a lock of her hair. She didn't move. "You'll feel better tomorrow - probably not right away but… You'll be okay." She sniffed in response, holding her head even tighter than before. She wished that James would stop being so nice to her - she wished he would return to his normal arrogant self… Lily was actually feeling a little bit bad for the less-than-kind words she had previously spoken.

"Thanks." She managed to croak.

"No problem." He echoed the earlier response. "I think you should get to bed…" He murmured. "I don't know if you can walk but… Errr…" James backed up a bit, wanting to avoid a slap for his suggestion, "I can carry you if you'd like?"

Lily felt her heart beat quicken furiously at the suggestion - she didn't want to admit it, but Lily knew that she wasn't going to be able to walk. "There's no way I'm going to let you carry me, Potter." She snapped - but her tone quickly softened. "But… errr… do you think you could help me walk?" She asked meekly, feeling very much as if she had just lost every last bit of her remaining pride.

James smirked, glad that she couldn't see his face. "Yeah, that's fine." Even when drunk and sick, Lily still maintained as much dignity as she could manage. Sobering his expression, he got to his feet as she slowly sat up straight. Taking Lily's arm, he slung it over his shoulder and helped her up. James wrapped one arm around her waist, using the other to keep her arm around his shoulders. Since she was so much shorter than him, it was a little bit difficult… But they managed.

Lily's head spun the instant she got to her feet - she wasn't sure if she could manage a step, even with James' arm bracing her. She grimaced, feeling quite ashamed of herself for needing to rely on James to such a great extent. He took a step and she tried to follow - but her feet seemed to be a completely different entity from herself and they refused to go in the right direction. She stumbled, clinging to James to keep her balance… Lily whimpered, grabbing onto his shirt as he caught her. They stood for a moment, Lily too weak to even think about the situation she was in, and James much too concerned to consider how close he was to her. Without asking for her consent, James scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "You can thank me later." He muttered, carrying her towards her bed.

Lily didn't say anything. Her fingers were still twisted in the cloth of his shirt, her head now resting against his shoulder. She had decided to give it up - the sooner she could get to bed, the sooner she could fall asleep and forget about all this…

James held her for a moment longer, shuddering a little bit as he felt the flutter of her breath against his neck. It felt, to him, right… Letting out an inaudible sigh, he decided not to push his luck. James rested her gently down on her bed and pulled the covers over her body. "Good night." He murmured. Lily heard him and nodded, burying her head into her pillow, already prepared to fall asleep… But James wasn't quite done. He took a step away, but then glanced back at the already dozing girl. Biting his lip, he decided to take one last chance - after all, James was never one to shy away from a challenge! And he couldn't let the night go to a total waste…

"Lily?" He sat at the edge of the bed and nudged her side, she stirred - that was sign enough that she was listening. "I just wanted to let you know…" He began, resting a hand on her side and stroking gently. "That I'll always be there for you if you need help. Or a friend. Or more than that if you should ever change your mind. I'm not going to give up on you. No matter how much you protest or argue or bitch… I'll be here. You're not going to get rid of me so easily." He grinned, seeing her figure stiffen - James was sure that she had heard him. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against the side of her head. "Good night."

----------

Lily hardly gave herself a chance to analyze James' words. As soon as he left, she fell into a deeply troubled sleep. She seemed to dream in broken stories - in one instant, she was looking up into a pair of hazel-brown eyes… But then, in the next, she was running with Madison who was… Crying? The instant Lily was able to focus on Madison's face, the dream-picture changed. Images of the night seemed to flash before her eyes - a tinge of humiliation crept into her mind as she watched herself yell at James… Lily couldn't remember what it was she had said to him but she only wished that she could take some of it back - especially after the way he had helped her when she got sick. Maybe she could make it up to him by treating him more pleasantly in the future - it was unlikely, but nonetheless Lily pledged to her dream-self that she would make the effort. James' figure faded into grays and she seemed to drift far away from her memories of the night. At the back of her mind, Lily could hear a faint moaning - it made her feel a little uncomfortable… She felt like squirming. But at the same time, she felt a small smirk of pleasure ripple over her lips as if the sound amused her - it grew louder. Her dream-self seemed to drift closer towards it until…

"Mmmm… Sirius!"

Lily jerked her eyes open as she realized what the sound had been and choked back a gag. Sirius and Madison had come back. She glanced at her clock - four in the morning. For once, Lily actually wanted to go back to sleep… She grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her ears, hugging tightly as she tried to drown out the sound. Eugh. This was disgusting. Lily didn't need to listen to her friend being intimate with a boy. At least at Hogwarts, they had curtains around their beds - here? She stole a sidelong glance and coughed as she caught a glimpse of Sirius' hand traipsing down Madison's thigh. Thank Merlin they were still partially clothed… Lily shook her head and grabbed her pillow, stumbling tiredly from the room - she wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but there was no way that she would be staying there.

Approaching the door, she turned back, frustration mounting on her mind. "Would you two get your own room?" She shouted - ducking when Madison's bra was hurled at her. "I mean for Merlin's sake…" Lily muttered, opening the door and storming out - and nearly tripping over James in the process.

Right beside the door lay James Potter. He was curled up on his side, glasses askew on his face and blanket clutched tightly within his grip. His head lay on the hard wood floor and he was breathing heavily - but most obviously, he looked uncomfortable. Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair. He looked so peaceful - cute, even; like maybe he could be a good person after all… She shook her head and glanced at her pillow, then once more at James' head. Sighing, she knelt, carefully lifting his head and sliding the pillow beneath it - it was the least she could do for the way he had helped her last night.

Leaning against the door, Lily sat by James head and sighed. Merlin… It was so early - Lily was exhausted and she felt terrible. Her head was pounding; it was almost as if it had been split open by a hammer… And then glued back together. She groaned and hunched over, resting her head in her hands. This entire weekend was shaping up to be a big disaster… Luckily there wasn't much of it left - today, she would shop for her school supplies, tonight she would hopefully get a good night of sleep, and then in the morning be off to Hogwarts for her seventh year… Ugh… What a head rush.

Her eyes fluttering shut, Lily took a deep breath. Perhaps this wasn't so uncomfortable after all… And, once more, Lily drifted off to sleep.

----------

"Lily?" A softer voice beckoned her from her dreams. "… Lily?" Someone shook her shoulder. "Err… Lil? You should really wake up now…" Someone coughed uncomfortably and ran a hand across her face - Lily was slowly awakening… She mumbled something, just barely moving her lips, and then shook her head.

"Just a bit longer…"

"No, Lil; I think now would be a good time to get up." As she gained a more steady consciousness, the voice registered in her mind as being distinctly familiar… And male. She felt herself blush a little bit and she opened her eyes. Lily found herself in a distinctly different position than she had been in when she fell asleep - instead of being slumped against the door, she found herself leaning against, almost hugging, a now upright James. Her eyes widened and almost instantly Lily shot back.

"I'msorryIdon'tknowwhathappenedIjustfellasleepand--"

"That's alright but… Err… I think we should go back in the room." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head nervously - Lily followed his gaze to the rather angry group of people standing across the hall… They had been blocking the way.

"Right then." She responded meekly as she got shakily to her feet - James took her elbow when she stumbled a little bit… She was too humiliated to protest in front of the group.

The pair entered room 28, hesitance marking their steps. Neither of them had a particular desire to see Madison or Sirius unclothed but their choices were limited… Glancing around, it seemed like the coast was clear - Lily strode over to the bed, raising her eyebrow when she discovered it to be empty (a complete and total mess… But empty nevertheless.) Odd. Running a hand through her hair, Lily stepped away and walked around to the other side of the bed, trying to find where the blankets had gotten to…

"Eeeeep!" A surprised squeak echoed about the room - Lily had found Madison and Sirius. Together they lay on the floor, entwined in blankets and each others' limbs. Sirius rested with his arms slung around Madison's waist, his chin sitting on the top of her head, and legs stretched out straight; Madison, on the other hand, lay with her lips pressed against Sirius' bare chest, legs bent and wrapped around those of her lover, and hands clutching hair at the nape of his neck. It looked more like they were dead than asleep… And considering the amount of alcohol they had most likely consumed during the night, Lily wouldn't have been surprised were it not for the gentle rise and fall of Madison's figure against Sirius' chest.

She shook her head and glanced at James as he walked over. He stood next to Lily and stared at the two sleeping teenagers. A cocky grin curled to his lips and he ran a hand through his hair, turning to talk to Lily - but she knew that look, that expression, that grin…

"Don't even think about it." She cut him off, taking several steps away from James' side.

"Think about what?" Asked James, dumbfounded.

"Don't even think about hitting on me. You were going to say something stupid - don't. Don't push your luck, Potter." She told him miserably.

"I wasn't going to say anything stupid--"

"We obviously have two different definitions of stupid."

"Oh lay off it Evans! Can't we even have a single civil conversation!"

Lily paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and reminding herself of her earlier promise - she was going to try to be nice to James… Even if it was just this once. "Alright. Fine. What were you going to say?"

"I…" James stopped and scratched his head, looking a little confused. "Err… I was…"

"Ha! I knew it. You were going to hit on me!"

"Alright. So what if I was? I'd only be joking." He said defensively, taking a step back.

"Oh…" Lily shook her head; it was too early for her to be arguing like this. "Well. Just… Just forget it. Okay? Forget it."

"Fine." He muttered.

"Fine." She muttered back. Lily walked back towards her bed, arms crossed firmly over her chest. James stormed off towards his own cot - Lily could distinctly hear him muttering something under his breath. She grimaced. So much for being nice… She sighed.

"Look. Potter." Lily turned, flinching a little as she heard her own voice. "I'm sorry for being so… Unpleasant." She said stiffly, arms still crossed over her chest. "And… And thank you for helping me last night - when I drank too much and got sick. Even though we had fought and all… It was very… Noble of you." Lily looked at her feet, feeling a little ashamed of herself - she rarely ever apologized to anyone; especially not James Potter. "Yeah so… Thanks." She murmured.

When Lily looked up again, she found James was standing in front of her - on his face lay an unusual expression. She had expected him to appear triumphant - after all, she had never before admitted to being wrong; or at least, not in his presence. But instead James looked tender. His hair flopped endearingly into his eyes, which seemed to be smiling despite the solemn line in which his lips lay. He scuffed the bottom of his shoe against the floor for a moment, looking kind of nervous - but Lily had never seen James nervous so she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Lily. You don't have to apologize - or thank me, for that matter." He said quietly, taking another step forward. Lily glanced up at him, suddenly aware that he was surprisingly close - close enough for her to see the way his nails left scratches across his skin as he rubbed his hand against his neck. "I practically asked for you to get angry at me last night - and for the record, I do think you're a wonderful person… In fact, I've never met anyone like you." He grinned, stuffing his hand back in his pocket. "I just don't know what to do to make you see me in the same light." James admitted, his voice growing softer as he spoke so Lily could hardly hear him. His hazel eyes flickered around Lily's face, he seemed unable to meet her gaze. He quickly cleared his throat, changing the subject. "But… Err… I was glad that I could help you last night?"

James stood still for a moment, his eyes cast towards the ground. It seemed as if he were working something through his mind - like there was something he wanted to do… But he wasn't sure if he should. Finally, he sighed and began to turn away, running a hand through and messing up his hair. His shoulders slumped and head dropped a little.

Lily watched him. It took her a moment to catch her breath again once he had moved away. She wasn't sure why, but the encounter had left her quite shaken. She was probably just tired - emotionally and physically; anything was bound to shake her up a little bit at this point. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a towel and a couple changes of clothes. Stepping away a little bit, Lily spoke. "I-uh-I think I'm going to take a shower before they get up."

"Mmk. I'm going back to sleep." James hardly gave her a second glance before flopping down onto the cot and pulling the covers over his head. Lily nodded and headed towards the bathroom which, at the moment, felt like her only escape.

----------

Lily had always considered herself to be pretty. It wasn't like she was cocky about it though, she was simply content with her appearance - she looked different from all the other girls at school. Lily was different. But today, she was feeling a little less than confident. After turning on the water, Lily turned away from the bathtub and stared at herself in the mirror with a scrutinizing eye.

She was a mess.

Everything about her looked disheveled. Her normally glowing skin looked pale and sallow, dark circles framed emerald-green eyes and… Eugh; her hair was everywhere. And it wasn't just a normal everywhere - when Lily's hair was everywhere, it was obvious. Every crimson strand pulsed with color, crimped with frizz and falling in no logical pattern. Lily sighed - then there was the bruise. She examined it in the mirror, admiring the deep color with distaste. She didn't look anything like her usual neat self… She even looked a little bit… Wild.

Suddenly Lily smiled at herself in the mirror, shaking her head so her hair scattered even farther around her face. From behind the curtain of red, Lily's green eyes seemed even more vivid than usual - and the sallow shade of her skin made her look as if she had been up for weeks without sleep… She looked like she could be Madison. The thought made Lily chuckle and shake her head - she couldn't even get drunk without freaking out; how could she be Madison?

Moving away, the slim teenager shed her clothes and stepped into the shower - it felt heavenly. Lily could feel all her worries slipping away. She didn't even have to think about it anymore; everything that had happened was now behind her. She wasn't going to let any of it bother her anymore. It was a new day, a clean slate - she smiled for the first time in hours, reaching for the shampoo.

As Lily washed her hair, James came to mind once more. He seemed to be in her thoughts a lot now - she just couldn't push away what had happened last night… It was all a blur but, when it all came down to it, he had helped her… And then there was… Lily bit her lip; she couldn't remember if it was a dream or if he had really said it but… She remembered him telling her about how he would always be there for her. She watched the drain for a moment, eyeing the water as it swirled around the drain - ugh; why wasn't her memory more clear? Lily tugged at her hair; she wished she could remember exactly what he had said or… Or if it had even happened. She bit her lip, unsure of what to think. Ever since she had met James, she had hated him. He'd never given her any reason to think otherwise - he was always running around, playing pranks, making trouble, hurting people… But what he had done last night didn't fit with that character at all. Someone who was as cruel as she pictured James to be didn't help when someone else was throwing up - not when they could have been sleeping or off partying… Lily grimaced and grabbed the conditioner. Maybe he wasn't as evil as she had made him out to be. But he was still annoying. And narcissistic and immature and… And he was still a prat!

It would take more than just one night to change Lily's mind.

Lost in thought, Lily hardly even noticed the soft creak of an opening door… But, as she reached for the soap, out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of light -- too much light for the dimly lit bathroom. She froze. There, in the doorway; Sirius.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Lily darted out of the shower and slammed the door, her face flushing bright red. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her body and stormed out, spotting a very confused Sirius standing a couple of feet away, scratching his head.

"Lily! I didn't mean to - I mean I--"

"You didn't mean to? What the hell does that mean? Haven't you ever heard of knocking!"

"Haven't you ever heard of a lock?"

"Why should I have to use a lock? Didn't you hear the water running?"

"I just got up! I'm not listening to anything!"

Lily glared at him scathingly and grabbed a book from off the floor - without even thinking, she hurled it at his head. Fortunately, Sirius ducked just in time and it ended up hitting the wall behind him with a loud -THWAP-. He chuckled, turning around to face his assailant once more - he opened his mouth to speak again but Lily already had another book and this time she hit him squarely in the stomach.

"Merlin Evans! It's not like this is a big deal or anything!"

"Maybe not to you!"

"Would you two shut up!" James and Madison chimed in at the same time, both having been woken up by the shouting match.

"Bloody hell; it sounds like the world it ending - what's the problem here?" Madison slowly climbed off the floor, grabbing an oversized t-shirt and pulling it on over her head.

"Jeez Evans; we stop fighting and you have a go with Sirius. Don't even stop to get dressed, do you?" James grinned.

"Stuff it, Potter. Your friend here walked in on me in the shower." Lily growled. James seemed to pale.

"Sirius!" Madison grabbed a pillow and launched herself towards the boy. "How-" She hit him over the head, "Dare-" Across the chest, "You-" Along the side, "Even-" On the shoulder, "Try something like that." Madison hit him again. But Sirius simply smirked; he was very unaffected by her attack - so unaffected that he seemed to pounce on Madison, drawing her close to his chest for a dramatically passionate kiss. The girl struggled for a moment, pressing her hands against his shoulders but quickly gave up, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck.

"You are a disgrace." Lily muttered angrily, holding the towel even more tightly to her body.

Madison untangled herself from Sirius' embrace, wiping her mouth a little. "Yeah. That's me." She grinned, padding over to give Lily a hug - Lily leapt away.

"Ewwwww get away from me! You have sex all over you. Take a shower and then give me a hug." She said, sticking her tongue out before turning back to Sirius. "You have some nerve, you know."

"I know." He grinned as James came up behind him to punch him lightly in the shoulder.

"You shouldn'tve done that you know. Not every one is like Madison." James told him sternly.

Sirius shook his head. "I would say I'm sorry but I can't say that I regret it." He explained smugly. "You're my best mate and all but I didn't understand why you liked Evans so much until now - let me tell you! She has got a rack on her that--"

"EUGH!" Lily threw her hands up in frustration and stomped back into the bathroom. It was hopeless. Useless. She hated boys. Hated. This was why she wasn't in a relationship - boys were always so immature and perverted and she always felt like she was being judged on the way she looked and they were… Lily stopped, taking a slow breath. In… And… Out… She felt herself shaking with anger. There was nothing she could do about it though - other than let it go. Madison wasn't going to do anything about it - what could she do? And it was quite clear to Lily that Sirius wasn't going to apologize… Not that it would make her feel any better anyway.

Lily shook her head and got dressed. She hastily pulled on a pair of ripped denim shorts, pairing it with a flowery green tank top and a light jacket. Lily glanced at herself in the mirror, splashing her face with water after pulling her hair back into a sloppy ponytail. She sighed, looking at herself. She was Lily again; hair perfect, clothes carefully coordinated, and face free of any sign of makeup. She was herself again.

Hugging herself around the elbows, Lily took a breath before once more venturing out into the jungle known only as Room 28 of the Leaky Cauldron.