I guess it wasn't really hard after all. It started slow. A smile here, a shared glance there. There were times when I'd get this feeling… no, not that kind of feeling. A light, feathery kind of feeling. I just put it down to thinking of her as a sister. It seemed safer. I didn't feel that 'I want her, I'll have her' that I used to feel, so… Meh. I thought of her as a sister. A sister I never really got along with but somehow we figured out that, in the end, we're not so different after all.

I suppose it started that night in front of the fire, the two of us not exactly happy, not exactly relaxed, not exactly at ease. But the two of us there. Just… there.

The next morning I trundled downstairs, leaving the snoring form of Peter behind me, eyes dark and tired but feeling better than I had all week. Lily was already there in the common room and by the look of her face she hadn't slept a second longer than I had. She looked up over her shoulder as I jumped the last two steps and for a second I thought of running backwards back up to my dorm and hiding under my bed. Or hexing her. Then she smiled.

I smiled back then clumped over to where Remus was methodically ripping up an old essay and feeding it to the fire.

'What are you doing exactly?'

'Meh. Having fun. Just getting rid of some bulk before we go home tomorrow.'

I picked up an escapee from the essay and read a small section. '… the most terrifying is the full moon, in which the cre…'

'Ah. Gotcha. Need some help?'

Remus gave a solemn nod of acknowledgement. 'I can handle this one. Thanks, James.'

I grinned at him and wandered over to sit beside Lily.

'Potter.'

'Evans. Where are your friends?'

'They've just gone down for breakfast, but I already had some about an hour ago with Remus and Sirius. Did you sleep?'

'No, I was dreaming about coming back down here, bundling you up in my cloak and flying us to Vegas to elope.'

'Pleasant.'

'I certainly thought so. Especially the honeymoon sequel…'

Her hand swung back and whacked me hard in the chest, but she was grinning. 'Honestly James, I thought you were over that arrogant stage.'

'Oh, I am,' I said cheerfully. 'But I'm still male, so it's bound to happen from time to time anyway.'

Sirius suddenly appeared as if from nowhere and plonked his backside down between the two of us, throwing his arms across our shoulders. 'My dear friends!' he cried. 'How lov-a-ly to see you both here! Neither of you hexed, maimed and/or in serious agony! What, my I ask of my dear Prongs and my dear Miss Evans, has happened since I last saw you two conversing? If I remember rightly, Prongsie here was slightly concerned of your state of mind.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Lily's state of mind seems to be a lot clearer than yours, Padfoot old mate. Besides, how'd you know about that, you weren't there!'

'That's what you think. Lily, is it?' I ignored his raised eyebrows and the flash of suspicion as Remus flicked the last piece of parchment into the flame. He grinned at us over his shoulder and heaved himself upright, scuffing his bare feet over the common room carpet as he headed towards us. He sighed as he thrust his hands into his pockets.

'So, what are we doing today?'

We all looked at each other and shrugged.

The lake?' Sirius offered, helpfully. 'We could go for a swim or… Hogsmeade, maybe?'

Lily shook her head. 'The gates are locked and we'll be noticed getting brooms. Besides, the old tunnel roof caved in about a month ago. We can't get there.'

Remus, Sirius and I looked around so fast, three necks cracked. I winced and pressed my fingers against the back of my neck. Sirius and I spoke at exactly the same time.

'You'd actually go?'

'You know one of the passages!'

She blinked. 'Of course. That's how I managed to prank you two in November.'

'That was YOU?'

I laughed. That was excruciating that morning, waking up to find that the sheets I'd just slept in had been hexed. You try waking up and finding your body coated in boils. It's not fun, I assure you. Lily launched into the story of her cursing loudly at our backs one fine day after we'd just inadvertently managed to make her entire head of hair stand upright. Apparently, she'd yelled that we had 'goblin breath' and the Stature of Mike the Mangy had straightened and ducked to the side. She'd slipped inside and went exploring, finding herself emerging from the hill just beyond Hogsmeade. It was amazing watching her tell the story. Some people just tell the story and be done with it. Lily acted it. Her hands flew about her, her face showed every expression and, thank Merlin, she refrained from repeating the words 'like' and 'totally' twice in every sentence that spilled out of her mouth. Us three sat in thrall and just stared at her.

'What?'

Remus looked at me. I looked at Sirius. Sirius looked at Remus.

'We have a map.' The three of us said it together.

'A map? Of what?'

And, with a sly grin, Remus stood and took off up the stairs.