Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.

Chapter 6 – Temptation

Lily got up and went to the Great Hall before James had even stopped snoring. She sat down on her table, joined by one other person, a sixth year girl named Amber. Everyone in the school knew she was a metamorphmagus, so currently she had blonde curly hair and sparkling blue eyes. Lily frowned at her company. The one thing Amber was famous for were her attempts at hooking up with James Potter. She smiled and made her way over to Lily, sitting with her back to the table.

"Fancy seeing you here this early, Head Girl. It must be great to live in the same dorm as James Potter."

"Not quite. He's an insufferable git."

"Maybe, but he's one sexy insufferable git. If I could only have one night…"

"Amber, has anyone told you you're severely disturbed?"

"So, is he still obsessed with you?" Amber asked, ignoring the last comment.

Lily sighed. "It would seem so. How are your classes?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Lily. I was wondering, I really didn't get the summer Transfiguration homework, and I'm willing to bet I need to know it by next week. I was wondering if you could help me, but can we please do it tonight? I have to do something for the rest of the week."

"Tonight's fine. How about the Heads' Dorms? They have a really great library in there and enough table room to work on. Only I'll have to leave for Slughorn at seven, so you're welcome to stay until ten, because after that's curfew for sixth-years."

"Will James be there…so I can ask questions?"

"I have no idea what Potter will be doing at that time, nor do I care. I'm not sure how much help he'll be."

"Thanks Lily," Amber said and walked back to her side of the table, muttering, "She's so gullible it's hilarious."

The Great Hall filled with students and Lily sat at the end of the table, in her usual spot, reading her book. She had already looked over her schedule and memorized it. At the moment, she was reading up on her first class, Transfiguration. James walked up and sat next to her.

"I hope you don't get in the habit of sneaking out when I can't catch you, Evans," he joked. Lily closed her book and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, I see you're back to your regular self, Potter. And I've invited Amber over for tutoring. I hope you don't mind, she'll leave by ten."

"No, I guess not. I was planning on spending the night in my room anyway."

"Works out well then."

"What happened to no visitors allowed?" James said, smiling as he cornered her. She held the parchment up to his nose.

"No visitors allowed (except for tutoring or emergencies, dorms must be visitor free by ten o'clock)." He read. He frowned slightly. "I hate loopholes."

Lily packed her things and got up, heading to Transfiguration early. James shrugged it off. What did he care if a girl was in the dorm for lessons? He went back to the Marauders and finished eating his breakfast, soon heading off for Transfiguration as well, along with Sirius and Remus. Peter had disappeared again, but he had the same class so they figured he'd turn up.

As the day droned on, teachers lectured, Sirius fell asleep, James managed to bewitch his paper into a swan and Lily did all her homework during her free period. By around five, Lily was in the Great Hall and James was in the Heads' Dorm, actually doing his homework on the table.

"Lily?" Amber said, tapping Lily lightly on the shoulder. "Are you still up to it? It's okay if you've had a long day, you know."

"No, Amber, I'm still up for it. Actually I got all my homework I needed to do done after lunch, so I'm totally free until seven. Then you can stay in the dorm to use the books and all, but I'll be back at nine thirty and you must leave by ten."

"Okay, that's fine. Thanks, Lily. You're a lifesaver."

"You're welcome," Lily said and smiled. "The easiest way to meet would be to go through the Gryffindor Common Room entrance. Why don't you go there and wait until I open it?"

"Right. Will do."

Lily headed to the Head's dorm as Amber headed for the Gryffindor Common Room. In fifteen minutes, Amber was crawling through the door, with her Transfiguration book. James was sprawled on a chair, biting the end of his quill and writing what seems to be an essay.

"Hello, James," Amber greeted him with a wide smile. He looked up.

"Oh," he said distractedly. "Hi Amber. Here for tutoring, I hear."

"Yes, Lily was nice enough to help me out," Amber said as she put her bag down and sat herself on a chair next to Lily, laying her books on the table.

"Yes, well, our Head Girl is generally nice to most people," James said, looking at Lily, who glared back.

"Especially people who don't hex others for no reasons at all, Potter."

James sighed. He got up and stuffed his paper in his bag. "Well, I think I'll pop in for a shower. If you would excuse me," he said, heading up the stairs to his room and coming down a minute later, a towel in hand. He went into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Well, Amber, what exactly is the problem?" Lily asked, turning to face her. Amber smiled and started flipping through the pages, asking questions.

"Well, I have to get going, Amber," Lily said, after about an hour and a half. She glanced at the bathroom. "I'm not sure how much help he'll be if he stays in there much longer. Her must be looking at himself in the mirror. I swear, he's the biggest narcissist I've ever seen."

Amber laughed. "Well, I'll just finish this page and be on my way. Thanks again, Lily. You're great."

"Anytime," Lily said and went to her room, grabbing her things. She descended the stairs just as James walked out of the bathroom door. He wiped his glasses and put them back on, looking up at Lily. For a moment she stopped walking down the stairs to look at him, his fit body, half showing by the towel at his waist. For a moment, she was entranced. Their eyes met, both giving away the secret of their deepest desire. Lily quickly broke the spell and continued to descend. She turned around before exiting. "Potter, I trust you can help Amber if need be with her Transfiguration homework. I'll be back at nine thirty."

"Yeah, sure, I'll help," he said, one foot on his staircase.

With one last look, Lily left. She closed the door behind her and leaned her head against it, whispering, "That was Potter in there, you idiot. Potter, of all people! And you nearly let yourself go…" She took a deep breath and started down the hall, heading for the Slug Club.

James turned around to face Amber. "Do you need any help right now, because I was thinking of going to change."

Amber got up from her chair and went up to James. "Change? What's the point if you'll just wind up taking it off again?"

James gave her a questioning look. "What?"

"I've realized I've been approaching this all wrong. For the past four years, I've been trying to get you to like Amber. When what I really should have been doing was getting you to like," Amber stopped and changed her appearance. Curly red hair came just below her shoulders, her face reconfigured itself and her eyes became startling green. "Lily," she finished, looking up at James from the face of Lily Evans.

"Amber, you're mental," James said and took another step up.

"I know you want this, James. I know you've wanted to get Lily Evans to yourself for a long time. Well, here she is. And she will not refuse, I promise you."

James paused, turned around and went back down the steps to be level with Amber. "Look, stop it, okay? I'm not interested."

Amber looked down. "James, your towel says you are."

James turned a mild shade of pink and started up the stairs again. "I don't care about your agreement, Amber. Get out of this dorm now, before I report to McGonnagall!"

"James, you're passing up your only chance. Do you really think that wrench will ever start liking you?"

"Get out!" James yelled from the top stair, losing his temper. "Get out right now!" he yelled again, grabbing his wand from his room and going down the steps. Amber stumbled backwards. "Get out and don't come back," James said quietly. "And take off Lily's face, it doesn't suit you."

Amber grabbed her books hurriedly and, changing back to her blonde self, left through the Gryffindor Common Room door. James set his wand on the table and went back in the shower, turning the water on cold.