It was days later, when Lily was working on her proposal for Slughorn, she was reminded of her upcoming trip home.

The larger group was eating breakfast, the morning resulting in a quieter environment amongst the students in the Great Hall.

"Oi, Lily," Marlene snapped, tapping on her shoulder.

"I'm almost done," she said distractedly, holding up a finger to gesture to her to stop talking.

"With what?" Peter asked.

"Her Potions apprenticeship essay."

"Proposal," she absentmindedly corrected, embellishing the last sentence. "Just one more correction… Done!"

Marlene leaned over her shoulder. "You misspelled that word there."

"What?" she yelped, holding up the parchment to scan. "Where?"

"Just kidding," Marlene teased. "You've got a letter. Your bird's been harassing us for the last five minutes."

Lily glanced behind her parchment to catch sight of her owl. "Ah, sorry, love!" she said apologetically, reaching forward to accept the letter from the owl's beak. "Here, have some bacon."

"Your mum?" Emmeline prompted.

"Yes," she replied, grabbing a knife to splice the envelope open. She pulled out the letter to skim it. "Oh. She's writing to confirm the trip back to London."

"When's that?" Marlene asked, breaking a piece of bacon apart.

"In a fortnight, apparently. Second weekend of October."

"All for a dress, isn't it?" Sirius recalled.

"It's for my sister's wedding."

"When's that happening?" James asked.

"The 21st of December," she recited from memory.

Peter scoffed. "It takes that long for a dress?"

"In the muggle world, it does," she said, rereading the letter once more.

Sirius chuckled suddenly. "Prongs, remember my dear old cousin' wedding? Absolutely nothing went right for 'Trix, did it?"

Lily heard James laugh in recollection.

"What?" she asked curiously, looking up from the letter. "You were both there?"

"And Pete," James inserted, but the boy was focused on juggling the book in one hand and a fork in the other. "A Pureblood from the Sacred 28 getting married, while not technically rare, can be quite the spectacle in the wizarding community."

Lily hummed in thought, imagining a grand affair with a magnificent ballroom decorated with floating chandeliers and outrageous garlands. "And… all Purebloods are just given an invite? Welcome to the wedding?"

"I think for most families, it's a requirement," Sirius answered, taking a large bite out of a biscuit. "Pretense and all that."

Her curiosity grew, tucking away the letter into her school bag. "Is there much to the ceremony? Vows and all that, still?"

James nodded. "And the bonding spell," he said, looking thoughtful. "Though, the ceremony official could barely get through the thing…"

"Shame that stray box of bulbadox powder got spilt on him while the guests arrived," Sirius grinned.

"Bonding spell?" she asked, ignoring Sirius's comment. "Is that really a thing?"

"Nah, not really. It's more of a formality to a ceremony, I think. It's a – well, it's – actually, I'm not sure what it is."

"It's nothing like an Unbreakable vow," Sirius confirmed, having sensed her trail of thoughts. "But I guess I don't see many old wizarding couples breaking up… do you?"

James shrugged. "No idea. What do muggles do?"

"Well, if you're Catholic – which we are – you have a priest provide the vows and then the couple exchanges rings," Lily said. "Then we have mass with prayers, but I'm not sure Pet is going to have that."

"Matching paired rings?" James asked, mulling it over.

"Well, not normally matching, I guess. Why, is that not a thing?" Lily asked in interest. She thought back, trying to picture any of the adult wizards and witches she had met.

Sirius held his hand out, where the fourth finger on his left hand bore one ring – Lily hadn't ever noticed it before. "Most wizards who wear rings do it to show status," he explained. "Bloodline, I mean. Not marital."

Lily looked towards James's hands, curious.

He saw and shrugged. "I kept losing the bloody thing. Took it off for Quidditch and could never find it, so I mailed it back home."

"Smart," she agreed, turning back to Sirius. "Did they have a reception at your cousin's wedding?"

"Nope," he answered, sounding wholly disappointed. "Straight to dull and dreary mingling after the bonding ceremony."

"No music? Dancing?" she asked, surprised. "Cake?"

"Oh, there's cake, at least," James said. "But not much else. Usually the kids sneak off – you know, grab a flagon of firewhisky, have our own fun."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."

"Think we can crash your sister's wedding?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

She laughed outright. "She'd bloody murder you if she knew you were from Hogwarts. You wouldn't be able to step through the church doors."

"I don't think he'd be able to step through them regardless," Remus spoke up idly, flipping a page of his Transfiguration book.

"Funny, Moony. Really."

Remus merely smiled, eyes focused on the pages.

Lily looked down at the pages of parchment she'd worked on in front of her, fingers spanning across the dried ink. "I should probably get this proposal to Slughorn before I lose it. See you all at dinner?"

"Wait!" Marlene cried, throwing out a hand to stop her. "I was thinking before you left, we should probably, you know, plan another study session. Yeah?"

The group suddenly sat at attention, catching the tone Marlene had used.

"Oh, yes," Sirius grinned. "As soon as possible, I think. Right, mates?"

"Practice tomorrow morning," James informed them with an apologetic tone. "Tomorrow?"

"I'm sure I can move some things around," Dorcas said caustically.

"I'm free," Emmeline confirmed.

They all looked at Lily synchronously.

"What?" she laughed bemused, feeling as if they were asking her permission. "I'm in. No patrols for Remus and I."

"Wonderful," Marlene chimed, clapping her hands together once, pleased.

"Later," she said, a happy content feeling settling into her chest.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The rest of the day, Lily was in high spirits.

Slughorn had been excitedly intrigued by her proposal when she'd turned it in before classes; many of the past year's submissions focused on the exotic or showy type of potions. While he had some suggestions and corrections for her paper, he told her he felt incredibly opportunistic regarding her approval into the apprenticeship. Granted, he needed to wait until Thursday – the true final deadline of the proposal submissions – before they could evaluate the student's work.

And then Charm's class went incredibly smoothly, Flitwick even calling on Lily's assistance to help the other student's with the entrancing enchantments they were working on.

Her steps were light when she'd entered the Defense's classroom, despite the negative impression the room now invoked.

"Charm's class go well?" Marlene asked. "You have your 'teacher's pet' smile on. That only happens from a good Charms lesson."

"Shut it," Lily said, grinning regardless. "I wouldn't call it a teacher's pet smile."

"You have the same one when you've done a tutoring session – you're pleased with yourself."

She pulled out her notes and Defense book, turning to say a quick hello to Alice and Hunter. Potter and Black sat at the table just behind them, Remus and Peter next over.

As if they'd been friends for years, they smiled their hellos.

Was it odd how easily their groups suddenly fit together? Was something as simple as a taboo game of tag the key to solidifying a non-existent friendship?

Lily surmised so, returning a smile.

Marlene was grumbling. "Why can't I ever have a good Muggle Studies class?"

"Because you don't pay attention."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "Maybe we'll be lucky and get some practical work in class today. I could work out some tension."

"You could work on your self-control, a little more," Lily teased.

Marlene snorted. "Just as you could work on your intention. And –"

"Constant Vigilance," the two girls recited simultaneously with wry grins.

"I swear I won't be able to even write that damned phrase without laughing," Marlene complained.

"You'll have to. I'm sure it'll be all over the exams."

She groaned. "It's way too soon to think about exams."

"It's already nearly October," Lily pointed out. "Get exams over and then it's break."

The professor's office door banged open with its usual gusto, revealing the pinched face of Donahue.

"A 'good mood' day it is, then," Marlene sniped under her breath.

Lily fought back a smirk.

"Who can tell me the basic shield charm?"

Abbott, one of the Hufflepuff Prefects, raised her hand. "Protego, sir."

"Correct," he said. "Is that the most advanced protection spell you've learned?"

She shook her head. "We learned Salvio Hexia, sir. And Protecto Duo."

"Ah," Donahue said. "Smart. Protecting the caster from both magical and physical attacks. I'd like you to turn to Chapter 23, where you'll find a list of additional shield spells."

The room was filled with the sound of turning pages. Donahue waited till it settled. "Please review for the next five minutes; then we'll practice the application of the charms."

Marlene shot Lily a smug look, before diving into the pages in front of her to study. Lily did the same, skimming over the spells and their wand movements. Protecto Duo, already discussed. Protego Maxima. Muniendum Scutum.

Many she had read over previously in her free time, studying ahead more out of curiosity then necessity.

"Alright, stand up please! Move the tables to the perimeter."

The students did as requested, working in pairs to shift the tables out of the way, while others grabbed the chairs to line up against the walls.

"We learned Protego in like, 3rd Year," Marlene said unimpressed in a low tone, pushing a chair lazily with her foot. "What, I have to fend off the tickle charm?"

Lily smiled humorously, setting a chair down.

"Comes in handy against the Jelly-legs jinx," James murmured to them with a smirk, tucking two stacked chairs against the wall. "Know how many times that's saved me?"

"Har, har," Marlene said. "I guess I'll only be prepared for kiddie jinxes, then."

"Please assemble into your pairs as you've done before and be sure to spread out," Donahue called impatiently. "We'll start with the basics as a refresher."

The noise rose up around them as the other paired students began, familiar shouts of Rictusempra and Locomotor Wibbly echoing in the room.

"Tickle-charm me," Marlene said resignedly. "I'm ready."

Having considered herself an expert at the spell (how many times had she used it to wake Marlene up from naps?), Lily raised her wand and silently cast the spell.

Marlene promptly burst into forced laughter, folding over. "H–hey! No fair. I wasn't expecting that!"

Lily cackled. "You said you were ready!"

"Not for a nonverbal!"

"Gotta be ready for anything," she said slyly, finite-ing the jinx. "Ready now?"

It took a moment for Marlene to catch her breath, rubbing at her side. "Okay, okay. One sec. Yes, I'm ready."

Lily cast the jinx again.

"Protego!" Marlene shouted, but the effects of the spell must've still seeped through, for she was fighting back a smile. "It's no fair," she giggled. "You were born knowing the tickling spell."

"More advanced spells," Donahue called from the front. "We've got an infirmary for a reason."

The two girls shared a look.

"Want me to cast again?" Lily asked. "Or do you want to go?"

"You can cast again. I need to practice."

And the two fell into their relaxed back and forth cast of spells, Lily sending various charms and hexes to try and trip the other girl up.

As Marlene struggled to recuperate from her latest jinx (her tie was trying to gnaw at her chin aggressively as she wrestled with it), Lily glanced about the room to see what the others were doing.

The pairs of students were in varying states of exertion. Hunter, Alice's partner, had successfully gotten through her defense spell and the girl was dancing a lively jive.

The other Hufflepuffs were either recovering from similar charms, shaking out their limbs as they danced, or hunched over, out of breath.

James and Sirius had obviously moved onto stronger charms; they had both taken off their cloaks, sleeves rolled up as they strained against whatever jinxes they were throwing at each other. Sweat was beading at James's temples, while Sirius shoved his back out of his face, the hair clinging to his cheeks.

"Okay, hit me again," Marlene said. The tie was abandoned on the ground, a few feet away. It wiggled. "I've got others," she shrugged. "Bring it."

"One more," Lily said. "Then I'll go."

"Deal."

"Impedimenta," she intoned, sending off the jinx quickly.

Marlene was too slow. The spell struck her in the stomach; her wand had barely risen from her side.

Lily made a noise of pity as she released the spell so that Marlene was no longer frozen. "You must be tired."

"Just an off day." Her lips were pursed, annoyed. "Your turn then?"

"Sure," Lily said, shifting her stance. "I'm ready."

"Cease!" Donahue called before Marlene had the chance to raise her wand. "Assemble in a circle to debrief."

"Sorry," Marlene said sheepishly as they moved to complete the professor's request.

She shrugged away her apology with a smile. "It's alright. We can practice later."

"Deal," Marlene confirmed.

"When casting your shield charms, where did you go wrong?"

"Pronunciation," Sirius recited loudly, sounding a bit breathless. He was grinning widely. "One syllable away from 'Braetego' and that's a quick leap to 'braevtego', which is a short spell that leads to disastrous results."

The class tittered with snickers at Sirius's juvenile joke.

Donahue gave him an unimpressed look. "Besides an unmanning spell, anything else?"

Alice raised her hand this time. "Intention, as you've said, sir. I had to concentrate to make sure Hunter's jinxes couldn't pass through; but probably wasn't as focused as I should have been."

The professor smiled satisfactorily. "Exactly. As we've discussed, intention is key to a successful charm. If you're too focused on your own next jinx, you'll lose the power towards your defense."

"I was just focusing on not laughing," Marlene whispered bitterly, bumping Lily's elbow with her own. Donahue caught the movement, eye sweeping over them.

"When you lose power over your defense, it leaves you open to lose the duel. Focus is incredibly important to master as you continue to practice and learn Defense spells. Focus on your own wand work. Focus on your opponent. When some of you have a predisposition towards a lack of instinct or self-preservation, this will end in failing. You have to work hard to make sure you're proficient at your own spells."

Lily's eyes narrowed at his wording. "What did he say?"

"I… " Marlene drifted off, just as perplexed.

"When it comes to your wand movements, these must become a part of you. Duelling is an art form that requires patience, intention, and focus as we've talked about."

"And self-control," Sirius added.

"And self-control," Donahue confirmed.

"Predisposition, sir?" Lily asked politely. "Your earlier comment –"

"Yes," he said simply. "Predisposition. Certain wizards or witches will have a genetic predisposition that can affect their ability to properly duel."

"Is that a general statement from the book?"

His eyes swung back to hers, the cogwheels reeling. Lily stood her ground, returning his gaze with a neutral expression. The rest of the class shifted uncomfortably, the tension of the room growing awkward.

"Or your opinion? Sir."

And whether it was because of his lack of awareness, or perhaps he was purist, he shrugged.

"You are at a mix of disadvantages and advantages," Donahue said. "Most wizards with believe you to be… inept and incompetent with your magic, as it wasn't blood-born. They will not think of you as a challenge..."

"Lily…" Marlene warned, pinching at her elbow.

"'You' as in Muggle-borns? 'You' as in some of those who go to this school?"

"I'm simply stating that your opponent may find the defects of one's bloodline a weakness – that in order to balance the playing pitch, extra work needs to be done."

Lily looked at Marlene incredulously, as if to check he was really speaking English. Her blonde friend looked anxious, if a little pissed on her behalf. That made Lily feel better.

Donahue smiled apathetically when she failed to respond. "I'd say that's enough for class today. Dismissed!"

"Sir," Lily called, the word escaping before she could stop herself. "Have you duelled many Muggle-born wizards?"

Donahue had already begun to turn, his footsteps faltering as he turned his head to look back in her direction. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just curious if this was from experience, sir, or what you'd been told to believe. About Muggle-borns."

"Miss Evans –"

"How many Muggle-borns were in your department, sir?"

He didn't respond immediately. "I don't understand the intention of your question."

"From a scholastic view, I'm simply curious what the numbers are of Muggle-borns who've completed the academy. How many have the ministry has hired?"

He scoffed derisively, stopping short as if he didn't mean to in front of the class. When he'd recovered, he said, "There weren't any in my class."

"So how do you know a Muggle-born's bloodline is a weakness? That it leads to incompetence or a predisposition towards a lack of instinct or survival?"

Donahue clearly did not like being questioned – especially in front of a group of students. "Miss Evans…"

"I'm simply stating that the opinions – sorry – statements you've shared have no supporting research. That this misinformation is highly –"

"Step forward, Miss Evans."

Marlene's grip on elbow tightened to the point of pain. "Lily," she said in a warning tone. "Don't."

But she barely heard her, a sudden rush of blood roaring in her ears at Donahue's challenging look. He swung his arm wide, beckoning her closer.

Unsolicited, the students in the class shifted, forming a wide circle in the middle of the classroom. She could feel the burn of her peers' gazes at her back as she stepped into the circle, opposite of the professor.

"Perhaps a duel, Miss Evans? To test your skills so far."

"I accept," she said determinedly.

There was a small voice in the back of her mind, scratching at the forefront. This was not a good idea. Back down. Be submissive. Don't get into fights. Walk away.

Donahue smiled overly–polite, bowing deeply and prepared his stance.

But pride was one of her biggest flaws. Lily repeated the formality.

And then it all happened fairly quickly.

"Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

Lily successfully dodged it, twisting on the spot quickly. "Impedimenta!" she cast, but just as she had done, he was able to evade the assault just as easily.

He threw an unknown hex at her that forced her to drop to her knees clumsily as the spell narrowly missed her.

"Brachiabindo," he cast and a long, thin rope manifested from his wand. It wrapped around her swiftly, the threads sharp as they spun about her body.

"Relashio!" she cried in rising panic, cutting the rope cleanly before it could wrap around her torso fully. "Fumos!" she spelled, black smoke enveloping her opponent effectively from view.

"Partis Temporus," she heard his disembodied voice mutter, revealing himself as he stepped through the screen of smoke. "Silencio!"

She did not have time to avoid the simple charm. It struck her hard in the chest, knocking the wind from her.

Lily faltered for a moment, squeezing her eyes tight to concentrate on throwing up a non–verbal shield as he sent another curse at her. Her heart soared triumphantly as his spell bounced off and ricocheted.

He took his chance to charge her, hurling another unknown curse towards her. Her shield held strong and she watched the dark spell ricochet once again.

Stupefy! she willed silently, the spell miraculously burst from her wand.

Donahue was forced to duck and roll away from the spell, having no time to produce his own shield. As he took the time to recover, she brought up her own wand to her throat. 'Finite!' she thought wildly, nearly closing her eyes in concentration. Finite! Finite! Finite! until finally her vocal chords were released from his hex.

"Expelliarmus!" he roared, but she successfully deflected it, dodging the onslaught of unnamed spells he shot towards her.

Her Protego was weakening. One of his spells broke through, tearing through her sleeve and cutting the skin beneath it.

"Lily!" she heard Marlene's voice call, but blocked it out.

Though the professor had the clear advantage of knowing more spells, she could at least physically keep up with dodging them.

From around them, the students gazed in awe between the two.

"This isn't right," Marlene murmured with a furrowed brow.

"This bastard," James growled quietly, wand clutched tightly in his hand.

Sirius stood just behind him, watching with veiled eyes and fisted hands. "Do we step in?"

"I don't know," Marlene said worriedly, watching Lily dodge another spell. The professor's eyes held a glint that she certainly didn't like.

"Ascendio!" Lily cast, tossing the basic spell at him. Despite the harmless nature of the spell, it struck its target, colliding with his leg and causing him to fly forward onto his stomach hard. "Stup –" she began, but he cut her off from his place on the floor.

"Everte Statum!" he howled, thrusting his wand at her.

Lily had no time to cast a new shield.

The angry force of his spell hit her full in the chest, lifting her cleanly off her feet and throwing her back against the stonewall of the classroom.

She heard, more than felt, her head snap back against the wall, filling her vision with stars. She let herself collapse, crumbling back against the wall as she struggled to breathe. Black played around the edges of her vision.

The rest of the students stood speechless and frozen at the sight.

From across the floor, Professor Donahue appeared to visibly struggle to stand, grinning triumphantly as he brushed dust from his cloak. He made to move towards her, a clear limp in his gait as he took a step.

Instinctively, despite her senses not working quite as well as she willed them, she raised her wand at his blurred form.

"Expelliarmus," she wheezed, the action taking up an immense amount of effort to keep her arm straight. A sharp slice of pain ran up her spine.

The class watched in shocked awe as the spell hit the professor.

Though her fuzzy vision couldn't see the wand leaving the man's hand, the distinct clatter of a wand landing near her feet filled her with elation.

The only audible sound in the room was Lily's sporadic and pained breathing.

Professor Donahue stood fixed, limbs shaking in unnamed emotion. No one dared move.

"Muggle-born," Lily gasped aloud, her voice triumphant; her point proven.

Donahue snarled, quickly limping forward to retrieve his wand from the ground near her feet, glaring at her darkly.

"Class dismissed," he growled. "Someone take Evans to the infirmary."

No one moved.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" he roared, breaking the spell as half the class jumped in fright. He spun and retreated to his office, nursing his left shoulder and, what she hoped, his pride.

Once he'd disappeared through the door, Lily let her head fall back against the wall, focusing on her breathing. It hitched awkwardly, as if her lungs were being compressed.

Marlene was at her side instantly, her hands flying over Lily's body as she surveyed the damage. "Bloody Merlin's bollocks," she hissed, blinking frantically.

Lily chuckled brokenly, shifting as the dull ache evolved into sharp pains. "Muggle-born," she repeated proudly.

"Do you think you can stand?" James demanded, moving to crouch over her to also assess the state of her.

She was trembling, just barely managing to turn her head towards him. Her vision swam as black dots sprinkled across her eyes. "I don't think so," she whispered.

"Alright, alright!" Sirius called from behind him. "Back off, people!"

"We'll take her to the infirmary," Remus's voice assured. "Get to your next classes."

"What the hell were you thinking?" James asked her in a furious tone. He slid a hand under her knees and the other behind her back, trying to lift her as gently as possible.

A cry of pain escaped.

"Prongs," Sirius' voice came from somewhere above her. "If it's her back, we should probably –"

"I know," James said in anguish.

She let her eyes close, fighting off a way of nausea. James released his hold on her, his touch disappearing completely.

"Lily," Marlene cut in. "Don't close your eyes. You might have a concussion."

She felt a warm hand pat at her cheek as she pried her eyes back open slowly, catching sight of her friend's worried face in front of her own. "You would know, Miss Quidditch," she murmured dryly, her voice weak.

"We'll have to use magic to get her there," Sirius was saying.

"It isn't safe to move her until she's laying back," James whispered in frustration.

"Should I call for Pomfrey? McGonagall?" Peter asked in a small voice.

"Well, we have to fucking do something!" Marlene ordered angrily. "Get out of here! Back away, we need space!" she snapped at the students who hadn't left yet. "Pettigrew, yes – go get Pomfrey. Or at least go warn her we're on our way!"

Lily felt her eyes close once more.

"Evans?" murmured James, his voice very close to her ear.

She hummed in response, her chest feeling tight.

"We're going to have to move you. And it's going to hurt. But we can't get you to the hospital wing otherwise."

"Okay," she consented, opening her eyes to meet his gaze.

His expression was an odd one; a mix between concentrated rage and leveled indifference, as if he was trying to school his features, but failing.

This made Lily nervous for some reason. If James was this concerned, should she be too? Unwelcome tears began to blur her vision.

Marlene moved to allow James and Sirius to settle on each of her sides respectively, delicately placing their hands underneath her thighs and her back.

"You must do this a lot," Lily commented lightly, covering her own panic.

Sirius smirked down at her. "Getting a bird on her back? Absolutely."

Lily appreciated his teasing tone. Marlene slapped his arm.

"Oh, Quidditch accidents, right," he said with a grin. "Now, just... relax."

She worked to do as he asked, breathing through her nose as she tried to loosen the tension from her body.

"Good," James encouraged when she'd finally let her muscle become pliant. "Now, on three…"

He nodded to Sirius to move as he counted down.

While they attempted to lift her as gently as they could, she still cried out in pain, overwhelmed by the pain that flared in her back and chest. With measured movements, they managed to lay her flat on her back.

The pain felt too great, though and tears were now falling freely into her hairline.

"Come on, keep your eyes open," Marlene scolded and she re-opened them, unaware they had shut.

"Mobilicorpus," James cast and rising into the air was the last sensation Lily could recall later, floating in and out of consciousness as they transported her to the hospital wing.

"Pomfrey!" she recalled James shouting after Marlene and Sirius slammed open the doors of the infirmary. He levitated Lily onto the nearest bed and shouted again. "Poppy!"

"Oh, Mr. Potter. What is it this time – Miss Evans!" The woman cried out as she caught sight of Lily. She rushed forward, pulling out her wand. "What's happened?"

No one answered her.

The healer set to work immediately, sweeping her wand over Lily's body slowly to examine for injury. Lily managed to pry her eyes open just in time to catch sight of Pomfrey's focused expression, struck with worry.

"Leave us," Pomfrey commanded the students hovering beside her. "Go back to class."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Marlene asked, stubbornly staying in her spot.

"We need privacy and you need to leave," said Pomfrey, giving them a strict look. "Miss Mckinnon, you can stay."

"I'll stay then, too," James said immediately. "She's –"

"Got internal injuries that require me to undress her. For her modesty, I'm asking the four of you to leave. Now."

Marlene had the decency to not give a gloating look as the four boys unwillingly followed the healer's orders.

The four escaped to the corridor just outside, but rather than going to class as the healer had ordered, they sat in a row along the wall opposite of the door, waiting.

"That bird," Sirius said in wonder.

James snorted. "Yeah."

"Should she have done that?" Peter asked in a quiet voice. "Pick a fight with the professor?"

No one responded immediately, contemplating his question.

"Probably not," James admitted finally. "Would it ever occur to her to not though?"

"No," Sirius agreed. "She's too stubborn."

"Donahue though… what a bloody cunt," Remus scowled.

The three others looked over in varying states of shock.

"Moony," Sirius exclaimed. "Such language!"

James threw a hand over his heart. "Really, Remus. I would not have expected such vulgarity from you!"

"Shut up," he scoffed, shoving at James's shoulder. "You all thought it!"

The four broke out into scattered laughter, relieved to break the tension.

"Didn't we make a pact to be in the infirmary less than last year?"

"Yeah, right up there with James promising to not be as much of a prick."

"Oh, right. Well, looks like we've already broken a few of those pacts."

"Oi."

"Just kidding, mate. You've been perf this year. So far."

"Your confidence in me is staggering."

"Stag-gering. Prongs, you kill me."

They broke off into laughter again, a bit crazed.

A short while later, a relieved looking Marlene poked her head from between the doors, pleased to see the boys sitting there. "I thought I heard you lot out here still."

"Is she okay?" James demanded, jumping up from his spot on the floor.

"She'll be okay," Marlene confirmed, holding the door open wider. "Agrippa, I don't know how Pomfrey does it. She had three vertebrae cracked, a few broken ribs from impact – and Pomfrey had to keep her awake because of the possible concussion. It was – rough." She motioned them. "Are you coming in or not?"

They shuffled in quickly. Pomfrey was standing at the foot of Lily's shielded bed, clipboard clutched in her hand. She glanced up as she heard their footsteps and waved them closer.

"She's had a small dosage of a Sleeping Draught and some pain potions," she warned them, moving the curtain out of the way to reveal Lily, tucked on her side with her hands folded neatly beneath her cheek. She'd been changed into the standard-issued school pajamas.

She gave them an excited smile, glassy eyed. "Muggle-born," she announced proudly.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Yes, we know you're a Muggle-born. You won the duel. You're very pleased with yourself." She sent a thankful smile towards Pomfrey as the healer conjured chairs for the lot of them, before the older woman gave them privacy.

"He was bein' a right sort of git," she retorted, tipsy on the concoctions Pomfrey had fed her. "Wa'nt he?"

"Absolutely, he was," Sirius said assuredly. "Complete wanker."

Lily giggled, covering her face with a hand. "Ouch," she whispered, catching the cut on her lip and forehead. "Where'd those come from?"

"Probably the table you flew into," James said caustically. "I think you did more damage to it, then it did you."

"That wasn't nice," she chastised, tracing the cut on her lip.

James frowned. "Sorry, I just –"

Lily guffawed loudly in amusement, wincing at the pain at her ribs. "Not you, you prat. The table."

"Merlin," Sirius laughed. "She's pissed. Worse than you've ever been, Moony."

"Remus!" she exclaimed, catching sight of him and reaching out. "You'll let me borrow your healing salve, won't you?"

"Of course, Lily," he confirmed to her. "I'll get you your own jar."

"Ah, that's so brilliant, Remus!"

"Aren't you working on your own healing potion?" Sirius reminded.

"That's right," she mumbled, tucking her hand back under her chin. "Potion for magic in – inj wounds."

"Magic wounds?" Remus asked curiously.

Lily nodded tiredly. "Hm-hmm. Healing magic wounds."

"How about you focusing on your own healing?" Marlene suggested. "You're about to pass out."

She nodded sleepily again, tucking herself into a tighter ball. "Mm, sleep."

"We'll check on you later, Lily. Get some sleep."

She was already dozing by the time they left her bedside.

Lily woke hours later, shielding her eyes from the setting sun that filtered into the wide room. As she cataloged the condition of her body, she shifted, wincing at the stiff muscles of her back. Her head pounded.

"She's waking up!" someone whispered nearby – Emmeline.

Lily popped open one eye to confirm, then opened both, surprised to find her friends surrounding her.

"Hullo," she greeted, smiling softly.

The four visitors immediately jumped to showering her with questions and affection.

"Are you okay? Merlin, I'd heard you nearly died."

"What were you even thinking? Fighting a professor…"

"I'd heard about it in Divination, after you'd been taken to the Hospital Wing. Did you really set him on fire?"

"Sh," she pleaded, breaking off in a laugh at their mixed emotions. "I'm fine! But quietly – I've got a massive headache."

"Well, don't go starting fights with Professors then," Alice scolded.

"I wish I had been there," Dorcas muttered, crossing her arms. "I'd like to set Dona-hell straight, you know?"

Marlene was shaking her head, staring at Lily with disappointment. "You hit that wall so hard, so fast, I didn't even think we knew what was happening."

"You've seen me hurt before," Lily argued. "Loads of times!"

"Nothing like that," Marlene replied vehemently.

She made a noncommittal noise, unwilling to make a fuss. "I'm fine," she promised. "I just need more practice at dueling, apparently."

The girls glared at her attempt at a joke.

"Do you think Dumbledore's going to fire him?" Alice asked curiously. "Because of what he said?"

"I'm not sure," Lily said. "Can he, if he was hired by the school board? Besides, I agreed to the duel. I knew the risks."

The girls grumbled, glancing at her each in concern.

"I think he should be given the boot," Emmeline said resolutely. "If he's teaching that rhetoric, especially to the younger ones?"

She picked at a stray thread from the bedsheet. "Isn't that always the issue?"

"Not at Hogwarts, it shouldn't be," Marlene remarked.

She shrugged – and was saved from responding as the door of the infirmary opened and in strutted the familiar faces of the four 6th Year Gryffindor boys.

"She's awake!" Sirius exclaimed. "Our very own Sleeping Cinderbella!"

"'Ella'. Cinderella. But you've got it mixed up. "Sleeping Beauty'," Remus corrected tiredly. To Lily, "We brought you some pastries." He held up a platter overflowing with different delicacies. "We figured you might be hungry."

There was a bit of shuffling as the girls made room for the boys to join them; Sirius chose to lay across a nearby bed, propping his feet up, while Remus and Peter pulled chairs over from other beds. James lingered nearby, leaning against the wall the head her bed was connected to.

"These look delicious," she agreed, eyeing the treats. "Here, can you help me sit up?"

She'd asked it towards Marlene, but it was James who stepped forward to offer his help. For an embarrassing moment, she thought about saying no – but then felt that would make it too big of a deal.

He extended his hand.

She accepted it after another moment, allowing him to pull her up as he used his other hand to loop around her shoulders, palm warm against the skin between her shoulder blades.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, his face close to hers.

"Sore," she winced, grimacing as he helped her into a seated position. "And stiff. Like I'd been thrown into a wall. Oh, wait –"

"Ha," Marlene said dryly. "Brilliantly funny as ever, Lily."

"Right? Thanks," she said to James with a smile once she'd settled. His hand on her back lingered for just a second longer, and then he retreated to his spot leaning against the wall.

"What even started the duel?" Dorcas asked.

"Donahue made a jab at Muggle-borns," James answered.

"And Lily, being the stubborn one, wanted to prove him wrong?" Emmeline ventured.

"Someone needed to," Remus said solemnly as he stared down at Lily, contemplative. "I'm not quite sure what point he was trying to make."

"I think his point was very clear," James remarked, his voice vexed.

"Well, I, for one, was very entertained by the look on his face after our very own Muggle-born witch disarmed him," Sirius said from his lounging spot, smirking over at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes, picking out puff pastry and tearing it into pieces to stuff it into her mouth. She didn't want them to see her pleased smile.

"Maybe we should put off the Game for a while…?" Emmeline asked the group. "To give Lily time to recover?"

"No!" she replied fervently. "If anything, I want to play sooner."

Marlene looked uneasy, ready to argue, but Lily shot her a pleading look.

"You've played after you were injured in Quidditch games. This isn't any different," Lily pointed out.

The blonde nodded in resignation and while the rest of the group didn't look quite as convinced, relented.

Just then, the door to the healer's office creaked open.

"What in the –" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "Not this many visitors are allowed at once! Miss Evans shouldn't be awake!"

She advanced to shoo them out and the students scattered like chastised children. Lily laughed as Sirius darted around the healer to grab a pastry from the platter. "Out, out!" the healer ordered.

"Get some sleep!" Emmeline ordered as she made a beeline towards the exit.

"No trying to escape!"

"Feel better," James called out to her, just as Pomfrey closed the door on him.

The healer dusted off her hands, knocking off the invisible grime. She handed Lily a goblet, full of a dreamless potion.

Lily swallowed it roughly and handed the empty goblet back to the satisfied healer.

"Sleep well, dear," Pomfrey said gently.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Lily awoke the next morning with a jolt, finding herself alone. She'd guess the time was early, based on the pink light filtering in through the windows.

She groaned aloud, body feeling stiff and achy, while she felt emotionally embarrassed thinking to the past day. Had she really picked a fight with a professor? God, what type of repercussions would come from that? It'd be impossible to show her face in front of Donahue.

But served him right, having been called out for his prejudices. While she doubted he'd give her points for technically winning the duel, she hoped he at least wouldn't boot her from the class.

As if she were attached to an alarm, a bright-eyed Madam Pomfrey entered from the healer's office, carrying two small goblets. She smiled warmly at Lily, setting the potions on the nightstand beside Lily and taking out her wand to re-examine her.

"Experiencing any severe pain?"

Lily worked to pull herself into a seated position, wincing. "No. Just stiff. A little sore maybe."

"Completely normal for someone who's had a collision with a stone wall," Pomfrey said dryly, twisting her wand twice in a tight circle. "You're lucky that seems to occur often enough that I'm quite skilled at healing these injuries."

She pointed at the two goblets. "The one on the left is for the ache. It should help soothe the injured muscles. The second is a Pepper-up Potion, just in case."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Lily said with a sincere smile.

"I would like you to stay another day in order to monitor your recovery –" Lily started to protest, "– but I know it'd be impossible to get you to sit still. So take those potions and we'll see how you're feeling shortly."

She grinned excitedly. "Deal."

"Let me know if you need anything else, dear."

"I will."

The healer turned and left the redhead on her own.

With a wrinkled nose, she reached over and picked up the first goblet, grimacing at the smell. Taking a deep breath, she brought it to her lips, chugging it as quickly as she could, trying not to gag. She spluttered, struggling to down it in one go.

It washed over her pleasantly though, her muscles relaxing and easing from their tension. Her back, while still tender, tingled warmly.

She reached over and grabbed the Pepper-Up potion next, swallowing it down much more easily.

As it worked its magic, she settled into the pillows around her, her body easing into the soft mattress comfortably.

When Pomfrey returned a while later, Lily smiled brightly.

"Feeling back to normal, then?"

"100%," Lily confirmed, already throwing the covers off. "Ready to go back to class." She swung her legs around, wincing at the twinge in her back.

"Ah, ah, not so fast," the older woman chastised, rushing around to help Lily stand. "You're still healing. Don't go reversing all the work I've put into it."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She may have fibbed about the '100%' – but in relation to how she had felt the day before, it was a huge improvement.

"I've had one of the house elves retrieve a set of your robes so you don't need to return to the tower in these clothes," Pomfrey informed her. "But I want you to take it easy the rest of the day. Please come visit if you feel anything off – tingling down the arms, legs, pain in your back."

"I will," she promised.

"Your clothes are in the washroom. Breakfast starts shortly in the Great Hall. You should have time to return to your dorms to retrieve your school things before classes start."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," she said sincerely. "I promise I'll be in soon to help with those potions."

The healer waved her off. "Come by when you can, dear."

When she entered the washroom and caught sight of herself in the mirror, she nearly gasped.

Her hair was in a state – sticking up in odd places, tangled and wild. She wet her hands and tried to smooth down the mess, wincing as her fingers brushed against a small cut in her hairline. A bruise, already tinged in yellow, was settled high on her cheek just below her eye.

She released a long sigh, turning away from the mirror to dress quickly, shucking off the grimy-feeling pajamas and pulling on her shirt, school shirt, and robe over it all, wondering if she had enough time to shower if she skipped breakfast altogether – but her rumbling stomach made the argument for her.

The dirty clothes were tossed into a nearby hamper and she left the infirmary soon after.

The corridors were quiet as Lily made her way towards the first floor, debating whether or not she should skip the Great Hall and just head into the kitchens instead in order to avoid the crowd of students.

"Alright, Evans?"

Lily gasped and nearly tumbled down the stone steps, catching herself just in time.

"What the hell, Potter!" she exclaimed, clutching the staircase railing. "Do you make it a goal to scare me? Announce yourself or something next time."

"I thought that's what I was doing," he countered. He had been walking towards the staircases on the landing below her. His hair was windswept, face pink. She noted he was wearing dark activewear, the clothing snug against his legs and chest.

"Quidditch practice?" she recalled. He nodded. "Where's everyone else?"

"We finished early. I let them head in while I packed everything up."

"Generous of you. Heard you've been quite the overbearing captain these days."

"Got a lot to live up to. 'Sides, have you heard the way Prewitt led the team last year? I'm honestly merciful compared to that."

"Right," she said indulgently. "And six in the morning practices are merciful?"

"Could've been half past four," he said with an arched brow.

"Ouch."

"Try doing it for two years."

"There's a reason why I'm not on the Quidditch team."

"I thought it was because you hated flying?"

Lily scoffed. "I don't hate it. It's just not my favorite pastime activity."

"Right. Well, it at least seems like you're doing better. Pomfrey let you go?"

"She did." Lily took the final step down onto the landing. "Released me for breakfast and classes."

"I'm surprised she didn't keep you."

"She would have if she knew I wouldn't put up a fight."

"Not many people would want to return to classes."

She raised a shoulder indifferently. "Just don't like being in the hospital wing. Were you heading to the Great Hall?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the open doors, the usual chattery environment absent in the early hours. "Yeah, I think Sirius and Marlene are in there. Want to join them?"

"Sure."

Together, they walked into the Great Hall, spotting the two other Gryffindors easily. Among them sat the other players of the house Quidditch team – a 7th Year who she knew as Frank's friend, two 5th Years, and a 3rd Year who'd join the team just this year as seeker. James sat right in the middle, greeting the team before diving into the dishes of food in front of him.

"Hello, Matthew," she said to Frank's friend. "Andrew, Traci." She sat down and smiled warmly at the youngest. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've properly met."

The 3rd Year looked up and blushed. "Ewan," he said timidly, Scottish accent thick.

"Mary MacDonald's little brother, right?" she asked. "Sorry, I'm sure that's not how you like to be known. Lily Evans. I knew your sister before she graduated last year."

He nodded unashamedly. "Yeah. Bein' the Head Girl's little brother s'okay with me. She said you helped with her duties quite a bit las' year."

Lily laughed, accepting a tray of biscuits from him. "I was a bit eager to please, becoming a Prefect and all. What's Mary doing now?"

Ewan shrugged. "Still figuring it out. Not sure a Ministry job is righ' for herself, you know? Us bein' Muggle-born and all."

"That's right," she noted to herself. "I think she'll find the right thing. She was really into writing, wasn't she?"

"She was," he confirmed. "Thought about journalism, but we'll see."

"Well, if she writes you, let her know I'm thinking about her."

"Will do, Lily. Anyway, I'd better be gettin' to the dorms before class. Nice to meet you."

"You, too," she replied, pleased.

"You don't have to mentor every Muggle-born you come across," Marlene said idly, watching the boy walk away.

Lily shot her a look, feeling a trill of annoyance at the assumption. "Can I not be nice to him?"

"Of course, you can," the blonde said indifferently. "It's just that your heroics have been spread around the school at this point and every Muggle-born is going to look to you for how to confront bullies."

"Are they not allowed to stand up for themselves?"

"Not if it lands them in the Hospital Wing, they shouldn't."

Their raised tones caught the attention of the rest group.

"And what, they should just let someone tell them that they're garbage? Unworthy and unfit for the wizarding world?"

"That's not what I'm saying," Marlene snapped. "I'm saying someone shouldn't be daft enough to get themselves wrecked, just to prove a point."

Lily felt her cheeks warm at the stares they were starting to attract, but refused to settle. "So, it's my fault that Donahue decided to duel? I provoked him?"

"Yes," Marlene said. "You could've walked away, said no – but you just had to demonstrate that Lily Evans isn't weak – and yet you ended up in a bed in the infirmary, bleeding from a sodding lung!"

The two girls locked into a stare down.

"Er, eggs, Evans?" Sirius cut in mildly, gesturing to the tray. "They're very fresh today."

"No thank you, Black. I think I'm finished." She stood from her spot, stubbornly hiding the grimace from the strain it put on her back. "I'll see you in class."

"Better than the infirmary," Marlene sniped at her back, but she refused to respond.

Lily fumed on the way back to the Gryffindor tower. She hadn't meant to provoke Donahue, she hadn't. But could Marlene truly expect her not to speak up against it? If not for herself, for the other Muggle-borns in her class – and younger.

She was sick of hearing the prejudiced sentiments and beliefs that ran deep in the wizarding world. She was turning 17 in less than a year – she was going to be a bleeding adult. Was she just to rollover and take the biased remarks?

"Whoa, there," Alice chimed as Lily entered the dorm, accidentally letting the door slam open against the wall behind it. "I see you're feeling better."

"I was," she huffed, pulling off her robe. "I'm going to take a shower before class."

"Okay –" Alice began, but she was already in the bathroom, closing and locking the door.

She twisted the tap harshly, undressing quickly to step under the hot water.

Marlene obviously hadn't felt the constant pressure from the intolerant, narrow-minded judgement that emanated from over half of the school, being a Pureblood and all. Lily scrubbed at her scalp roughly. It wasn't as if she felt the relentless need to prove herself over and over again, just to feel as if she were on the same playing field as the rest of her classmates.

She rinsed her hair and washed the rest of her body quickly, ignoring the twinges of aches and pinches of pain throughout her body.

If Marlene felt that Lily shouldn't speak up, well then, that wasn't on Lily.

The blonde in question was in the dorm when Lily stepped out from the bathroom. She stopped short at the sight of Marlene, before resuming her steps towards her trunk to get dressed.

"Your wand's on your nightstand," Marlene informed her. "Remus found it amongst the wreckage left behind from your demonstration."

Lily bit her tongue to prevent herself from retorting.

"Fine then. Be a cow. I'll see you after classes." Marlene, already dressed in her school robes, left the dorm.

"What was that?" Alice demanded from her bed.

She snatched her wand from the nightstand and tucked it into her waistband. "You'll have to ask Marlene."

"Are you alright?" asked Alice, sliding off of her bed. "Between the infirmary and –"

"I'm fine, Alice, really." She turned and gave the girl a smile. "Just ready to get to class, yeah? Potions. Something to focus on."

"If you're sure…"

"Yes. Are you meeting with Frank?"

Alice looked over at the clock. "We're supposed to meet for breakfast. You coming down, or have you already eaten?"

"Yeah, I ate with the others. I'll catch you later then?"

"Have a good day," she added, grabbing her bag and exiting the dorm.

Alone, Lily sank down on her bed, rubbing a hand over her face, suddenly feeling exhausted. She should've asked Pomfrey for a second Pepper-Up before she left.

As much as skiving off of Potions was tempting, Lily hadn't wanted to miss the class. She picked up her own bag and stuffed the books she'd need for the day into it, shouldering it and growling when the strap caught on her wet hair.

"Hey Lily!" one of the 7th Year boys greeted when she'd entered the Common Room. "Hope you're feeling better."

"Thanks," she said politely.

A nearby 4th Year waved. "Heard Donahue's hiding in his office – Flitwick's covering for him today."

"Oh."

"Heard you nearly decapitated him!"

Lily scoffed at the younger girl. "It was a normal duel. I only disarmed him."

The group of students the girl sat with teetered, leaning in close to gossip.

Refraining from groaning, Lily fled from the common room quickly, wanting to avoid any other comments or questions.

Unfortunately, the rest of the trek to the dungeons was riddled with much of the same; a 7th Year Hufflepuff grinned and raised his hand for a high-five – a Ravenclaw glared at her, for reasons she did not want to contemplate.

"Miss Evans, I'm happy to see your presence! Please have your seat. We'll get started soon."

Lily could feel the stares of the other students as she walked towards the front of the classroom to her spot.

Snape remained silent as she sat down, stiffly sliding into the seat. She unpacked her things neatly, looking forward to shutting off her thinking and focusing on the task at hand.

Slughorn started speaking shortly after, using his wand to outline the steps on creating an advanced version of a Befuddlement Draught.

Despite the sneezewort making her a little dazed, Lily was glad to have the potion to concentrate on. Without disruption from Snape or any other issues, she was able to work through most of the steps for the potion with little trouble.

Once she'd turned in the potion to Slughorn, she opened her potions book to read, rather than offer up her assistance to others.

At the end of class, Snape left without a word. James and Sirius came to her desk, where she still sat with her nose in the book. She idly felt as if they were coming to babysit.

"You coming?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," she said. "But I was hoping to maybe get a start on this apprenticeship potion. You know, the healing one?"

"Did you get approved or whatever?"

"No, I haven't heard yet. But you never know. Doesn't hurt."

"Right," James said, banishing his cauldron to the shelf at the back of the classroom. "We'll see you later then."

"Later," she said, working to appear engrossed in the task at hand.

Lily listened to their footsteps recede from the classroom, only glancing up when she was sure they'd gone. She closed the book impatiently and rubbed at her forehead, mentally debating now whether to spend her free period in the library or back up in the dorm, where there was the possibility that she might run into Marlene.

She could hear Slughorn shuffling through papers and drawers, perhaps preparing for his next class; she knew it was bound to start soon and she'd need to leave.

She hooked the heel of her hand under her chin, gazing balefully down at her potions book, pondering her next move.

"Miss Evans!" Slughorn exclaimed, exiting his office. "Still here? That Befuddlement Draught didn't affect you, did it, my dear?"

"Oh, maybe a little," Lily said weakly. "Just thought I'd sit a bit longer before I head to the library."

He nodded sympathetically. "Take your time. The 3rd Years aren't due for another twenty minutes."

"I appreciate it, Professor."

"Of course. However, you are always welcome to stick around and assist. We're working on brewing the Fortifying Potion; it sounds like it wouldn't hurt to have one yourself, Miss Evans."

Lily laughed weakly.

Slughorn looked at her keenly for a moment, before shuffling forward to lean against a nearby desk.

"Might I be honest, Lily?"

She straightened in her seat. "Of course, Professor."

"You are one of the brightest witches I've seen, Lily. We both know you're among one of my favourite students. You have purpose and confidence within your own abilities."

"Thank you, sir."

"But you must be careful; news spreads when a duel between a professor and student occurs. Wes Erebus Donahue is a well known name at the ministry; related to the Rowles and Rookwood families. A student of mine years ago, actually."

"Oh," she mumbled.

"He's done a wonderful job pursuing his career within the ministry, as well. Donahue is familiar with many of the higher-ups within the departments."

"Oh," she said, even more quietly.

Slughorn noticed. "No, no, Lily, I don't wish to dishearten you. I simply aim to advise you to be mindful of your reactions. However much I had wished you to venture into my preferred career of choice, I understand your desire for life and excitement. You've always had such a gift for helping others, caring for them. I will always be here to assist you in any way that I can; but that includes offering my personal, and confidential advice."

"Right."

"There's still a chance," he said slyly. "Your proposal regarding the amendment of the healing potion is eye-opening and very promising. The ministry is always looking for Potioneers."

Lily grinned reluctantly. "I know. Potions is something that I think will always interest me, sir. But as you said…"

"You want the excitement. I understand."

"Yes," she confirmed with another grin. "But how about I stay behind and assist with your next class? I remember how tricky perfecting the Girding Potion could be."

He gave her a flippant look. "I would love to have you assist, Miss Evans. Run to the storeroom and grab extra doxy eggs! We'll be needing them."

Lily found herself aiding a class of 3rd Year students (a combination of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws) with their potions. A rather overconfident Ravenclaw nearly exploded her cauldron; adding extra doxy eggs, rather than the fairy wings.

An hour and a half later, the bell trilled, singling the end of class; and the start of lunch.

"I'll help clean up," she said to Slughorn as he raised his wand once the students had all departed. "I know how tricky the process can be for cleansing cauldrons after this potion."

Slughorn did not appear to need to be convinced. "If you insist, Lily."

Sleeves rolled up, she started to work, using a combination of charms and manual cleaning to scrub out the cauldrons. She used to wand to levitate the last of them to their shelves and dusted her hands, proud of the work she had done.

By the time she made it to the Great Hall, it was near-empty, only the few students seated and spread out among the tables. Just as she'd hoped.

With a bit of surprise, however, she caught sight of Sirius, sitting alone.

"Hello," she greeted, sliding into the seat beside him.

"Finished with your potion, then?" he said dryly.

"Still working on it."

"Right."

He was turning over a piece of parchment in his hands – a letter, Lily realized.

"Ministry citation?" she joked.

Sirius scoffed, placing it face down on the table. "No. But I would've preferred it."

Sensing his unwillingness to elaborate, Lily let the subject lie, dishing herself up a plate of food that was still warm. They sat in silence as she ate, Sirius staring down at the parchment with a detached indifference.

Every so often, his fist that rested on the table would clench tightly; so tightly Lily could see the veins under the pale skin. His other hand held his wand, twirling it expertly as if a baton.

"Is everything alright?" she asked softly.

The wand's movement stuttered between his fingers as he faltered, glancing at her. When he noticed the concern in her expression, he quickly let his eyes drop to the tabletop in front of him. Almost defensively, his demeanor changed as he leaned forward, crouching over the desk as he rested on his crossed arms.

"Family matters, I'm displeased to share," he replied thinly.

"Ah," she said elegantly.

"Yeah."

She chose not to push, returning to the cold lunch in front of her.

"So are you excited about going home next week?" He asked between bites.

"Well… Yes and no," she replied honestly.

"'Ow so?" Sirius asked, after barely swallowing his food.

"Well... yes, I'm excited to see my mother, but... just not so excited to see my sister." She picked at the biscuit on her plate.

"Why?"

"You've probably heard me talk. My sister's not the best company."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Mhm."

"I can sympathize," Sirius mused, taking a sip of pumpkin juice from his goblet.

"Regulus."

"That's him."

"I've seen him around. Quiet. Hangs with the older Slytherins."

"That's him."

"Is he a twat like my sister?"

He sighed heavily. "Not really, actually. It has to do more with my mother being the wonderful woman that she is."

"I've heard."

He glanced at her curiously.

"Well, I mean, I haven't heard anything specific. Just that you've stayed with James over the summer. Had some issues."

Sirius snorted. "'Had some issues.' Quaint."

Lily didn't want to pry, so she didn't push. "I noticed you still wear your ring. The family one you'd pointed out?"

He raised his hand, twisting the thing in question. He snorted. "I guess you can't leave all things behind, can you?"

"Not always," she agreed.

He hummed. "What about your dad? You mentioned your tosser of a sister, how you're excited to see your mum. You not excited to see your dad?"

"Oh," she murmured, slightly surprised. "Well, he's not here. There. He'd dead."

"Oh," Sirius echoed, and she could see the twist of a grimace on his face.

"You didn't know?"

He shook his head. "I hadn't heard."

"He passed away 2nd Year," she told him, dusting off her finger tips.

He met her eyes. "I'm sorry."

She raised a shoulder. "I would've thought Remus might have told you all. We've talked about it during patrols. He's very kind about it, letting me vent or all that."

Sirius shrugged. "Remus isn't one to share others' stories."

"He does seem the moral type," she murmured.

"Do you miss him?"

"All the time."

Sirius sat with this, a thoughtful look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, apparently changing his mind. Instead, he said, "You should talk to Marlene."

Lily scoffed at the change of topic. "Seems like she doesn't want to talk to me."

"You're wrong about that."

"Yeah, well, clearly we're of differing opinions."

"You know she's worried about you, yeah?"

"She's no reason to be –"

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Because you can 'take care of yourself'. We get it. You were a bloody rockstar in there. But you can probably understand she's still worried about you."

Lily made a noise of indifference.

"Merlin. I'm just saying, if you'd seen how fast you flew across the room, you would be worried, too. Listen. I know I don't get much say in this, but as someone who considers you a friend at this point, I'm concerned, too."

"Black," she complained. "I don't need –"

"Yeah, right. Like I said, we get it. But considering you are muggle-born and keen on making yourself a target for the toasters and pricks who believe being a Pureblood is all there is, we've a right to complain when you're being a daft cow."

She glared. "Oi."

"As your friend, I'm allowed to be frank."

"Not be a jerk," Lily murmured, pushing her plate away. "I tell you my dad died and you chastise me?"

Sirius smirked. "I didn't say I was a nice friend. I'll be an honest one, though. 'Sides, you're the one pulling the dead father card."

"Okay, now that hurt," she snickered. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that – and yes, before you ask again, I'll consider talking to Marlene, alright?"

"Good," he said, pleased. "Sooner rather than later."

"Yeah," she said. "I should head to Runes. See you."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

'Sooner' was forced upon Lily much more quickly than she had intended. She'd decided to return to the dorms to drop off the books she no longer needed for the day – expecting to find it empty.

Begrudgingly, she had thought about what Sirius had said on the journey to the Gryffindor Tower. And if she had to put herself in her friends' shoes, she guessed she would probably feel as worried as they did about her incident with the Defense professor.

"Oh," Lily said, hearing the door open and turning to find Marlene at the threshold.

"Hey," the blonde said glumly. "Sirius told me you were up here."

"How'd he – Oh, whatever. Mar, I wanted to say –"

"I'm sorry," Marlene interrupted. "You're right – you can take care of yourself. But seeing you nearly unconscious, it made my blood run cold, Lily. You look'd as if you…"

"I'm fine," she insisted, rushing forward. "But I know what you mean. I shouldn't have made myself a martyr to make a point – he wasn't even really pushing it –"

"Oh, no," Marlene said. "He's a right bastard and a total prick. You've every right to defend yourself and stand up for others. I just don't… want to see you like that again. Ever."

She accepted the hug as Marlene leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her. "I'll do my best," she said with a reluctant grin.

Marlene pulled back with a severe look. "I'm serious, Evans. Don't do anything to scare me like that again."

More solemnly, she nodded. "I promise."

"Besides – did you hear you sent Dona-hell to the Hospital Wing? You apparently severed all of his toes and hexed off his bits."

"I did," Lily said deadpanned. "Had to teach him a lesson, didn't I?"

Marlene chuckled darkly. "If you ever fight a professor again, I'll kick you out of school myself."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

The two friends looked at each other for a moment longer, solemn and earnest.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"I'm sorry for yelling back."

They hugged again.

"So you were heading to class?"

Lily laughed. "Yeah, Runes."

"You're already late. Want to skive and hang at the tree?"

"That sounds bloody brilliant," she said appreciatively. "I've been standing for too long."

Marlene winced. "Still healing?"

"Just twingey. Grab those chocolates from Alice's drawer. I could go for something sweet."

"On it."

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"I see you two ladies made up," Sirius observed, plopping into one of the plush chairs in front of the fire.

Lily and Marlene were lounging on the sofa, leaned against each other as they focused on their respective schoolwork.

"We did," she confirmed, knocking her elbow into Marlene's.

"Oi," Marlene complained, raising her hand that held her quill. "You've made me muck this up."

"Sorry," she said unapologetically.

The rest of the group sat among them, working on their own homework.

Except James, she noticed with slight chagrin. He was playing with a balled up piece of parchment, tossing it up into the air and catching it, over and over.

"So, are we still meeting at noon? For our study session?" Lily asked.

A subtle wave of reactions worked its way through the group. She looked towards Marlene, who was rereading her paper avidly.

"What?" Lily asked.

Marlene put her quill down. "Well, we…"

"Yeah?"

"We've decided without you. We're postponing the game."

"There's no need to. I said I'm fine!"

"Lily," Marlene said sternly. "You can't even properly hold your book. How do you expect to play?"

"I'll play just fine," she said stubbornly.

"We're not cancelling it," Emmeline said placatingly. "We're only postponing it to next week."

"Guys," she complained.

"Nu-uh. No more whinging. We're having the game next week and that's final."

"Damn," said Dorcas. "I always forget Em can be mean when she wants to be."

"You know I'm leaving next Friday to go home, right?"

"We do, which is why we're shooting for Tuesday or Wednesday."

Lily groaned. "Really, I'm fine. We already had it all planned for tonight."

James paused in his make-shift game, rolling the parchment between his palms so it crinkled loudly. "Now it's all planned for next week. Funny how easy that works."

Lily glared. "Potter."

"Evans," he mocked.

It took a great amount of effort for Lily not to pout at the group. Taking an even, deep breath, she worked through the array of emotions – annoyance, anger, the inevitable unfairness of it all – "Okay, fine. It's postponed."

"Great," James drawled, tossing the ball of parchment back into the air to catch it, once, and then twice.

Irritated, she raised her wand on the third throw, silently tossing a spell. The parchment soared through the air, landing in the roaring fireplace with a hiss and crackle.

"Hey," he said with as much annoyance as Lily had felt. Good. "I was using that!"

She sniffed. "Sorry. Thought you were done."

"Real mature."

Lily laughed derisively. "Me? Okay, whatever – I'm going to the library. I'll chat with you lot later."

She wasn't sure if she felt saddened or relieved when none of them followed after her.