Lily didn't speak to James for the rest of the ball, which she left early. To her annoyance, James followed her when she went upstairs to their room. He'd somehow found her shoes, and he was carrying them clutched to his chest, like a child might hold a stuffed animal.

In their room, Lily wordlessly dropped into the seat at the vanity and took out her earrings. Her eyes met James's in the mirror, and she was quick to look away, pressing her lips together. James still hadn't dropped the stupid shoes.

"You didn't need to follow me," she said.

"Severus Prince knows we're here. He could be-"

"What? Hiding in the wardrobe?"

"Yes," James said, glancing at the wardrobe warily as he spoke, as if he did, in fact, expect Severus Prince to be lurking there.

Lily whirled around to face him. "I don't need you to protect me. And put the bloody shoes down, James."

He looked down in surprise, as though he'd forgotten he was holding them. Then, tight-lipped, he carefully placed them on the ground.

"They're nice shoes. I like the bows," he said, in a forced, cheery tone.

"Really?" she said. "You're trying to change the subject?"

James looked exhausted as he ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair.

"I can take care of myself," Lily said tightly. "And, I suppose you don't care that duelling in public here is illegal? Cait told me. Even if you survive this idiotic duel, you could go to prison, and then what are we supposed to do? But no, you don't care about that, you care about your honour, or proving that you're a proper man, or whatever this is about."

James's face flushed. "Are you quite finished?"

"No, actually," Lily said. "We've missed the perfect opportunity to search Pascale's office, all because you had to make a scene!"

"And what was I supposed to do?" James demanded. "Search an office while Severus Prince had you cornered?"

"I had it sorted."

He scoffed. "Oh, obviously. I could tell by the way you both hand your wands at each other's throats."

"You may have forgotten this, but I've beaten Severus Prince twice in duels. I don't need you to defend me."

"I know you don't need me to!" James snapped. "But can you accept that I want to? I wasn't able to protect you before, okay? It destroys me every time I think about it, and…"

He buried his face in his hands.

"And what?" Lily demanded.

His shoulders started to shake. Lily watched, wide-eyed, but she still didn't realize he was crying until she heard a stifled sob.

She finally rose from her seat, approaching tentatively. She felt sick; had she actually made James cry? She wanted to touch him, to comfort him. But then she remembered her conversation with James in the garden. As much as she wanted to comfort him, she couldn't lead him on.

"You know why he's baiting you, right?" Lily said finally. "He's still trying to destroy me. If he kills you, it would be the ultimate revenge."

James took a shuddering breath. "Okay. I won't go, then. Happy?"

He brushed quickly at his cheeks, avoiding her eyes. They both knew he was lying.

Suddenly, Lily was filled with a strange calm, a singular certainty. No matter what, she had to protect James, even if it meant meeting her nemesis once again.

It took a long time for James's breaths to even out that night, but when they did, Lily got out of bed. Silently, she dressed, before gripping her wand and slipping out the door.

Pascale was still awake, and Lily ran into her at the front door.

"Where are you off to so early?" Pascale asked.

For a moment, Lily considered telling her.

"For a walk," she said, trying to look innocent. "I hear the sunrise is beautiful near Notre Dame."

Pascale muttered something about English people being strange, but she wished Lily a good morning before retiring upstairs. Lily took a deep breath, tightening her grip around her wand. Then, she stepped outside.

James woke to the first glow of dawn. Something was wrong. When he realized what it was, his blood went cold. Lily was gone.

He pulled some robes over his pyjamas and sprinted downstairs, but Lily was long gone. He had to get to Notre Dame, he realized. He pictured the great cathedral and apparated, almost crashing into someone. The woman shrieked and pointed her wand at him, before immediately lowering it.

"James? What are you doing here?"

Lily asked the question like a teacher might reprimand a naughty child. James was stunned by the audacity, especially considering that this was his duel in the first place.

"I could ask you the same question!" he hissed. "You tell me not to duel, just to go yourself?"

"You're telling me you were planning not to go?"

James couldn't meet her eyes.

Suddenly, a series of pops surrounded them as several wizards and witches apparated nearby. James raised his wand, expecting an attack from Severus Prince.

"You are here for a duel?" asked one wizard, in a heavily-accented voice.

"Erm, yes," James said, feeling uneasy about the fact that Severus Prince had brought so many witches and wizards with him.

"You're both under arrest," said a witch. "Lower your wands."

Lily gave him a look that said she thought this was entirely his fault. Now, James realized that these wizards and witches, who he had assumed were in league with Severus Prince, were wearing official, law enforcement robes.

They were apparated to the inside of a prison. After being stripped of their wands, Lily and James were pushed into separate cells. They were beside each other, separated by bars. Lily immediately moved to the far side of her cell, leaning back against the bars with a coldly furious expression.

James approached, gripping the bars between them.

"Lily?"

"I can't believe you said we were there for a duel," she said. "To the people whose robes clearly said they were the Paris law enforcement!"

"I'm sorry," James said. He sat as well. "You're right. I shouldn't have agreed to duel. It was stupid."

"Very."

"I wanted to make him pay for hurting you. And… maybe you're right. Maybe my pride was part of it, too. Maybe it was selfish. I knew you wanted Severus Prince dead, and I wondered if I could fix things if I…"

He shook his head. Lily was looking at him strangely.

"You came to a duel in your pyjamas?" her lips quirked.

"Now who's changing the subject?"

But he couldn't help it. He smiled back.

"James, I do want Severus Prince dead," she said, her smile fading. "But there's something I want much more."

"What?" he asked.

"I want you alive. I want you safe." She met his eyes for a moment, before looking away. "That's more important to me than revenge, or justice, or anything else, really."

"Will you come closer?" James asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Lily sat beside him. Tentatively, she reached for his hand through the bars.

"In all of this, I haven't been punishing Severus Prince. I've been punishing myself, and I've been punishing you. I think I want to stop doing that."

James held her hand tightly. "Are you saying what I…?"

"If you still want me, would you let me be your wife again?" she asked, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.

In answer, he pulled her towards him and kissed her through the bars.