Lily's day had been like any other. She'd attended all of her classes, eaten dinner by seven, and been off on patrols at exactly ten. In fact, she might have considered it a good day was it not for how her evening had panned out.

Lily had always hated patrolling the dungeons. Usually, she put the task off on one of the other Prefects – it was a privilege she had as Head Girl – but tonight Hadley Orson had been sick and so Lily was forced to take her route for the evening. That had involved going down into the dungeons – which she dreaded.

It had been going perfectly well of course, until Lily had turned the corner on a dimly lit corridor and been scared half to death by someone standing at the other end.

"It's past curfew!" she called out at them once she'd recovered from the fright. "Get back to your dorm before I write you up—"

"Accio!" Lily's wand went flying from her hand. She couldn't quite make out the face of the person down the hall but she could tell it was a large male. Someone intimidating who meant business, especially if he was stealing her wand.

Lily wanted to say something brave, to remind whoever this person was that she was Head Girl and had the authority to hand out detentions as she pleased, but all she managed was: "what the fuck?"


15 Hours Earlier

Sirius was enjoying a bowl of warm oatmeal for breakfast. He watched with amusement as Peter sat across the table, anxiously trying to complete his Charms homework before their class in fifteen minutes. He'd never make it. Peter always left things until the last minute and still failed to get them finished, he never learned.

"You could help you know," Peter snapped when he noticed Sirius' staring.

"Where would be the fun in that?"

"I told you to come to the library with us last night Wormtail," James piped in. He'd been distracted, flipping through the same History of Quidditch book Sirius had seen him read about a hundred times. James insisted there was always something new to be gained and he was determined to know as much as humanly possible before the team began training for the new season.

"I had a headache!"

Sirius knew that was a lie – Peter had just been too lazy to put in the time – but he had no time to argue this point. The morning owls had arrived and one, with dark eyes and soft brown feathers, came flying right towards Sirius.

"Who is it?" James asked as the owl landed on the table beside his bowl. The owl had a letter tied to his leg.

"No clue," Sirius said, not even recognizing the writing across the envelope. "Your parents are the only ones who bother writing."

"It's not theirs," James said certainly, "doesn't look like their writing either."

Sirius tore the envelope open, unfolding the parchment inside.

"Uncle Alph…" he said in disbelief. He'd corresponded with his uncle infrequently over the years. He was the only family member who hadn't completely abandoned Sirius after he'd left home – him and Andromeda of course.

"What's he said?" Peter asked eagerly. He definitely wouldn't finish his homework now.

"He's sick." Sirius' stomach sank as he read the words. "It's bad…"

"How bad?"

"Bad enough that he's asked if I'd come and visit right away." Sirius folded the letter up once more, sliding it back inside the envelope. He passed it to James.

"You should speak to McGonagall right away," James said once he'd finished reading it over. "I'm sure you could be excused for the day—"

"That seems silly," Sirius shook his head, "for an uncle I hardly know."

"He's one of the only relatives you're still in contact with," James reasoned, "one of the only ones you even like."

"He wrote just to ask you to come," Peter added, "maybe there's something he needs to tell you."

"Maybe, or maybe he's just a lonely old man and has no one else to ask."

"Either way it's worth going. You might regret it if you don't." Sirius knew that James wouldn't understand. He hadn't had the same upbringing as Sirius. He'd grown up in a loving household where one was taught the importance of family.

He'd met his uncle in person only once. It had been at Christmas dinner when Sirius was five. Alphard had been the only one to think of bringing the children gifts. Now that Sirius thought about it, Alphard was the only one he could remember smiling throughout that whole bloody dinner. He'd been exiled from the family soon after that for refusing to join Voldemort's cause.

He had all but slipped Sirius' mind when his letter appeared on the Potter's doorstep a few months after he'd run away from home. After that they'd exchanged the odd letter at holidays or birthdays, wishing the other well. They were bonded over their shared exile from the Black family, an experience so few could understand.

"I'll think about it," Sirius shrugged dismissively.

He felt no loyalty to his uncle, whom he hardly knew. They'd never shared anything more than a cordial relationship and yet still…part of him couldn't stomach the thought of losing him. Perhaps they hadn't known each other well but in some way, Alphard felt like Sirius' only family. He couldn't bear to witness him die. At least this way he wouldn't have to see it, to know for certain that he was finally, truly alone.

"He might not have long left." James just couldn't let it go. "We should speak to McGonagall immediately—"

"Will you just stop it?" Sirius snapped, unable to hold it in any longer. "I said I'd think about it."

James shut up after that, turning back to his Quidditch book without another word. Sirius could see Peter turning bright red across the table as he pretended to focus on his Charms homework. He couldn't stand it. He pushed away his half-finished breakfast and stormed from the table.

He hated it when James pretended to know what was best for everyone. He could barely sort out his own shit and yet he presumed to have the authority to scold Sirius on his choices. Raging, Sirius sped down the first-floor corridor, turning for one of the less used staircases. At least he could fume in privacy. He wasn't alone though.

Two steps down he noticed a couple perched on one of the windowsills halfway down the staircase. More accurately, there was a guy sitting on the windowsill while a blonde haired girl stood between his legs, his hands gripping her ass from behind. Sirius was impressed, if not a little jealous, with the couple's morning routine. Then he realized who they were.

It was Marlene; her blonde curls gathered into a ponytail at the back of her head and the guy with his hands on her ass was Charlie Goodman. Sirius had heard the girls chattering about him this year and how handsome he'd become over the summer. He couldn't stand the guy, who walked around now like he was God even though he'd had fifteen extra pounds on him and a bowl cut the year before.

Sirius wanted to rip out his wand and blast them apart but then he realized how foolish that would make him look and moved his hand away from the pocket of his robe. He turned to climb back up the three steps he'd descended but they must've heard his retreat.

"Sirius?" Marlene's voice echoed in the tight space. He winced, grateful that his back was turned to them. There was nothing he could do now; running away would only make him look worse.

"Sorry," he apologized, turning to face them like a child who'd been caught being naughty. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"We should go anyway, shouldn't we Charlie?" He didn't look so sure. "We should get going before anyone else walks in on us." She leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Uh…okay…" Sirius tried not to laugh at the dumbstruck expression on his face. Marlene barely gave him a second glance as she scurried up the steps and followed Sirius back out into the corridor.

"For a bloke with that much street cred you'd think he might have some clue how to kiss a girl," Marlene whispered as they walked away. Sirius' mood, which had been sour only seconds before, lightened. He could take some pride in the fact that Marlene McKinnon considered him a better kisser than Charlie bloody Goodman.

Sirius smiled and for a moment he almost forgot why he'd been so angry in the first place. Suddenly the envelope, shoved deep into his pocket disappeared, and the morning was as benign and unimportant as any other. He knew though, despite how good it felt, that the letter still existed and – no matter how irritated he might feel with James – he had a decision to make.


Alice and Mary had been thrilled when they'd received their schedules before the start of term and realized they shared a free period just after lunch. Recently the girls had taken to packing their book bags full of food from the Great Hall and heading down to the lake to "work." Mostly, they relished in the final few days of nice weather and managed five pages at most of their reading.

Today they had promised to be productive. They had Defence Against the Dark Arts with the year's new hire, Professor Lisbon, in an hour and still had five questions from their homework to complete. Usually, it was Alice who kept them on task, scolding Mary every time she turned around the conversation, but on this particular afternoon, roles had been reversed.

Alice couldn't concentrate for the life of her. All week she'd been sick with guilt, struggling to eat or sleep. All she could think about was that kiss she and Everett had shared in the library and how much she'd enjoyed it and how terribly, awful it had been of her. Not only had she betrayed Frank, she'd broken a promise. Alice had never lied to him before, she didn't think she'd lied to anyone, and yet here she was, sneaking about, keeping in the fact that she'd kissed another boy.

"Have you figured out number six yet?" Mary asked, brushing the end of her quill along her cheek in contemplation.

"Haven't gotten there yet…"

"You haven't…" Mary's mouth fell open in shock. "Christ Griffith, what on earth has gotten into you?"

Alice could feel the words, heavy in the back of her throat, desperate to break free. I kissed another boy. I cheated on Frank. I'm a dirty, lying, slut. Mary was studying her face, watching as Alice panicked over what to say. Once she told Mary it would be real and she would need to face the music.

"What is it, Al?" Mary got that crease between her eyebrows that always appeared when she was worried. Great, now Alice had made her panic. She would definitely need to come clean now.

"I've just…" she felt sick to her stomach with the truth. "Mary I…I've made a terrible mistake."

"Tell me." Mary reached forward, squeezing Alice's hand. She had to say it now or she'd never be able to. She'd hold onto the ugly truth forever and go mad with shame.

"I kissed another guy," Alice finally blurted out, her eyes closed so that she wouldn't need to see Mary's initial reaction. When she finally looked, her friend was sitting quite still, obviously working hard to maintain a diplomatic response.

"Who?"

"The boy you met in Diagon Alley," Alice confessed, her head in her hands. "I don't know how it happened…it just did, and now I can barely look at Frank without feeling like an absolute monster."

"You're not a monster," Mary promised.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you." It didn't settle the pit in Alice's stomach. She knew Frank would be heartbroken if he found out what she'd done. She pictured his face now, crumbling with pain as she admitted that despite her promise she had kissed Everett and still waited over a week to tell him the truth. It would break him.

"You've been through hell recently, that would make anyone act out of character."

"It's more than that Mary…" Alice bit her lip, wishing she could force all these confusing feelings away. "I…" she couldn't say it; it was almost worse than admitting to Mary what she'd done.

"You liked it?" Mary filled in the blank. Alice looked around to make sure they were still alone.

"What am I doing?" She wailed, tears prickling at her soft brown eyes. "I love Frank! He's been there for me through all of this grief with my mother…" her mother…what would she say if she could see Alice now? Betraying the boy who loved her? Failing to keep her word? She would be ashamed…

"You're confused," Mary reasoned. "It happens to the best of us. You and Frank have been together so long you don't have a clue who you are without him."

"I don't know if I want to know…" Frank was her anchor. He always had been. When Alice was sad or stressed or even a little over emotional, Frank kept her grounded. Alice had been told a million times how lucky she was to find a guy like him, a guy who cared about her before he even thought about himself. Was she really prepared to throw that all away on a silly schoolgirl crush?

"So you made a mistake, it doesn't mean you and Frank are finished."

"He might not feel the same when I tell him…"

"Maybe you don't tell him," Mary suggested, as though that were an option at all.

"Lie to him?"

"Withhold information that might unnecessarily hurt him. Look, do you plan on kissing this bloke again?" Alice shook her head. "There you have it. It was a one-time mistake that you never plan on repeating. What Frank doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, I'm sure you're beating yourself up enough already."

"You have no idea…"

Maybe Mary was right. Finding out the truth would only hurt Frank and besides, if Alice planned to keep her distance from Everett and never repeat the mistake again, there was no use causing unnecessary heartache. Was there?

"Trust me, Al, this will all blow over soon."

Alice prayed she was right.


James could see Sirius struggling. He was sitting at the table in the common room furthest from everyone else, pressed into the corner window. He'd been sitting there all night since they'd returned from dinner at least, and he hadn't budged even when James, Remus, and Peter had scored the best spot in the room - the comfy armchairs by the fireplace.

James wanted to walk right over there and knock some sense into his friend. What was he thinking, wasting precious time when his uncle was out there all alone and dying, waiting for him to arrive? James couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand why Sirius refused to simply swallow his pride and go, even if Alphard was not someone he felt particularly close to.

"James." He looked over and there was Marlene, standing right in front of his chair, hands on her hips. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he lied, looking away from Sirius.

"Are you fighting?" Marlene perched on the arm of James' chair. Remus and Peter had given up their good seats and chosen instead to play a game of Wizard's chess at the coffee table. Remus was, inevitably, winning.

"He's being stubborn," James told her, running a hand through his messy black hair. "His uncle is dying and he's requested that Sirius come to see him before he passes."

Marlene frowned. "What uncle?"

"Alphard. He was exiled from the family as well." James glanced towards Sirius, sitting by the window. He could see his hands above the table; folding and unfolding the letter he'd received that morning. Every once in a while he read it over, studying its contents.

"I suppose he's insisting he doesn't need to go?" Marlene shook her head, following James' gaze across the room.

"He'll regret it, don't you think? He'll never know what his uncle might've said."

"He's scared," Marlene said, as though she could read his mind. "Once he goes then it's real."

"He said it himself, he barely knows the guy—"

"But he's one of the only relatives Sirius has left that will even talk to him. It's got to be lonely, don't you think?"

"You talk to him," James suggested. "He'll listen to you."

"Oh, I don't know…" Marlene protested. James knew that Sirius would only push him away if he tried to broach the subject again but Marlene, she always had a way with people.

"It's worth a shot Mar."

James knew she couldn't resist the opportunity to "save" someone. She budged and crossed the room to take a seat at Sirius' table. James watched as his head rose, the strained expression he'd been wearing all night loosening the slightest. He couldn't watch much more than that. James always found himself growing jealous when he watched Sirius and Marlene interact without him. He was the glue that bound them all together, at least he always had been.

As children, they'd fought like cats and dogs. Part of James had loved it, watching them duke it out for his attention, but things had shifted. He didn't know when, or why, but at some point, they'd seemed less like opponents. There was a connection that had blossomed between them and it left an unsettling feeling in the pit of James' stomach.

He knew them both too well to trust that they could ever be good for each other. It would be catastrophic if they ever dared to cross that line, James was well aware of that. He knew it would end with someone's heartbroken, likely Marlene's, and that was a thought he couldn't bear. It would destroy the friendship that the three of them had fostered over the years and that was something James was not willing to give up.

"Hey." James was caught off guard for a second time that night. This time it was Lily who stood before him, hands clasped behind her back.

"Hey," James replied breathlessly. She was wearing her robes, the Head Girl badge pinned to her breast.

"Hadley can't make her patrols," Lily told him. "Do you think you might be able to step in tonight? I can take her rounds, you can take mine?"

"Okay," James agreed. She tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and he tried not to remember how it'd felt that night when he'd finally been able to reach out and do that himself.

She lingered for a moment, as though there were something more to say, and part of James hoped there was. Anything would've been better than the icy silence that had fallen between them ever since they'd returned from summer holidays. That moment at the party, when she'd finally made him hope there'd been a chance, had possibly been the happiest moment of his life.

When Lily finally left, stepping aside so that James could get a clear view of the table across the room once more, he saw Sirius and Marlene standing up. Sirius turned for the portrait hole and Marlene returned to James.

"He's going to speak to McGonagall," she announced proudly.

"How on earth—"

"Just takes a little pushing with that one," she shrugged, as though there were nothing to it; as if James hadn't done that exact thing that this morning and had his head ripped off for it.

"What?" Marlene smirked as he continued to eye her suspiciously. "He was getting there on his own, just needed the reinforcement is all?"

"Is that all?" James couldn't help but wonder sometimes whether there was ever something deeper beneath the surface with Sirius and Marlene. Things had shifted in the past year. Sometimes he felt as though there was an inside joke going on that he wasn't a part of. Sirius would never betray him like that though, would he? He'd promised a long time ago that the line would never be crossed between the pair of them…

"That's all," Marlene reassured him, rolling her eyes at the silly suggestion. She crouched down on the floor to watch the rest of Remus and Peter's chess game leaving James to push aside his worrisome thoughts and prepare for his evening patrols.


Lily was exhausted. She'd spent most of her evening in the library and now when she most wanted a warm shower and her bed; she was forced to patrol the empty halls of the castle in search of any mischievous students. She didn't mind it so much when she was taking her usual route but tonight, with one prefect down, she found herself off balance. Turning down the creepier hallways and exploring corners she'd never seen before. Hogwarts was truly a giant school.

She wondered how James was faring on the other end of the castle. They would regroup at the Prefects office to inform each other of any odd sightings or detentions handed out. It was no surprise that James had yet to hand out a detention slip to anyone.

"I've never caught anyone!" He'd insisted when Lily had grilled him on it.

She thought it set a bad precedent, having a Head Boy who was too lenient. Lily knew why: it would've been hypocritical of him to punish his fellow students for doing exactly what he had done throughout his career at Hogwarts (Lily was sure James still bent the rules in his favour every so often). These were the kinds of things she was thinking about as she turned down the spiral staircase that led to the dungeons: James Potter and his antics for trouble.

Little had she known she was walking right into trouble herself, thanks to Hadley Orson and her "head cold."

Lily struggled to get a good look at the wizard who had just stolen her wand. She narrowed her eyes, taking a step forward despite every fibre of her being wanting to turn around and run away.

"Real brave of you," Lily said, standing a little taller, "stealing someone's wand." It would've been one thing if they'd wanted a fair fight, Lily knew she could hold her own quite well in a duel, but there was nothing fair about this. This person didn't care about a fight; they wanted to leave Lily vulnerable and scared. She wouldn't give them the pleasure.

There was a girlish giggle and a second figure stepped out from around the corner. This one was shorter with a woman's build. Together they stepped into the light so that Lily could see them clearly, her stomach sinking. Orval Avery tucked Lily's wand into his back pocket, a sinister look upon his pox-marked face. Orval's girlfriend, Cordelia Nott, trailed behind him.

Lily knew them as two of the more sinister Slytherin students who took a pleasure in bullying muggleborn students. They'd been disciplined more than once. Lily knew many of the Professors disliked them but, as they came from powerful families, it was difficult to do more than dole out a few detentions.

"I don't get what everyone's going on about," Cordelia said to her boyfriend. "She's not that pretty." She was one to talk with her greasy black hair and huge forehead. Lily kept that thought to herself though.

"I'll never understand Severus' interest," Orval agreed. Severus. Lily's stomach tied up in knots. Did he have any clue what his friends were doing now? Cornering her while she was weakest? What would he say if he saw them now, could he offer any defence for the company he kept?

They were only a few feet away from her now, close enough for Lily to see the venom in their eyes. Orval stunk of sweat. Lily wondered how long he'd been waiting there for an unsuspecting target. Better her than Hadley…

"A mudblood for Head Girl," he seethed, "pathetic."

"This school is in shambles." Cordelia was circling around her now, like a hawk getting ready to snatch up her prey. "Letting scum like this walk our halls as though they own the place."

"The only scum I see around here is you." Lily knew she should've held her tongue. Perhaps, if she'd just endured their insults, she could've gotten out with only a few bruises on her. Cordelia gasped at the comment and before Lily knew what was happening she rammed her fist into the side of her head.

Lily landed on her knees, head spinning, the taste of blood in her mouth. She could feel her eyes fill with tears but she blinked them back, not wanting to let the pain show on her face as she stared up at the couple before her.

"You think you can speak to me like that?" Cordelia howled, grabbing Lily roughly by the chin. "Mudblood bitch! I should have you killed for such treasonous words!" You would've thought she was the bloody Queen of England the way she talked. Cordelia kicked Lily in the gut, leaving her doubled over on her side, gasping for air. Despite the pain, and the fear that crept through her, Lily wouldn't let herself be broken.

"Cordelia!" she heard Orval scolding his girlfriend. "Do you want to get us both expelled?"

"Did you hear what she said to me?" Cordelia was in hysterics. If only she could read Lily's mind…she'd have a breakdown.

"Of course, but we have to keep our wits about us don't we?"

As the couple argued above her Lily tried to gather her strength. Her abdomen felt tender and sore from the beating and her head ached. She needed to sit up, she knew that to avoid any further punches Cordelia might throw in her blind rage.

"What's going on?" A voice came in the distance. Lily gazed down the hall, a third figure appearing. Great, she thought to herself, would she have to deal with every blood hating Slytherin in the castle tonight?

"Run along Severus," Orval commanded, "we're just teaching a Mudblood some manners."

Lily winced as she pushed herself up into a seated position, meeting Severus' gaze as he came down the hallway. She saw the slight drop in his expression, the widening of his eyes in horror as he realized who it was laying there on the floor at the mercy of his "friends."

"Are you completely brainless?" He hissed. "You do realize she's Head Girl? You could both be expelled!"

"Please," Orval scoffed, "my father—"

"Your father won't be able to save you if you leave the school's Head Girl bloodied and mutilated! Do you two think at all?" Lily tried not to take too much pleasure in the scolding Severus was giving them.

"Whose side are you on Severus?" Cordelia demanded.

"I'm trying to stop you from making a mistake that you'll regret in the morning," he reminded her through gritted teeth. "Get back to the Common Room before you've made a mess even your daddy can't clean up."

"But—"

"Let's go, Dee," Orval said, reaching for his girlfriend's hand. "It's over now that the fun police have arrived."

Cordelia looked over her shoulder at Lily one more time. Lily didn't dare avert her gaze. She stared right back at her attacker with fury in her green eyes. Cordelia gave her a long, icy glare before leaning down and spitting right in Lily's face.

She wiped the slim from her eyes and gathered up every ounce of strength she had left as she watched the couple begin to walk away.

"Hey!" She shouted, catching everyone in the hallway off guard. "I think you're forgetting something." She could see her wand sticking out of Orval's back pocket. He paused, as though considering if it were really worth giving it back, and then threw the wand like he was offering a dog a bone.

"Here," Severus picked the wand up off the ground and offered it to Lily once the couple had disappeared. "Let me help you—" he tried to offer his arm to get her off the floor but she refused to accept his pity, heaving herself up despite the pain.

"Are you okay? Can I help you get back to the tower—"

"You can leave me alone is what you can do," Lily snapped, wiping blood from her split lip. Severus recoiled.

"Lily I—"

"Those are your friends Severus!" She couldn't believe he was really standing there trying to pretend he cared. He might have helped her out this time but what about the next Mudblood they chose to attack? Would he be so quick to save them?

"It doesn't mean I agree with everything they do…"

"But you agree with some of it," Lily said, her voice filled with disappointment, "that's enough for me."

She just wanted her nightmare of an evening to be over. At least she could use this as an excuse to get out of patrols for the next week; she'd force James to take over her rounds. He'd love that, wouldn't he?

Lily ignored Severus' pleas to let him help her up the stairs. She wondered whether James had already reached the office. Perhaps he'd left already and returned to the common room, too impatient to wait for her. He'd probably figure she was extending her rounds, taking on more responsibility than she had to because she was such a rule-abiding student.

It wasn't until she reached the top of the staircase that Lily let the tears fill her eyes and roll down her freckled cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to be back home right now, curled up safe in her bed with a good book and a cup of tea. She wanted to hear the TV being played too loudly from downstairs and the sound of her mother's humming as she walked through the house. More than anything, Lily wanted to feel safe.

"Lily?" She looked up, blinking away the tears in her eyes to see James rushing towards her. "What happened? You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine," she lied, wiping the tears from her cheeks. God that was embarrassing, she hadn't wanted anyone to see her cry. "I'm fine." Maybe if she said it enough she might believe the words too.

"You're not fine! What happened? Who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter." She could feel her throat grow tight. She hated crying in front of other people but she couldn't help it, tears blurring her vision once more. She dropped her face into her hands to try and hide them but it was too late, James had already seen her face.

Before she knew what was happening his arms were around her. She buried her face into his chest, soaking in his robe in her tears as she held onto him tightly.

"You're okay," he promised, running his hands along her hair in a slow, comforting fashion. He'd come looking for her, she realized, standing there in his embrace. He'd worried. Part of Lily wished it had been James who'd scared Cordelia and Orval off downstairs. That was something she would've liked to see…

"Can we get…out of here?" Lily hiccupped, pulling away to look up into James' eyes.

"Who did this to you, Lily?" He reached down and delicately wiped the blood off her chin. Her lip wouldn't seem to stop bleeding.

"It doesn't matter…" She just wanted to get back to her room. She wanted to lock the door and climb under her covers and forget this night had ever happened. She felt humiliated. Had James been the one to walk down that dimly lit dungeon corridor they would've never thought to cross him but Lily, walking with her disgusting Mudblood pride, she was an easy target.

"It matters," James insisted. "Believe me, it will matter when I beat the living hell out of them for doing this to you." She couldn't help staring up at him in awe. She'd avoided him for weeks after that almost kiss and here he was, ready to defend her honour as if none of it had ever happened. As if they hadn't been cold and dismissive all term.

"Thank you," Lily said before she could think better of it.

"For what?"

"For being you." James couldn't have looked more shocked if he'd wanted to.

"Have you got a concussion?"

"No," Lily scoffed, although she knew she'd have one hell of a headache in the morning. "Did you come looking for me?"

"I knew it wasn't like you to be late," James shrugged, acting as though him searching the castle, probably worrying about her, meant nothing. Lily couldn't ignore the flurry of butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't struggling to look into James' eyes.

"Will you please tell me who did this Lily?"

"It was Avery," she finally confessed, "and his girlfriend, Cordelia—"

"Bastard."

"Please James," she put a hand to his chest to stop him from pressing forward, "just leave it." She could imagine him, flying down the stairs to the dungeons, fuming. Ready to draw blood. He would, without a doubt, challenge Avery to some kind of duel. Lily knew he'd do it without a second thought, without a concern for the danger he might be putting himself in. He'd do it for her.

"Will you help me get back up to the tower?"

"Of course." James offered his arm for Lily to lean on and slowly, the two moved up the stairs, one after the other. Lily knew she'd be covered in bruises by the morning; perhaps the punch Cordelia had served her would leave a slight bruise around her eye. For now though, none of those things bothered her much. Lily was focused instead on the messy haired boy beside her, the one who refused to let go of her even as she insisted she would be okay walking on her own.

It had been easy for Lily to forget about the magnetic pull she'd felt that night, at the party in James' back garden. She couldn't control it and it'd been too strong to bother fighting. Touching James had sent a shock through her body that she hadn't quite recovered from and now, with him standing so bloody close, she felt overcome by all those same feelings she'd been struck by that night.

Lily paused on the fifth floor, taking a deep breath.

"Are you okay?"

"Do you think anyone is going to be up?" She didn't want to be seen, dried blood on her lip, limping weakly up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"It's almost midnight, I can't imagine there'll be many people awake—"

"Can we go somewhere?" Lily asked before she could talk herself out of it. The truth was, she knew the minute they walked back into that common room there'd be questions to answer and reality would come crashing down once more. For now, while it was just the two of them standing in the middle of a deserted staircase, nothing else had to exist.

"Okay," James agreed. He led the way down the fifth-floor corridor towards the Prefects office they had agreed to meet at almost an hour ago. It was dark inside, the lights out, and there was a cool breezing blowing in the window, the sound of an owl hooting filling the void.

James was behind her. She couldn't see him but she could feel him there, the heat radiating off his body, the even sound of his breath. Lily closed her eyes and ran over all the words that had been kicking about in her head for weeks, all the things she wanted to say.

"James I—" When she spun around he was closer than she'd expected, her breath catching in her throat. He had his hands on her waist, their faces inches apart, the moment from the party recreated with less booze and this time, no distractions.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes," Lily replied, a little too quickly and with more enthusiasm than any respectable woman with a boyfriend should answer.