"So?" Sirius asked under his breath during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Andorra continued her lecture on Dementors and Patronus charms.

"I left as soon as she fell asleep," James shrugged. Sirius smacked his arm with their DADA textbook, hard, "OW!"

"You slimy git, this is Lily fucking Evans-"

James face flamed as he realized what Sirius had assumed about the night before, "I didn't have sex with her, you dirty-minded asshole!"

"Black, Potter, pay attention," Professor Andorra called sharply. They muttered their apologies, James rubbing his arm irately.

"Fuck, that hurt, Padfoot," James grumbled once their professor's attention had turned from them.

"So what did happen, then?"

"We talked, she fell asleep, I left," James explained. "That's all she wants from me Pads: a friend."

"She has friends," Sirius frowned, looking ahead of them, where Lily and a Ravenclaw boy sat at the front of the classroom. James had spent most of the class glaring at the back of his head. Lily hadn't even noticed the first day when she'd plopped down in her usual seat. The damn Ravenclaw knew that of course. They talked about the homework before and after class.

Worst of all, the bastard was a prefect. Which meant that James had to deal with his smug face after classes, too.

Lily turned in her seat, looking back at him. James quickly smiled and diverted his gaze, picking up his quill to scribble gibberish on his notes.

"James?" Sirius poked him in the side. "She has friends. Why would she-"

"Because thanks to our living quarters, she can't hide when she's not perfect," James muttered under his breath. "She doesn't have to let you guys see it. She probably doesn't want to."

"That's stupid."

"It's what Remus does," James said quietly. Sirius's mouth shut abruptly. "Don't say it isn't. He hasn't even told Lily. I know he tells you more than he does me, considering how much you tell me."

"It's still stupid," Sirius said under his breath. James didn't argue, focusing briefly on the lecture. He didn't know why they were bothering to learn the Patronus Charm. It wasn't like Dementors ever left Azkaban or the Ministry. But, it was difficult magic, which meant, of course, they had to learn it.

"Can anyone tell me what is capable of conjuring a Patronus? Yes, Mr. Lupin."

"The happiest memory you have," Remus answered. James and Sirius gave each other a suspicious look before watching their friend. His ears were red under his distressed hair. Lily smiled encouragingly at him, nodding. James absentmindedly added a few lines of detail to the doodle on his notes depicting that very same smile.

"Exactly, five points to Gryffindor," said Professor Andorra. "And the incantation? Miss Evans."

"Expecto patronum," Lily said clearly.

"Another five points. Now, very few can produce a fully corporeal Patronus, so I want everyone to think hard about the memory they'll be using. We'll begin practice next week. I want sixteen inches on why happiness should combat a Dementor's powers if they feed on it on Tuesday. That'll be all."

James shoved his notes into his schoolbag, beelining for Lily as Sirius went to Remus. They were getting to the bottom of it, quickly. Besides, James hadn't had a chance to talk to Lily that morning. Marlene and Amelia Bones had been waiting for her. James had been left to walk down to the Great Hall by himself.

Lily looked better than she had in a bit. The circles under her eyes had crept in so gradually, James had hardly noticed them. They were almost completely gone, though her eyes were still a little puffy from all her crying. James sat on the edge of the desk as she ordered and tucked away her notes. He checked his watch. They had an extra twenty minutes.

"Do you want to stop back at the dormitory before we go down to Slughorn's?" James asked as the Ravenclaw opened his mouth. He pretended the tawny haired fiend didn't exist.

"What for?" Lily asked. James leaned down to grab her bag before she could, pulling it opposite his own bag. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying my bag, Potter."

"You haven't complained before," James slid off the desk as she stood and started toward Remus and Sirius. He winked at the Ravenclaw, who scowled. "Besides, it's helpful to keep my strength up for Quidditch."

The blush that lit up her cheeks was the best thing he'd seen all week, especially given the way her eyes flitted to his arms and chest. James grinned at her. The blush deepened when she realized she'd been caught. "Shut up."

"I haven't said anything," James protested. Lily stopped at Remus's side, giving James that unique glare of hers. Sirius leaned on James's shoulder.

"I think one last sweeping declaration of affection will do the fair maiden in," Sirius said, winking at Lily. Remus chuckled as she scowled.

"Even if that were true, I wouldn't make it in front of you lot," James scoffed. Lily's brilliant green eyes found his. He knew he'd been about to say something else. The words were forever lost.

"I told Peter I'd meet him in the library before his Muggle Studies," Remus said.

"I'll come with," Sirius offered. He flicked James's ear and followed Remus out, walking backwards, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Evans."

"You'd do every unrelated person old enough in the castle, Black," Lily said sharply. "Which, given your family tree, is what, one in four? Or five?"

Sirius laughed and turned on his heel, slinging an arm around Remus's shoulders. Remus pushed him off with an eye roll that James sensed more than saw. Lily sighed, smiling. James supposed that was her current version of laughing.

A thought struck him, but he didn't say anything until they were sitting beside one another on the floor of a hidden passageway. "How are you going to produce a Patronus?"

"I talked to Remus this morning when we heard that Professor Andorra was planning to teach Dementors. We'll figure it out," Lily answered, dropping her head onto his shoulder. James's mouth fell open but he didn't complain. She never did that until she was already asleep. "You might help us look through the library, though."

"We'll make a night of it tomorrow," James said. "You can see the Marauders at their best."

"I don't want any part-"

"Helping each other is what we do," James chuckled. "Everything else comes second to that."

"You're like the musketeers."

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what that means," James ruffled his hair, itching his scalp as he did. Lily laughed once, maybe even half a laugh. But James grinned and tried to look down at her as best he could. "Is it obvious? Should I know? Is it a disease?" Another half-laugh. "No, no, it has to be obvious. Those things that wash clothes! All Muggles have those right!" She made a strange sort of squeak and covered her mouth with her hand. "Or . . . erm, those bike things that Sirius likes, Muggles like those. Um, the tele-sight. Those?"

"Closer," Lily admitted, hitting his knee with hers. They were exceptionally close together. If it was Sirius and any other girl, he would've kissed her. But this was Lily Evans, and he was James Potter, and she was more likely to hex him than kiss him. He hadn't earned that yet, and she didn't want it from him anyway. "And it's television, James."

He saw the light in her eyes as she tilted her head back to look at him, and it set him on fire inside. Mischief, there was mischief in her eyes, and he'd never seen it before, and it was the most beautiful, the most perfect, thing he'd ever seen.

And he almost blurted that he loved her but he didn't. Instead, he bumped his knee back into hers and grinned. "You are an insufferable know it all."

"You seem inclined to suffer me," Lily jabbed him in the side. "So don't try that shit on me."

"What shit?" James asked, grabbing her hand before she could try again. Lily shook her head, picking it up off his shoulder.

"The pretending I annoy you shit," she said, twisting her fingers around his. James's stomach lurched with his heart. She was giving him a look that reminded him of himself. "I'm a veritable goddess to you."

"What has you in such an excellent mood?" James asked instead of denying it.

"I was able to sleep last night," Lily's head returned to his shoulder. James settled their hands between their thighs. She was still holding his. James pulled her hair out of her face carefully. Lily sighed softly. James kissed the top of her head. "You keep doing that."

"Do you want me to stop?" James asked carefully. Lily shook her head, messing up her hair. James smiled and leaned his head down against hers.