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4. THE SICKLY STAIRCASE

Lily tugged a comb through her hair, humming tunelessly. For some reason, she was oddly happy, and it suited her. Her hair actually looked presentable this morning, and she was early. She had woken up to shower at 5, so that there was no chance of walking in on James while he was using their new bathroom.

She skipped over to her new bed and pulled her shoes out from under it, slipping her feet into them and tapping them in a mini routine before standing up again. She sprayed some perfume that her mother had bought her on her neck and wrists and applied a small amount of natural looking makeup. She smiled at herself in the mirror, and left the room.

Despite having to share these new rooms with James, they were a truly wonderful place to live. She had a double bed and large dressing table with a matching wardrobe and bookcase, and the bathroom was incredibly clean. The common room was cosy and warm with several window seats facing various parts of Hogwart's exterior. Her favourite was the one facing the lake- the sun sparkled on it when it rose every morning and from this window every glimmering part of it could be seen.

There was a study alcove in one corner which was probably Lily's favourite part. It had high bookshelves with a selection of wonderful books and two large mahogany desks with- to Lily's delight- swivel chairs. Lily believed this area of the common room to be Dumbledore's surprise to Lily- he had mentioned there would be one. She wondered what James' was- perhaps a new racing broom, she thought dismissively. She revelled in the thought that she could be dismissive about James. After yesterday's confusion about her feelings towards him she was alarmingly pleased that she was back to contentedly being irritated by him. Perhaps this was the reason for her smile this morning.

She took a book down from one of the shelves in the alcove and crossed to the window seat, settling into it with a happy sigh. She was really going to enjoy living here, even though she had to share it with the egotistical Potter. Another smile came to her lips- she was back to calling him by his last name.

She was so stuck into her book that she didn't notice James walk in, bare-chested with his hair dripping wet.

"Morning," he called jovially and she looked round in alarm, flushing a deep red when she noticed his half-naked-ness. James smirked.

"Hello," she said stiffly, looking back at her book, embarrassed for the ridiculous gene which made her blush at everything.

James sidled over to the alcove, also selecting a book from a high shelf. On his way over to the window seat nearest to her, he tripped over a rug and caught a statue's head, which slowly came down, opening a secret door in the wall behind it.

"Oh my God," Lily muttered, staring at the opening.

James, who had gone white in alarm at the thought of breaking one of Dumbledore's statues, grinned mischievously. "Maybe this is the surprise," he grinned.

"James, don't you dare," she stood slowly, placing the book on the window seat. "Don't go up there."

James glanced at her, another inexplicable grin on his face.

"What? Don't, James. If Dumbledore came…"

James sniggered. "Why are you rhyming?"

"What?! I'm not rhyming…" She frowned at him.

"Yes, you are. You said "James, don't you dare," and then "don't go up there". Dare and there rhyme, Lily. Also, you said. "Don't, James. If Dumbledore came," and that's rhyming too. James and came. Sort of, anyway. Are you planning on becoming a lyricist someday?"

"I'm not- I've got-"

"And again," James laughed.

Lily exhaled, her lips tightly pressed together. She wasn't going to say anything again, on the off chance that she might rhyme. This was ridiculous. He'd made her rhyme, then he'd stopped her speaking just in case she might rhyme- she resisted the urge to throw a book at him.

"McGonagall? Is that, is that you? In Lily's body?" James snickered.

Lily stared at him, non-verbally telling him that if he went any further, he would die.

"Woah, sorry, sorry!" He held up two hands in mock apology. He nodded his head towards the opening in the wall. "What do you reckon this is about, then?"

Lily approached it slowly and peered in. A stone winding staircase led upwards, and there was a slit window about halfway up. There were torch brackets, too.

"D'you think it's the surprise?"

"I- I'm not sure. I thought mine was the alcove…"

"But he mentioned that anyway. I think this is it."

Lily shivered. There was a cold draft coming down from the staircase. She wondered why James wasn't shivering too- after all, he was in just a pair of black boxer shorts.

"I think we should go up." James tried to steer past her but she blocked his way, her arm catching his chest. She moved it away quickly, blushing again.

"No way. I don't think we were supposed to find this. My surprise is the alcove and yours is," she looked around in desperation- "that clock." She pointed to a hideous wall clock in the shape of a niffler.

James laughed and shook his head. "No. You may be right about your surprise- but this is mine." He tried to dodge past her again, but she held firm. "No, James. We'll go to Dumbledore and ask him first. Besides, we have class now, and you need to get dressed."

James looked down at his bare chest. "I forgot about that."

"Yes. So let's just go to class, and we'll come back at lunch and think about this some more before going to Dumbledore, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded, messing up his hair, and droplets of water splattered her face. She wiped them in annoyance. "Go and get dressed."

His smirk was back. "Are you sure you want me to?"

"Definitely." She shoved his shoulders backwards. "Go."

"You're the boss."

"And you know it."

With a slight smile, she watched him walk back to his room, and then she tipped the statues head backwards, the staircase concealing itself once more. She walked back to the window seat and began to read again.

Lily rushed her lunch to be back at the common room first, and was immensely relieved to find that she was. She sat in one of the armchairs, reading her notes from the previous lesson, waiting for him to arrive.

When he did, he had something with him- a clear glass bottle of champagne and two goblets. She frowned at him.

"What is that for?" She indicated the champagne. "And where the hell did you get it?"

"Don't worry, I bought it myself- from home. It's been in Sirius's trunk since the start of the year- it wouldn't fit in mine."

"You still haven't answered my first question," she pointed out as, smiling, he moved across to the desk and set it down.

He took out the stopper and began to pour the fizzing liquid into two goblets.

"And isn't it a muggle drink?"

James sighed. "Why all the questions? My parents liked the taste one time and now they home brew it, I brought some to school for a special occasion."

"Which is?"

"The discovery of the secret staircase!"

"I wouldn't call that a special occasion. James, I've been thinking, we just need to forget about the staircase. I know I can live without knowing what's up there," she said as James came over and handed her a goblet.

"But I can't Lily," James said, sitting beside her. He looked at her seriously. "I can't leave here knowing there was some part of the school I haven't explored."

Lily frowned, taking a sip of the champagne. It was actually, and surprisingly, quite delicious.

"Lily," James said, pulling his legs under him and kneeling on the sofa, "say there was, I dunno, a book, you hadn't read, right?"

"There are plenty of books I haven't read."

"Okay, but this book is really special. It's incredibly old and it just, emits magic. It's just the perfect size for your hands and smells just as a book should." She was surprised that James knew books should smell as certain way. "No one has read this book for years, and you've just discovered it. It's a secret book. Aren't you desperate to read it?"

Lily shrugged, taking another sip of the champagne. Of course she would be, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Well anyway, you're desperate to read it but I won't let you. I think it's dangerous- it could be filled with dark magic. I take it from you and put it back where it came from. Are you telling me you wouldn't find it and read it?"

Of course she'd find it. She'd never let James have that power over her.

James smiled, reading the expression on her face. "That's how I feel about the staircase, Lily. I'm desperate to go up there. I need to. Do you understand?"

Lily cocked her head to one side, watching him. He really was excited about this wretched staircase. She noticed he hadn't even taken a sip of the champagne. She did so now, taking a long gulp. Her glass was almost empty- she downed it.

James was grinning. He had her- he'd be up those stairs in no time. "So can I check it out?"

She nodded, smiling, then was spectacularly sick all over him.

Later, when the moon was illuminating the castle, Lily woke up in the hospital wing to see James snoozing in a chair beside her. She wondered how on earth he had managed to persuade Madam Pomfrey to let him stay the night.

She tried to remember why she was here, and suddenly remembered she'd been sick on James. She glanced at him and was relieved to see that he was now clean. She tried to remember why she had been sick- oh God. The champagne. James hadn't drunk any- she had drunk a full glass. The stuff must have been lethal. Her hands clenched into fists as she angrily looked at James. It was all his fault. She was now glad that had been sick over him, as he was the one that had made her sick in the first place.

As soon as he woke up, she promised herself she would kick him where it hurts, hopefully making him sick in the process. Contented with her plan, she closed her eyes, welcoming a heavy sleep.

END OF CHAPTER

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