"That was a mistake," Remus said quietly to Severus, who was lying on the floor, unmoving. His face was unreadable, but inside emotions were battling: fury and caution both had their claws out. He kept his wand, pointed at Severus' throat, steady. His ears, pointed as the moon waxed, twitched as he heard footsteps down the hall, and knew from the sound that they were Professor McGonagall's.

He stood still, refusing to be cowed by the presence of the Professor. Snape lay there, armed only by the hate in his eyes. One side of Remus' mouth quirked, "Good day, Professor McGonagall." He said, control over each syllable.

The Professor took in the scene silently. Severus Snape lay on the floor, his wand several feet behind Remus. It was full moon soon, she remembered. She made a fast decision, "You're late to class, boys. Go quickly, and I might forget this."

Snape got to his feet and hightailed it down the corridor. Remus turned, one eyebrow raised, still barely controlling his anger. He bowed slightly to the Professor, "May I go to see my friends?"

McGonagall frowned, "Where are Mr Potter and Mr Pettigrew?"

Remus' face set, "In the hospital wing; they escorted Sirius there."

McGonagall pursed her lips, "I'm sorry, Mr Lupin, but you must go to class." Remus hesitated, and McGonagall snapped, "Now!"

Remus inclined his head slightly, and stalked away to his class.

"Get out of the way!" Lily's voice cut through the crowds like a whiplash, people turned to stare at her. She was bristling with anger, her tear-streaked face set with determination, "Move!" she yelled, "I'm warning everyone here! Go, or I'll hex each and every one of you!"

Suddenly there was a lot of shuffling and the corridors cleared for the fire haired and tempered prefect. All the heads turned to watch James Potter as he and Peter pulled Sirius' limp body down the corridor, James taking most of the weight, as Peter was looking dumbfounded.

Whispers followed them, but Sirius wasn't in the conscious world to notice, although he would have appreciated the attention.

James shifted his grip on Sirius' arm, and sighed in relief as he saw the hospital wing ahead. He didn't mind carrying Padfoot, but all those second servings did count.

Madame Pomfrey bustled out as they entered the 'wing, "What has he done now?" she asked James, who grinned worriedly at her.

"Bitten by a curse snake," He said.

She tutted and got out her wand, waving it in a complex motion around Sirius' hand. James looked at it. It was swollen, purple and green tinged it. Angry red lines raced up Sirius' arm, and blood oozed from the tiny pricks on his hand.

Madame Pomfrey indicated that they place Sirius on one of the beds, then she picked up her skirts, and swept out to the back room, returning with a dark potion. She poured some into a cup, then tipped some down Sirius' throat. When she was certain he had swallowed some, she took out her wand and whispered, "Rememdium."

Sirius' hand shrank, the lines fading as they watched. James sank into one of the chairs in relief as Sirius' breathing returned to normal, instead of the shallow breath it had been before.

Madame Pomfrey took the potion back to the room, a look of relief on her face, and Lily sat on Sirius' other side. Peter was just moving to sit down when Madame Pomfrey returned.

"Only two visitors at once, during class times," she said shortly.

James looked at Peter, "Go on." He mouthed.

"What?" Peter asked, not taking the hint.

James looked from Peter to Lily. He tilted his head towards the door, then he looked back to Peter again, message clear in his eyes… to anyone apart from Peter Pettigrew.

"What?" Peter asked again, mouth open.

James sighed; it was time for drastic action. He stamped on Peter's foot, away from Lily's gaze, then leaned forwards and hissed, "Go to class!"

Understanding finally bloomed in Peter's eyes, Oh, he mouthed. He stood, massaging his foot, "I, um… need to get to class." He said, and limped off, leaving James and Lily, finally, alone.

Lily looked at his retreating back, "What happened with him?"

"Oh, nothing." James said, and grinned when Lily looked at him, one eyebrow raised, "That's just Peter. He's normally like that."

Lily smiled, "That's what he said about your dancing."

James looked nonplussed, "Huh?"

Lily laughed and indicated Sirius, "When Remus caught you with the Tarentella curse, I asked Sirius about it and he said not to worry; that was just the way you usually moved."

James smirked, "You were worrying about me?"

"No!" Lily snapped.

James winked at her, "Whatever you say, Evans."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked away, creating a silence for a few minutes.

"So…" James began hesitantly, looking at Lily over the bed, and Sirius' still limp body, "What class are you missing?"

Lily tilted her head, "Potions." She smiled, "But Slughorn won't mind."

James frowned slightly, "He forgives anything you do. I swear he's obsessed with you."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Jealous are we?"

"No," he paused, "I… just…" Lily looked at him steadily and James threw up his arms in resignation, "He likes you a lot. It's probably because you're so good at potions, but you're good at everything."

Lily blushed and flapped a hand at him. James thought for a second, "Except perhaps Quidditch."

Lily's flattered grin slipped, "Shut up; I've never been good at that," she searched for a good way to say it was an idiotic fool's game without hurting his feelings, "Sport. Fun to watch, but other than that." She shuddered.

James grinned at her, "Well, there's also Transfiguration."

She stopped smiling, "Shut up."

"And –"

"Shut up!" Lily looked at something to chuck at James, green eyes flashing angrily.

James still grinned at her, unperturbed, "Getting feisty now, aren't we?"

"Potter," she growled, "Here I was, being nice and civil."

"Well, I did save you back there," he said grinning slightly.

Lily looked as if the wind was taken from her sails. She looked down, "You're right," she said meekly, "I'm sorry."

James gaped at her; he hadn't expected at apology, especially from Lily Evans, then he closed his mouth, "It's ok, Evans; least I could do."

Lily looked up at him, "Still, I haven't thanked you."

"No need, Evans, you'll just embarrass us both."

"Oh, tch," Lily leaned forwards and hugged James

"I knew it!" Sirius sat up, and pointed at James, "And to think, you were watching her in the shower just this morning!"

"What?" Lily yelped, she turned furious eyes to James, "Explain."

James looked at her, lost for words.

"Oh, quit the landed fish impersonation!" she snapped, "You know the answers; tell me why you were perving on me this morning – and what happened last night!"

James sat there, mouth agape. He blinked, and blinked again.

"Don't bother, Potter," she growled, "I'll find the answers; without you trying to sweet-talk me." She turned and stalked out of the Hospital wing.

James turned back to Sirius, who looked slightly contrite, "Sorry, Prongs," he muttered, "I shouldn't have said that one, huh?"

"That's for sure," James said shortly, and looked at the door, "Oh hell. Evans, wait!" he ran after Lily.

"Oh dear," Sirius said to the empty air where James had been, "I really think that that one was honestly all my fault."

"Lily!" James called again as he chased after her, "Lily wait! Please wait!"

Lily spun around violently, and tripped. James caught her arm as she fell, but as she got on her feet, she wrenched it from his grasp, "Don't touch me," she hissed, eyes burning.

He looked at her, eyes pleading, "Please, Lily, calm down."

"Calm down?" she screamed, and shoved his chest, "Here I am, thinking that I might have overlooked that tiny little bit of you that was decent. It doesn't even exist!"

James looked sadly at her, "I'm sorry, Evans."

Lily narrowed her eyes, "It hurts so much more when you're sorry." She sneered.

James clenched his teeth, "Well, I am."

"Really?" she asked sarcastically, "You are now, when I was being nice a friendly towards you. I bet you weren't this morning!"

James grimaced, "Sirius should be shot"

"What?" she snapped, "Where does Sirius come into this? Apart from being the one who actually informs me that you were perving on me!"

James ran a hand through his hair, "He's the one who was looking through the walls in the first place."

"Sirius saw me too!"

James mentally whacked himself over the head, "Well, you see," James began, not meeting her eyes for long, "Sirius always collects…" He paused, looking for the right words, "artefacts from his home."

"Keep going." Lily said as James paused. She was concentrating on not letting her foot tap impatiently.

James continued slowly, treading carefully around both Lily's temper and the consequences that might occur from rash words, "And they're not all… entirely legal."

"Yes?" Lily asked, pretending to be patient.

"Well, this was the Lens of Thomas Black… or Peeping Thom." He looked at her, "You know the legend?

"I'm Muggle-born, Potter," she said, stressing the first part of the word; the one that was such a disgrace in the wizarding world, "I know their legends."

"Yes, I know. But Sirius, shall we say, recovered it." He wrinkled his nose; this was not the way he liked to talk.

Lily almost grinned in spite of herself; they both knew that Sirius stole it, "He stole it, you mean."

James grinned at her, "Well to put it bluntly, yes."

Lily felt her anger flare up at him again, how dare he grin at her in a way that made her stomach flutter! She rallied her anger again, "So Sirius steals this artefact, then looks through the walls of the dormitories, at me and my friends, I might add, and instead of trying to stop him, as would be honourable, you decided you wanted a look."

James frowned, "Well, it's the closest I'm going to get to you, isn't it?

"Meaning, what?" she snapped.

James ran a hand through his hair again, "I like you, Lily. I love you."

Lily snorted derisively, "Yeah, sure," She said, and then continued spitefully, "You don't even know the meaning of the word."

"Maybe, but I know it better than you."

Yeah?" she hissed, and poked him in the chest, "Prove it."

I know that your eyes sparkle when you're angry, or laughing. I know that you sit in the library to do your homework, but you refuse to read in there. I know that you like strawberry jam on toast for breakfast on weekdays, but on the weekends, you eat porridge.

Lily took a step back, then she narrowed her eyes, "That just proves that you're a perverted stalker," she said, all anger gone from her voice, leaving it cold

"I am not." He said callously.

"No? Well, everything you've done – and said – so far screams that at me"

James turned pained eyes away from Lily, "You hate me."

Lily paused. Do I? I used to, but even then, I didn't really hate him. "No I don't. But I don't see why you should spy on me early in the morning, when I'm hangover and looking ugly.

"You could never look ugly Lily, you and I both know that." James remarked blushing.

Lily looked down, shamefaced at her outburst. "Then I get to confiscate the blasted thing?

"The lens?" James yelped; Sirius would kill him

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, "What do you think I mean?"

James winced, "Anything else?"

"No. I want the lens of Thomas Black. Give it to me, if you please."

James tried to worm out of it with a little Potter charm, "It, eh?"

Lily, having none of it, screamed, "Potter!"

James raised his hands in mute supplication for mercy from Sirius, "Alright, alright." He said, long sufferingly, "I'll go and get it." As he jogged away, he tossed over his shoulder, "Even if you just want it to look at me!"

He turned the corner, effectively destroying any comeback Lily might have given.

The end of another chapter. Please review and try to be nice. :) Thank you to all that have reviewed so far. It's been really great to hear your feedback.

Stay tuned to the next instalment of Interesting Notion.

From: PurpleLight, silveredscales, and midsummer nach dream.

Thanks Guys!