AN: Hello everyone! Thanks for my amazing reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Warning: Rated for language.

Lily sat chewing anxiously on her thumbnail, gazing unblinkingly into the fire. She was worried to say the least. So worried in fact that she would rather be down on the grounds, fighting the werewolf with James then stuck up here wondering what was going on. She tried to calm herself down. After all, James went gallivanting off with this same werewolf every month and never received even a scratch, why should tonight be any different? Sighing, Lily tried to push the worrisome thoughts from her head and focused instead on the earlier part of that evening, when James had danced slowly with her in the glowing yellow moonlight, then taken her back inside…

She felt her cheeks warm and a smile play on her lips as she remembered the way he'd looked at her. The way his eyes were so full of longing. He'd been so gentle too. It hadn't been rough and crazy, nor had it sent thousands of jolts of electricity running through her body. No, it was more than that. Something she couldn't describe, something to do with their souls and…and…love, perhaps.

Lily sighed and rubbed her head. She didn't want to go back into that endless debate with herself over whether or not she loved him. Whether or not her love had only began on account of his parents' death. If it was superficial love…love given to those who had none.

Yawning, Lily checked her watch. Ten past one, already. She was exhausted and couldn't wait up for him any longer. Just as she was considering going up to bed, the portrait hole slammed open and two boys hurried in. Sirius stormed across the room, heading straight for the boys' staircase, his head down and his face angry. James, if possible, looked even angrier.

"Sirius!" he yelled, but his friend just ignored him. Lily's movement caught his eye and he turned to her, letting Sirius run up the staircase and out of sight. "Hey," he said softly, his face changing and moving quickly to her. "You shouldn't have waited up."

"Too worked up to sleep," she said quietly, surveying his body under lowered lashes for any cuts or bruises.

"I'm fine," he whispered, noticing her subtle inspection. "Don't tell me you were worried about me?" he asked with a grin.

Lily shrugged and smiled. "Not really."

"How are you feeling?" asked James, kneeling down besides her chair and taking her hand in his.

"Fine," she said. "Bit sore if I move the wrong way, but otherwise, completely fine."

"No life-altering change?"

"Mm, not really. You?"

He just smiled and kissed her hand gently, then stood and leaning over her, kissed her lips.

"How's Remus? And Snape?" Lily asked, moving her legs so he could sit beside her.

"Snape is snivelling away back in his dormitory. Unhurt except for his ego. Remus…well, he might have a bit of a headache tomorrow, but he's fine, love, don't worry." James explained to her what had happened down in the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack. "I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. I've only seen Remus get really angry once before, and it wasn't pretty. But he's going to be angry tomorrow."

"I don't blame him," Lily said. "It was a really stupid thing of Sirius to do. Does he ever think? What the –"

"I know," James said, quickly cutting her off. "But there's more to this than a stupid prank, Lily. Sirius is reckless, but not like this. Something's seriously wrong with him."

"He's an idiot," Lily muttered, angry at him for putting James' and Remus' lives in danger. She barely noticed James pull his hand away from hers.

"Leave it, Lily. Don't make me choose between the two of you."

---

"I just don't understand," James yelled at his friend, after Lily had left him with a frosty 'goodnight' and he had tramped miserably up to his dormitory. "Are you trying to ruin my life? This was supposed to be the best night of my life, and like usual, YOU GO AND FUCK THINGS UP!"

Sirius turned, one arm in his pyjama shirt and glared at James. "I don't need you telling me what to do."

"Well you obviously need someone! You do realise that Remus could have killed Snape, don't you! Do you have any idea what that would have done to him? You're a crap friend Sirius…"

"Yea, that's right," Sirius said, taking a step forward and letting his shirt fall to the floor. His lips where white with anger. "Trust Sirius to do something like this. 'He's worthless shit just like the rest of his family.' That's what they all think. Everyone. Glad to see you've finally caught on." Sirius turned back to his bed, leaving James gritting his teeth angrily.

"Why did you do it?" James asked quietly. "And don't give me some shit about you hating Snivellus. That wasn't the reason and we both know it."

"Well as you seem so informed why don't you tell me why I did it…"

James sighed and lowered the wand he had subconsciously raised. "Why? Because you had the misfortune of meeting my family, of becoming my brother, of…of having to go to their funeral and mourn them as if they were your own parents. And you're angry, because you can't show grief. You're pretty shit at showing love too, but I know you loved them. And I'm sorry that you believe I don't miss them. Wake up and smell the fucking roses, Sirius; you're not the only one who's mourning them. They were my parents."

Sirius had turned from him and was leaning against the wooden frame of his four-poster bed. "Leave me alone," he muttered. James ignored him and took a few steps forward before resting his hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Fuck off," Sirius said, rolling his shoulder so James' hand slipped.

"I'm not going to give up on you, mate," James said quietly. "You're my brother. My best friend." He grabbed Sirius' shoulder again as the boy began to cry, deep sobs that racked his whole body. He let out the pain of everything that had happened: the stupid thing he'd done, the death of James' parents, his sister…it all caught up with him. The anger which had replaced grief for the past six years finally faded and he was left, pulling on the collar of James' shirt, his face buried in his shoulder, the need to absorb some shred of love from him. Something that made him believe his life wasn't worthless. That he wasn't worthless.

James held his friend, trying to stop his own tears but soon found that impossible and let them flow too. There had been so much death, darkness and anger in his life lately. The thing he'd done with Lily…it had been beautiful and positive. It had been good, and he'd thought that by loving her enough, by sharing his love with her, making it something solid, real and physical, he would be healed. But that was stupid. The only thing that could completely erase heart-wrenching grief from his soul and mind was time. Love just speeded the whole process up.

"Why was this supposed to be the best night of your life?" Sirius asked, wiping his face and sitting down on his four-poster.

James just shrugged and pulled off his t-shirt. "Where's Wormtail?"

---

"Lily, my pearl!"

"Bugger off," Lily said, raising her Transfiguration book higher to block out the view of James.

"Ouch." He gazed at her for a moment then sighed a long dramatic sigh. "Never knew I could feel like this," he began in a lengthy, warbling tone. "Like I've never seen the sky before, Want to vanish inside your kiss, Everyday I love you more and more!"

"James, shut up!" Lily hissed, glancing around the common room at all the giggling students. "Is your sole purpose in life to embarrass me in every way possible?"

"No," James said grinning, "It's to…LOVE YOU UNTIL MY DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-YIIIIIIIIIING DAAAAAAY!"

"I'm sorry, are you drunk?"

Laughing, James shook his head and held a hand out to Lily. "Don't make me start singing again," he threatened.

"God, you're like the Energizer bunny on Prozac."

James settled for a politely puzzled look, his hand still stretched out towards her. Rolling her eyes, Lily took his hand and was led through the portrait hole and out of the common room.

"What happened to your hand?" asked Lily, inspecting the grazed and bruised knuckles of James' right hand.

"Nothing."

"If you had to decide," began Lily, dropping his hand and skipping ahead of James then turning to face him. "Between me and Sirius, that is, who would you pick?"

"Lily," James groaned warningly, hurrying to walk besides her again but she just grinned and walked backwards, skipping away from him.

"Me or Quidditch?"

"Quidditch. Hands down," laughed James, now running to keep up with her.

"Me or punching the snot out of Snape?" Lily asked. She'd stopped laughing and let James catch up with her. Looking sulky, James rolled his eyes.

"Do I have to choose?"

"Yes."

"You."

"Good," Lily said, inspecting James' hand again. The burns on it from grabbing the hot cauldron had healed and left shiny scars on his palm. Gently, she kissed his knuckles. "All better?"

"No," he replied. "Do it again."

She obliged, and he took her chin in his fingers, drawing her face up to his and kissing her gently.

"Oh for goodness sake!"

James and Lily both jumped and turned guiltily towards Professor McGonagall who was frowning at them.

"Five points each from Gryffindor. There will be no… canoodling in the school corridors!"

The two Gryffindors, nodded meekly and hurried off, leaving Professor McGonagall standing alone in the hallway. She smiled as she heard the pair laughing out of sight around the corner.

"About time," she chuckled to herself.

Thought James singing to Lily was kind of romantic in an embarassing way. My boyfriend singing that 'let's do it like they do on the discovery channel' song, at the top of his voice between classes...not so romantic. Umm...ok so i only have a few chaps left i think. OK, so the next chap should be funny! Sorry this one wasnt...just needed to clean up a bit. hope you enjoyed. Please review and thanks for reading! xxx