Lily didn't know whether their conversation would have any impact. He had seemed moved by the whole experience, but memories were short.
When she saw him in their common room, he made a point of interacting with her. He chatted, he joked, he inquired about her day. Friendly was the order of the day.
To her surprise, he didn't try to get her back into bed.
In class, he seemed to have forgotten the very meaning of the word fun. Every time she looked at him, he sat silently, bent over his book, working furiously on the assignment. He had to feel his friends looking at him, wondering where the sudden work ethic came from.
Several times, she saw them try to get his attention. Sirius elbowed him, shoved a sketch under his nose, and bristled at the absent-minded rebuff he received. Lily knew perfectly well there was nothing casual about the reaction. He hadn't figured out how to come out and say he didn't like whatever it was, so he just ignored it.
That seemed to be his solution with his friends as well. He had been avoiding them in his free time, no question. As soon as class ended, James setup shop in the common room. He ate dinners in their little kitchen, spent his evenings reading or studying. Lily doubted he had seen his friends in more than a week.
She wanted to tell him hiding didn't really solve the problem, but decided it wasn't her place. He was trying. He needed to find the best path for himself.
Lily sat in her room, searching through library books. She had taken to checking out the optional books for her N.E.W.T. classes, hoping to find something helpful in them. There had to be a tracking spell of some sort that could help her.
She looked up at a knock on her door. James stood in the doorway, trying to look casual.
"Hi," she said, turning to face him. She had made a solid effort to be welcoming over the last week. He deserved that much, at least, for wanting to change.
"Hey." His hands slipped into his pockets. She used to think it was a sign of his arrogance. Now she was fairly sure it was a nervous gesture.
"What's up?"
"I was just thinking, and only if you're OK with it. I could always buy my own. If you showed me how, anyway. I'd need a little help, picking one out, but . . . maybe that would be best. I don't want to take-"
"James," Lily broke in, and he stopped short. "Why don't you start with the question itself?"
"Oh. Yeah. Umm . . . Your record player. I was wondering if you'd be willing to put it in the common room. But, I can just get one of my own. I'm sure I can figure out how to-"
"That's fine, James. We can move it out there."
"But then you wouldn't have one in your room," he pointed out, unnecessarily.
Lily shrugged. "I'd have one in the common room. It's loud enough to reach my room. And it's not like you have your own records. You'll be playing something I like one way or the other."
"Right. That's true."
"Here. I'll move it out now." She got up, ignoring his awkward protests, and picked up the machine. She carried it out to the common room, despite his many pleas that he should be the one to do it.
"Come here. I'll show you the spell to work it." It was a very simple one, the sort he had probably learned as a child to spin a top. He got it right on his first try.
"Thanks," he mumbled. "And if you miss it, just let me know. I'd be happy to buy one." His hands slid into his pockets again, making her smile.
"It's not a problem." She walked over to her room, grabbed her box of records, and carted it out to the common room as well.
"I'm sorry. I should have thought to-"
"It's fine, James."
"It's very nice of you," he said.
She waved it away.
"Can I help with anything, as a sort of thank you?" he offered.
She sent him a suspicious look. "Did you have me do all this, just to have a reason to offer to help with the notes again?"
"No," he put up both hands, shook his head. "I was just thinking I'd like to repay you somehow. If you could use help with that, I'd be happy to. Ecstatic, really. I mean, I'd really, really like to get that sorted out. Whoever is responsible for those should be in Azkaban. No question. But-"
He broke off, because Lily was laughing.
"Why is that funny?" he asked. His hands made the familiar trip between his hair and his pockets, making her laugh harder.
"I never realized you were the babbling sort, is all."
"I wasn't babbling," he said, affronted.
"Mmhhmm. Pretty sure you were." She went over to the cupboards and pulled out a packet of biscuits, offering him one.
"I don't babble."
"Just a bit. It's alright," she grinned at him. "It's kind of endearing."
He looked torn. Half of him obviously wanted to work with endearing, since it was undeniably a positive description. The other half looked even more offended.
"Endearing, huh?" he said. He took a step toward her.
"Kind of," she clarified. "Kind of endearing."
"So, if I babbled a lot . . ."
"You'd sound like an idiot." She sent him a cheeky grin, and spun back toward her room, but he caught her and pulled her back to him.
"I can work with that too," he said, mouth descending on hers. He lifted her up onto the counter. She knew she should have told him to stop. He would have, of course. But she didn't. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.