Lily got to her Defense class a full fifteen minutes early. She went straight to the bookshelf in the back, selected a likely volume, and started combing through it.

They hadn't come up with a plan yet. They had talked about every encounter she'd ever had with anyone remotely prejudiced. He had looked over her list of suspects, annoyed to find his friends on it. He had stared for a long time at his name, where it was crossed out. She had tried to snatch the list back, but he wouldn't let her. He claimed it was good she'd crossed him out at least, but she could tell it stung that he'd ever been added to the list.

He had begun checking books out of the library, and they spent at least as much time looking for spells that could help her as they did on homework, or studying for N.E.W.T.s. She kept offering him an out, guilty that his own marks might suffer from helping her.

She felt sure that they would find something soon, buoyed by his confidence in them.

She skimmed the book, surprised when the next people through the door were Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. Never a good sign.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the perfect Miss Evans." Black sauntered over and leaned against a desk near her. "You've certainly been working hard this term, Evans."

"I suppose I have," she said, trying not to engage with him, but afraid to exacerbate the situation by ignoring him.

"Been running poor James ragged as well, haven't you?"

Lily glanced up, looked away again. "I imagine he can make his own decisions in that regard."

"I feel bad for him, really," Sirius said, examining his nails. "Not only is he stuck being Head Boy, having all that boring crap to deal with. He's also got to put up with you right next door."

"We all have our crosses to bear." She flipped to the next page, though she hadn't finished reading the one she was on.

"We had a theory," Sirius said. "About what's been keeping him. Studying has never really been a priority of his. Peter think he's sleeping." He glanced at his friend, rolled his eyes. "Because that's what Peter does, every chance he gets."

Lily didn't laugh, though she thought he was expecting one.

"But then I got to thinking about it," he continued. "He has looked a bit tired lately. Maybe he hasn't been getting enough sleep. Maybe you've been keeping him up at night."

Students began filtering in, but the Professor hadn't arrived yet.

"So then I thought, how would that work, exactly? He can't stand you, so you're obviously not together. Then we thought maybe you're in your room, shagging, and keeping him up at night with all the noise." He did an impression of a pig squealing. "I could see how that would be hard to sleep through."

Lily did her best to ignore him.

"But, then Peter asked a very adroit question. Unusual for Peter, I know. He wondered who would possibly have low enough standards to shag you. A very good question."

Lily's face burned. A quick scan of the room showed she was the center of attention. Remus Lupin stood by the door, looking indecisive and uncomfortable. James hadn't arrived yet. A tiny part of her was thankful. She knew he'd just stand there, next to Lupin, doing nothing. And she'd hate him for it.

"We couldn't think of anyone, in the whole school, who would want to shag you. But then we realized, you probably know that. You're probably in there with a cucumber, just squealing away." He did another pig impression, and had the class in stitches. "So we wanted to ask you, as friends-"

"What are you doing?" James had spoken from the door.

"We were just asking Evans here to let you get a little sleep. I'm sure the cucumber would appreciate the rest as well."

More snickers filled the classroom, but James didn't laugh.

"Leave her alone, Sirius," he said. He walked over and dropped his bag by the desk behind Lily, slid into the seat.

The laughter died off, replaced by an awkward silence. The whole room looked stunned, Sirius flabbergasted. Remus, by the door, studied James with an unreadable expression on his face.

The professor walked in before Sirius could respond. As he began to lecture, James leaned forward and asked Lily if she was alright. She nodded, once, quickly, not entirely sure it was true.