"What the hell's going on?"

Shoving and pressing in against Lily was the entire student body. They were waiting impatiently to be let in to the Great Hall for the Christmas Feast that was held before people went home. But, the doors were shut tight, and no-one as of yet knew why, all they knew was the deliciously charming aromas that kept wafting up from the kitchens.

Lauren, stopping to snap angrily at a first year who had stepped on her toe gave a helpless, "I've no idea!" And they continued trying to keep their place in the crowds that were trying to pile towards the doors. Someone raised up the chant, "let us in!" and it even caught on. The masses were hungry.

Suddenly a voice behind them said quite calmly,

"Ladies? If we may escort you to the front perhaps?" Lily and Lauren turned and there was Sirius, accompanied by the rest, (including Alice), holding out his hands. Without the slightest hesitation they each took a hand gratefully and he walked forward, skilfully worming, (sometimes intimidating) his way through the crowds. They parted with surprising ease...especially females who, Lily noticed, had a habit of gazing after Sirius long after he had walked by. It made her want to giggle slightly; they looked decidedly foolish.

In no time at all they had reached the large oak doors, usually wide open to the hall. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all stood in a ring facing them, the crowd gave them a large amount of space she noticed. She also noticed Alice moved deliberately around the circle to stand next to James.

"Do you lot know what's happening?" Lauren asked, looking flabbergasted at the doors.

Alice looked a bit excited, "men from the Auror department are here! James heard them all meeting with Dumbledore, he thinks their going to talk to us before the feast."

Lauren frowned, "why though? Did you hear anything else?" she directed the last at James.

James, studying the doors with a curious expression sighed, "nothing that indicates why..."

Lily looked at him closely for a minute, he seemed to be holding back slightly, "well, what do you think they want?" James jerked his eyes to her suddenly. She felt oddly exposed as they took her in. After a moment, he looked away quickly and hesitantly said, "well...I only heard for a moment. But something about, something about 'managing the situation' and needing the support of Dumbledore to do it... and safety stuff...just well...dunno..."

"Go on," Lily prompted, interested. James looked at her again. She wished he wouldn't. But he seemed to suddenly change his mind about something and, taking a quick breath, it all rushed out of him in a low voice. The others leaned in.

"Hogwarts is supposedly the safest place, although we all know insides are crawling with shit like death eaters obviously, but as far as parents are concerned those shits are just students too. It's the only reason we haven't all been dragged home by various family members. But managing situations and needing Dumbledore's help, and needing to address the student body... either way it obviously involves us and Dumbledore's charge over us, if they need his help...managing the situation, keeping us safe...from the sounds of it, they either want us all out of Hogwarts or locked in. The only thing that I can really think of involving us, safety and Dumbledore to be honest. It's nearly Christmas...we'd be leaving anyway, so I think this means they want us here. To stay here." They all stared at him, Remus was the first to speak shaking his head,

"Parents would be furious with that...especially over Christmas..."

James shrugged, but Lily thought she could see how his mind had come to that conclusion...

Sirius frowned, "mate, if that's the case, we're all sitting ducks...all we need is one big move and we're wiped out..."

James shook his head; Lily quite agreed, "No that wouldn't be it at all," she protested, they all turned to look at her, including James, "think about it, more together in one place is much more of a defence system than if we were dotted across the country, being taken out one at a time...and as for 'one big move'...there is a reason this school is believed to be the most safe. There is no 'one big move' short of war waged directly on us that could take us out...and Dumbledore's here...Voldemort won't touch it as long as that is the case. To me, I think it makes sense." Alice nodded thoughtfully, "My mother would love it. She was panicked over my safety last I went back..."

Suddenly the doors began to open, creaking deep and loud; the crowds started to pour immediately into the hall, pressing in even against James and Sirius. They had no choice but to practically run forward or be crushed in the tide. Sitting down a little breathless, they all took in the people standing around in front of the teachers table at the head of the hall. Three of the men looked rather young, not much older than they, but the other 4 were clearly distinguished members of, not the Auror department Lily thought, but at least the ministry. The younger men did not look happy for some reason.

Once everyone was settled a wheezing old man stepped forward and called for the halls attention.

"We have been discussing a matter with your headmaster for quite some time now... we have also sent letters home to all your parents, but in light of recent events...you will read about such events tomorrow... we believe it is for your own safety that you all remain at school over the Christmas holiday -"

The reaction was instant, many people seemed extremely annoyed at such a decision, some actually seemed distraught over it, others looked vaguely excited... Lily and the others all just looked at each other. James had been right it seemed.

Lily was dreaming...

James was laughing at her...he wasn't making a sound. She could feel the tears leaking down her face uncontrollably, the room was so dark. Why was it dark? Why would anything be so dark?? Patches of odd colours swam across her vision, obscuring it. She screamed. She screamed. Her parents swung ominously in the dark before her – they were dead; blood leaking steadily from their eyeballs... Lauren stood to the side of them, observing them calmly, "they were muggles Lily, muggles...you remember muggles don't you? Their won't be many soon...won't be many"

James held her wrists very tightly, why was he holding so tight? He was cutting off circulation to her hands... his face was disgusting, contorted into an expression of pure evil, laughing at her, laughing at her...but he wasn't making a sound. He kissed her. She could feel it then, his hands were gone, they were chains...so heavy... so painful... Severus tried to free her, muttering, "you could never understand...he fancies you! You said arrogant toerag...toerag you said...you lied!!" He screamed at her, blood spitting out at her from his mouth. She vomited. No, nothing came out. James was laughing at her...not making a sound. "Why!" Lily wailed, she screamed again, "why?!" James stood in front of her...she could only see his eyes... Suddenly the grass was so green between her toes, so cool, midnight air blew pleasantly across her face. James smiled...the smile was so warm...she put her arms around his neck"Why don't you ask me out again James? Go on, like you used to," Lily laughed, James smile went away...he shook his head... His robes shifted...Alice started grow out of them. Lily screamed. Lily felt things shattering...glass? Was it glass? Remus pulled her up...she was over the edge of a cliff and then turned to her, holding up a rope "when its time, its time..." he was so wise...why was he saying that – James laughed still...never making a sound...he never spoke to her at all...never... Why did he never speak?? She heard screams - "Lily," a voice whispered, "your parents. Petunia. They're dead -

Lily gasped, rolling over so fast she slid painfully off the bed. Breathing fast and cursing her neck, it had started hurting again slightly, she awkwardly pulled herself on to her bed again, sitting down heavily. Frowning, she tried to remember what her dream had been about...but it was already fading into distant memory. It was also 3 in the morning. Sighing she decided she should drink some water and then go to bed. She got up and climbed a narrow flight of stairs on the far side of her bedroom that led to the bathroom. She was still vaguely disorientated – what had that dream been about? The little label outside the door indicated it was free so she walked into the bathroom. It really was lovely. With a very tall archway holding two intricate glass doors that led to a rather large balcony, the bathroom was bathed in moonlight. It was of white marble with detailed golden lions filling every fourth tile, the bath built into the ground was of a size of a considerably large hot tub... it even had some of a hot tubs settings from what she had seen so far...Apart from bathroom and shower, the rest of the bathroom was split almost in two. Down the middle, a row of counters and sinks kept the head girls and head boys products and such separate, lined by mirrors that were gilded with gold. She loved the bathroom, it was Hogwarts at its grandest she thought. Lily screamed. Looming out of the dark was a shadow of someone else, and on turning round quickly to see who, James started to chuckle slightly. She immediately frowned – what the hell was he doing?

"Potter, what are you doing?! It's 3 in the morning?!"

He shrugged, "could ask the same of you, Miss Evans." Annoyed, and finding it hard to see what expression his face held she quickly pulled on handle near the door. He blinked in the glow of the lights that had just turned on.

"Why didn't you change the labels?" She demanded.

"I didn't expect you to be around at 3 in the morning," he answered, smirking, "Plus, I was only standing on the balcony. Hardly the sort of thing that would be offending to your eyes." She wasn't sure about that, he was only in his boxers and a t-shirt...she was used to seeing him in shirts and robes... Suddenly she became very aware that she was in a lot less, just a t-shirt...it barely reached her thighs. But, James was looking into her face, so crossing her arms she sighed, "well...I just woke up and I need...I need some water, so...that's what I'm going to get..." He shrugged, "Go ahead."

She nodded and began to walk past him. Why wasn't he looking away? She smiled and continued. He smiled back, something mischievous in his eyes.

"Don't you have something to do?" she demanded. Again he shrugged in that annoyingly ambiguous fashion. Sighing she decided to ignore him completely and march towards the sinks, as much as one could march in a t-shirt.

"We haven't spoken much this year," he said, he'd turned around to watch her drink. She put the glass down, answering derisively "Oh no."

He grinned, "We really should. We are head boy and girl you know."

"And Merlin knows how you got that."

James laughed slightly, "contrary to what you believe Evans, I'm not a bad person."

She nodded, "Of course, bullying your way through school... putting almost everyone in Slytherin down out of pure habit. I can see, by the way, how criticising them so often helped the majority of them steer clear of becoming death eaters..." Oddly, that insolent grin of his had long since gone. He was looking around him – no longer looking at her. They didn't speak for a while. James leant back against a wall, Lily stood sipping her water. She knew she should leave about now...but for some reason she stayed where she was.

"Look," he said quietly, "I'm well aware...I'm aware I wasn't exactly nice when I was younger...but come on, I haven't said a word this year! I haven't even said anything to that Snivellus person you seem to care about so much, despite the fact he doesn't care about-"

"Well now you're positively charming! Don't talk about things you haven't got a clue about. Whatever you think of him, whatever he's become now, he was a good person!! And you know what?!" she rounded on him angrily, "He was one of my best friends, and I fucking hate you Potter, because I honestly believe that part of the reason he is where he is now is entirely your doing. You and Sirius and, although I hate to say it, even Remus at times put him down when you had no cause to other than that he was a Slytherin, and you were soooo sure what that made him!"

"If you're trying to tell me that I was the only one doing anything then you've got another bloody think coming! Come on! He hated us too! For exactly the same non-existent reasons as us. And as for prejudices about Slytherin?? I hardly think it's my fault he chose being a Death Eater over being friends with you." The last was said coldly. James was glaring at her, fury clear in his eyes. She couldn't remember when he'd moved closer, but he had. He was only a couple of paces from her. She knew she should definitely leave now, or even just look away. But she couldn't. So, she just gave up.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was dead as she said it.

James blinked. Apparently he hadn't been expecting an apology. After a while of simply standing there, Lily watching the anger slowly leaving his eyes he shrugged again, looking away.

"Sorry too." They awkwardly stood there for a long while, not quite meeting each others eyes.

"Hey Evans,"

She looked up. He was smiling sheepishly.

"Could we be friend's this year do you think?"

Strangely, she felt her self smiling, genuinely, back at him. "Very well Potter." He grinned, something odd in his eyes. She thought she'd seen the same look in Severus' eyes before.