Chapter Twenty-One

James stared at the parchment before him, eyeing it critically before adding one or two last changes. He cast a spell and the simple drawing sprang to life, a black-and-white image of his disastrous duel with Lily in Charms class. With a second tap of his wand, he set the sheet into a complex folded swan. Now he just had to wait for Lily to return.

Sirius had thought his plan was ridiculous, an embarrassment to all of wizardkind. Peter had thought it a fantastic idea, and Remus had simply nodded in support. James had always enjoyed drawing on his class notes, why not turn it into something more? His goal was simply to change his relationship with Lily from constantly antagonizing to tentatively agreeable. If she warmed up enough, he would take it further. First he just wanted her to stop being angry and upset with him after all that had happened between them; he didn't want to spend the rest of the year as Head Boy with a Head Girl who hated him.

Setting down his wand, James sat back and stretched. It was just starting to rain outside, the light drops tapping quietly at the windows. The common room was unusually calm that night; either the library was packed or most of Gryffindor had elected to stay in their dorms. The unusually cold weather still kept most of the castle indoors and too close for comfort. James found he was breaking up more and more fights as it wore on; he shook his head each time, remembering when hewas the one fighting, and some Head Boy had to pull him off Snape. Strange that he hadn't got into it with Snape once all year, but then he'd had more than his share of confrontations with Dante Avery instead.

Lily finally stepped through the portrait hole, laughing with her friends. Or rather, her Lily and Mary were laughing, while Sandra just rolled her eyes and hurried up to the girls' dorm without stopping. Lily didn't even notice James at the table in the corner. She fell into an empty chair by the fire and sighed contentedly, still laughing with Mary as she pulled out her Transfiguration book.

James watched her for a moment, glad to see her smiling and laughing. It had been a hard time for them both, and if it had weighed as heavily on her as it had on him, he was relieved that it seemed to be over and happy to see her recovering. He felt better as well, his talk with Sirius the real push he needed to see things a bit more clearly. He had not only come up with a plan to make amends with Lily, but had started to catch up with all the sleep he'd lost roaming the castle trying to avoid Sirius, not to mention a long night out during the full moon. He even felt more focused on his schoolwork again and was looking forward to Quidditch practice as they got ready for their next match after the holidays.

Picking up the paper swan, James waved his wand and sent it floating toward Lily. She had smiled at him whenever he'd sent a new note her way, one every day that week, and he felt like he was bridging the gap between them more and more with each one. They didn't avoid looking at one another anymore and were almost friendly when talking in the common room or in class. They hadn't yelled at each other once…although maybe there wasn't anything left to fight about.

Glancing up in surprise, Lily plucked the paper swan from the air and watched it unfold with a smile. It quickly disappeared, however, her entire body going still as she stared at the parchment in front of her. For a moment James thought he had blown it, that he had ruined everything he'd achieved so far by reminding her of the duel in Charms. Never mind that he had drawn himself with pig ears (even though it had been Sirius who had caught that spell) and avoided any mention of cats whatsoever; he knew it still resonated with her, and that he took a big risk in apologizing by reminding her of it. He held his breath, waiting with a racing heart for her reaction this time.

She glanced around the common room and found him. After a long stare, she finally nodded her head, giving him a roll of her eyes instead of a smile. Her silent acknowledgement was enough. James smiled back and returned to his book, but he wasn't thinking about Transfiguration; he was thinking about his next note to Lily.

Peter sat down across from him then, interrupting his thoughts. "What was that about?" he asked, inclining his head toward Lily. "She didn't seem to like that one as much as the others."

"It was Charms," said James, shrugging ruefully. Peter nodded in understanding.

"I'm surprised she didn't toss it back to you, then," he offered. "It must really be working."

"Thanks for the support," laughed James. "I thought you said it was a good idea!"

"Oh, it's a good idea," replied Peter. "I just didn't think it would work."

"What would work?" asked Sirius, stepping through the portrait hole with Remus and joining them. "Wait, let me guess—are we talking about Prongs' little art project?"

"Prat," muttered James, rolling his eyes. "And yes—apparently she appreciates art."

"She snogged you so there's no accounting for her taste," Sirius shot back. They all laughed. It was good to feel normal again after the long week of tiptoeing around one another. That Sirius could make jokes, and that he could take them, spoke volumes about the strength of their friendship. James had often thought he was the luckiest bloke in school to have such good mates: they could fight as if they meant to end it forever, but they always came back to each other, no matter what.

"Have you heard from your dad?" asked Remus, throwing his bag his over the back of the chair next to James. He sat down and stretched his back. "Since your last owl?"

James sighed and closed his book; he wasn't going to get much done with everyone around now. And Remus's question brought back all the anxiety he'd been trying to hold in check for two days. He'd had an owl from his dad the day before. He'd been diagnosed with dragonpox, though his letter had said it was a mild case and nothing to worry about. James was worried anyway, no matter what his dad wrote, and he shook his head in answer to Remus's question.

"I wrote back, but I haven't heard anything yet. He said he felt all right, just tired." James couldn't help but wonder if his dad was hiding the truth from him, though, because it was the third time he'd been sick that fall. It was as if he'd stopping taking care of himself since James's mother had died.

"I hope so," murmured Remus, smiling sympathetically. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Let us know if you need anything, mate," he said. "Although he'll be fine, you know him—stronger than an ox."

"Yes, he said he's still planning on kicking your arse again at gobstones over the holidays," James said with a lopsided grin, remembering their last match over the summer.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He was on the national team," he grumbled. "He's always going to beat me."

James clapped him on the back with a laugh. "Can't win them all, Padfoot," he said with a wink at the others. "It's the price you pay for living with us now."

Remus pulled out a bag of marbles with a grin. "I'll let you win, if you want to know what it feels like. I finished my Transfiguration essay."

As they set up for a game of gobstones, James let his mind drift. He decided he'd send another owl first thing in the morning just to be sure his father was doing better. He tried not to think of how bad a case of dragon pox could be. His father was older, and with both his mental and physical health not what it was a year ago, James knew even a moderate case could be devastating.

He was looking forward to going home for the holidays, even though it would be empty around the house without his mum. It would be good to get away from the castle and spend some time with his dad and just relax. No more Head Boy duties, no more Quidditch practice, no more detentions. He only hoped he could work something out with Lily before the train to London.

Watching her across the common room, he decided that after his final note he'd see if she was interested in at least talking about their relationship again. She had said no once, by the fire, but he knew something was there. That was why they fought so muc—-he understood that now, after not talking to her for so long. And while a part of him missed the constant bickering, he knew it was really her he missed, because he liked her so much.

He just hoped she actually liked him enough to move on from all the missteps and really start over.

James hurried through the castle the next morning, determined to get to the owlry before breakfast. He dodged several students on the way to the Great Hall, not paying attention to where he was walking…until he ran straight into Regulus Black at the bottom of the main staircase. The Slytherin looked surprised, angry, and then strangely relieved to see him.

"There's a fight in the third floor corridor," he mumbled, backing away and avoiding James's eye. "You should probably go help." He turned and hurried the other way before James could ask him what had happened, who was involved, and how he knew about it. He wondered why Regulus hadn't just dealt with it himself, since he was a sixth-year prefect.

Frowning, James dashed back up the stairs two at a time, then sprinted down the corridor towards the Charms classroom. He turned the corner and this time ran straight into Dante Avery, who was punching the stuffing out of Sirius while Corin Mulciber held his arms behind him. Sirius looked up, his lip bleeding, a slightly delirious grin on his face.

"Hey, Prongs, you're late," he mumbled. "They're just about finished."

"Like hell they are," James snarled. "They're done now." He pulled back and hit Avery in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground, and pulled out his wand. One quick flick and Corin Mulciber was on the floor covered in boils. Avery jumped to his feet, but James blasted him backward with a second spell before he could even raise his wand. James was breathing heavy, furious as he held his wand on the Slytherin—madder than he'd ever been facing the seventh-year, even on the Quidditch pitch.

Something about the look on the Head Boy's face must have stopped him, because Avery just stood again, straightened his robes, and nodded curtly at his friend. "Let's go. I think the prick got the message."

"What message?" Sirius called after them, spitting blood onto the stone floor. Avery turned back with a sneer.

"You know what message. We're just delivering it. Stay away from her, Black. We don't mingle with blood traitors."

"That's thirty points!" James shouted as they sauntered down the hallway.

Mulciber tossed a rude gesture over his shoulder, but Avery stopped and gave him another sneer. "Sod off, Pothead. You'll get yours soon enough."

Sirius took a step forward, swearing under his breath, but James held him back as they watched the Slytherins leave. Turning to his friend, James was dismayed to see a large purple bruise over Sirius's temple, as well as the split lip. His robes were skewed and dirty and there was blood on his shirt, but there was a fiery look in his eyes.

"Bloody wankers jumped me from behind," he muttered, noticing James's concerned glance. "Couldn't even get my wand out."

"What was that about?" James asked, although he had guessed from Avery's parting warning. "Arlienne?"

Sirius shrugged. "I figured if you're going to try to win your bird back, I might try to win mine."

"Evans doesn't come with death threats," James murmured. He sighed. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He led Sirius up to the prefects' bathroom, because it was closer, and he hoped they could have some privacy.

Sirius stripped off his bloody shirt and washed his face. James performed a simple scouring spell and handed the shirt back, silent the whole time. When Sirius was clean and dressed, James turned on the tap again, froze a bit of water, and wrapped it in a towel for him to hold against his eye. Sirius thanked him with a grunt.

"Start at the beginning," James said as they left and made their way to the Great Hall. James decided he would send his owl after breakfast; he needed to talk to Sirius first.

"Not much to tell, Prongs," Sirius replied with a shrug. "I tried to talk to her yesterday in the library, and apparently I've not only pissed off her brothers, but the rest of her house as well."

James stared at him. "Avery beat the shirt off you for just talking to her? You didn't insult him or anything?"

"'Course I did," said Sirius, with another shrug. "I insulted the whole lot of them. But he was pretty specific about his reasons, namely that I stay away from her."

"How did he know you had talked to her?" James asked, shaking his head. "He never goes to the library."

Sirius grinned. "That is true. Someone must have told him. Two guesses who's always locked up in the library and snitched?"

"I don't see what Snape has to do with it—" James started, but Sirius shook his head.

"Not that slimy tosspot—the other one. The one I'm related to."

James glanced sideways at his friend, frowning. It didn't add up. "I don't know, Padfoot. It was actually Reg who told me what was going on. I think he was trying to help."

Sirius stopped and stared at James. "Help? My prat of a brother?" He snorted and started walking again. "There must be something in it for him, then."

James was quiet as they continued. He pulled Sirius aside before they entered the Great Hall. "Look, that was pretty intense. It's one thing to have her brothers after you. They left Hogwarts years ago so it's practically empty threats. But the rest of Slytherin? Is she worth it?"

Sirius glared at him. "Would you fight for Evans if some cocked-up pillock was telling you that you couldn't see her for no good reason?"

"Yes," James answered without hesitation.

"Then you have your answer. But…" He looked away as several students passed them into the hall. "Thanks for your help back there."

"You're welcome," James murmured as they walked toward the Gryffindor table. "I just hope it doesn't get worse."

Sirius laughed bitterly. "Well, he said you were next, so…"

He trailed off and stopped, suddenly tense. James followed his friend's gaze toward the Slytherin table, where Arlienne was sitting next to Regulus, a concerned look on her face. Regulus looked up and gave them the smallest of nods, and James felt certain that the younger Black had been trying to help. Whether Sirius believed it or not remained to be seen.

"Git," muttered Sirius as he threw the towel of ice on the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Remus.

"Who?" asked Peter. Sirius didn't answer, his mouth tight. Peter looked at James questioningly.

"Slytherin," James told him, beginning to help himself to breakfast. He was just starting to eat when Lily walked in with her friends and sat down not far from them. She glanced at James, then at Sirius, and back at James. She mouthed "Arlienne?" at him, and he couldn't help but nod in surprise. Lily turned toward the Slytherin table, a sad look on her face. James thought she was about to go over there, so he shook his head, and she turned back, giving Sirius another concerned look.

Apparently she knew about Sirius and Arlienne. James wasn't sure how, but Lily knew.

Remus and Peter were trying to get Sirius to talk, but he continued to glower into his plate. James took out his note for Lily. It was his last one, and it was a sketch of them after the last prefects' meeting, sitting before the fire in the common room. He had drawn himself as a simple stick figure with glasses, reaching out to her just as he had that night. He hoped after apologizing for just about everything that had gone wrong this year—from the first moment she had discovered he was Head Boy to the embarrassing spell that Sirius had cast, almost ending everything—that maybe, just maybe she would reconsider her decision that night.

With a flick of his wand, James folded the paper into a stag and sent it prancing down the table toward Lily. He grinned to himself at his choice of messenger, but when he looked back at his friends, Sirius was frowning at him.

"What's wrong?" asked James. "It's not like she knows what it means."

Sirius finished his pumpkin juice and stood. "It's just bad timing, Prongs. Bad timing." He shook his head and left. He wasn't angry, like he had been when he'd stormed out several weeks ago; rather he was upset and dejected, and too late James realized his timing was terrible.

"Damn," he muttered, picking at his plate. Here he was, trying to win Lily, when Sirius couldn't even talk to the girl he fancied without getting the stuffing pulled out of him. It seemed unfair, that something so ridiculous as name and blood could cause so much heartbreak.

Down the table, Lily had unfolded his note and was staring at him, trying to get his attention. Peter kicked him under the table so he wouldn't miss her. She was inclining her head toward the Entrance Hall with a questioning look. James nodded and finished his breakfast quickly. Peter gave him a grin as he stood; Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently your notes have got her to talk to you again," he said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. James gave him an exasperated look.

"Don't tell me you doubted it too?" he asked, pretending to sound pained.

"When it comes women, skepticism fares better than faith." Remus and Peter laughed as James just rolled his eyes and left the table. He searched the Entrance Hall and found her standing at the window, gazing out at the grounds. The steady drizzle that had started the night before was now freezing as it fell, icy pellets drumming against the windows and coating the grass in a glass-like dew.

James came to stand silently beside her, not too close, but not too far. He wasn't sure what to say yet and was silent. She glanced at him and smiled.

"Is Sirius okay?" she asked without preamble. James blinked, somewhat surprised at her blunt question, having expected something about his note instead.

"I think so," he answered as truthfully as he could. "I hope so, anyway."

"What happened?" she asked. She turned to him, arms over her chest. "I know about Arlienne, and Sirius knows I know, so you can tell me."

Again, James shook away his surprise; he wasn't sure how she had found out, but he knew he could trust her.

"I caught Avery and Mulciber knocking him around on the third floor," he murmured. "He told Sirius to stay away from her."

"So now Avery's involved," she said, sounding worried. "Bad enough her brothers, now Avery and his crowd." She stopped and raised her eyebrows at him. "And you've got your own issues with him, so I can't imagine he was particularly happy when you stepped in."

James coughed. "He had no choice. I punched him in the face and jinxed both of them before they could get in another shot."

Her eyes widened as she put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Of course you did. Brilliant. And did you take points?"

"Naturally," he nodded. "Are you going to take mine?" he teased. He stepped closer, feeling oddly confident after a relatively good week, and she didn't move back.

"Of course not," she murmured, green eyes sparkling merrily. "I didn't see it. And you're Head Boy—you were just breaking up a fight anyway."

"Mm-hm," he murmured, suddenly entranced by her lips. She seemed to notice him staring and coughed as she looked away.

"Speaking of which, it's raining," she said, inclining her head toward the window. James glanced outside and then back at her, curious.

"Yes," he said, stretching it out into a question.

"It seems like we always fight when it rains," she said with a small shrug of her shoulders. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked into his face again.

"We're not fighting right now," he said, then couldn't help but grin. "At least, not yet."

She smiled and laughed, and James felt then that every single one of his notes must have worked, because it was one of the few times all year she had looked so happy with him. He could have whooped with glee right there, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself, after all.

"Not yet," she repeated. "I can't think of anything to fight about right now, can you?"

"Not at the moment," he murmured, staring at her lips again. Merlin, he wanted to lean down and kiss her, and yet he didn't know if his notes had worked that well or if she would push him away again. "But something usually comes up."

"I hope not," she murmured, and now she was gazing back, subconsciously licking her lips. James felt his heart jump into his throat as he took another step closer. He'd spent all week practically groveling for forgiveness, and she wasn't backing away as he stepped forward once more. It was raining, and yet for once they weren't fighting. If he leaned down, maybe would he could—

"Oi, Potter!" called a voice behind him. Lily's eyes went wide, and James let his head fall to his chest. Thomas Kirke came up behind him, then stopped and grinned. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"Yes," growled James even as Lily answered, "No" and stepped back, her cheeks flushed. James wanted to wring Kirke's neck for showing up right then. What was he even bothering him about? Quidditch practice wasn't until that afternoon.

Kirke nodded at James. "About time, you know, " he said, giving him a look that could have come from Sirius. "Anyway—practice is still on, rain, sleet, or snow, but we've moved it up before it gets really bad. I'm heading down there now."

"Now?" James asked, his voice coming out slightly higher than he might have wanted. "But I can't…" He trailed off, glancing wordlessly at Lily. She kissed him on the cheek.

"It's okay. Go ahead. We can talk later." James grinned stupidly at her. She wanted to talk. She had kissed him on the cheek and she wanted to talk. She couldn't possibly turn him down again now.

James turned to Kirke. "I have to get my gear and run to the owlry, but I'll be there. Reluctantly."

Kirke clapped him on the back and laughed. He winked at Lily and left them alone, meeting up with Ryan Sloper at the door to head down to the Quidditch pitch. James swore under his breath. This time the bad timing was for him.

"Meet me for dinner?" he asked spontaneously, turning back to Lily. She seemed to think about it, then nodded.

"Out here?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, the kitchen. We can talk privately."

She raised her eyebrows skeptically. "In front of dozens of house elves," she pointed out.

"They know me," he said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "I spent the night there a few weeks ago." He stopped when he realized what he had just admitted. She looked slightly surprised, but nodded.

"Don't be late," she said.

"I won't," he promised. She turned to walk away, but he reached for her hand. She didn't pull away this time, like she had in front of the fire. His heart raced, and he wanted to draw her close and snog her senseless, but he knew better. He knew they had to take it slow, if they were going to take it anywhere.

"Hey, Evans," he said, and he hoped he didn't sound nervous, because he wasn't, not really. He was just tired of things going wrong and hoped to Merlin that it was over. "Lily—thank you."

"For what?" she asked, sounding confused. She glanced down at their hands as if surprised she was still holding onto him, but she still didn't pull away.

"For not slapping me, for one." He grinned, hoping a bit of their old banter might blow away any lingering awkwardness over all that had happened over the last month.

"There's still dinner for that," she replied, eyes twinkling again. "What else?"

"Thank you for letting me start over," he said, very serious. She put her other hand to his face, and he thought she was going to kiss him, only she didn't, not this time. She ducked her head instead as she let go and walked away, then turned and smiled at him one more time.

"I'm glad you did, James."

He practically floated to the owlry; he couldn't wait until dinner.

End Notes:

Thank you muchly, mugglegirlmaurder, my dear!
See, they're meant for each other and they know it. :)