Don't be reckless with other people's hearts

"Who would you rather? Sirius Black or Remus Lupin?"

"Remus Lupin."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised, Alice, dear."

"I am a bit. I always pegged you for more of a Sirius fan girl, Mary."

"The bloody cheek! Fan girl, indeed."

There was a cough and both teenage girls fell silent for a moment.

"You know what you should do, Lily? To really wind up Potter?" Mary Macdonald piped up in the silence on the Gryffindor Common Room as the group of 6th year girls tried to study. It was a quiet Thursday evening and most people were in bed so Lily and her friends had decided to make the most of the quiet and catch up on their homework. Of course, Mary and Alice had grown bored after about 20 minutes of this arrangement and had taken to asking increasingly personal and embarrassing questions. Lily turned to her friend and pushed her Arithmancy book away, realising that she wasn't likely to get peace any time soon.

"And why, pray tell, would I want to wind up James Potter?" Mary shrugged and gave her red headed friend a pout. Lily granted her with a long suffering sigh and a roll of her eyes.

"What should I do, Mary?"

The very feline, very uncharacteristic grin that Mary shot her way should have been a warning that what Mary was about to say was utterly ridiculous.

"You should flirt with him."

"What?" Lily eyed her friend dubiously and their other mates suddenly gained interest in the conversation.

"Think about it; if you flirt with him, tease him a bit, it'll drive him absolutely mad."

Alice snorted from her spot beside Mary and nodded in agreement.

"It won't be that difficult; he walks around with a hard on for you practically 24/7."

The other girls shrieked with laughter, giggles escaping them all at the hilarity of Alice's words. Lily frowned and watched in silence.

"Yeah, that would be so funny!" Emmeline joined in, tears gathering in her eyes from laughing too hard. "Can you imagine? He'd have to try and hide it from McGonagall!" This brought on an entirely new bout of hysterics from the 16 year olds and only deepened Lily's frown as she crossed her arms, clearly not amused by their antics.

"Okay, that's enough!" The laughter died slightly at Lily's outburst and the other girls looked at her in surprise. "That isn't funny at all. I can't believe you guys would make jokes like that. That's really cruel to play about with his feelings and I would never do something like that."

They all looked suitably chastised and fidgeted in their seats. Alice's sullen voice was the first to break the thick silence that hung over the girls, smothering them like a blanket, as she avoided Lily's branding, jade eyes.

"Geez, Lils, when did you start caring about Potter's feelings?"

Lily's eyebrows shot up towards her hair line and she looked around at the curious faces staring blankly back at her.

"Just because I'm not his biggest fan," Emmeline snorted derisively but quickly turned it into a cough as Lily glared at her. "Just because I'm not his biggest fan doesn't mean I would intentionally hurt him. I'm not that vindictive. I just think that is ridiculously immature."

"Well, excuse us, your majesty. It was only a joke." Alice all but snarled as she began packing away her belongings in what could only be described as a definite huff. "I'm going to bed and then you won't have to suffer my immaturity any longer." She flounced up the stairs with a flip of her hair and Emmeline rushing after her shouting at her to 'stop being stupid'. Mary glanced once more at Lily guiltily as she clutched her book to her chest and muttered a rather embarrassed, but sincere, apology as she too disappeared to the girls' dormitories. Lily rested her head on the back of the sofa, closed her eyes and released a weary sigh.

"Are you okay, Lily?"

The sofa sunk beside her and she did not need to open her eyes to know who was sat next to her.

"Remus." She acknowledged him with a weary sigh. "How much did you hear?"

He paused and she opened her eyes to see him thoughtfully scratching the stubble that wormed across his chin and down his throat.

"Enough to know I should be asking Mary Macdonald to Hogsmeade soon." It was a transparent attempt to get her to smile but it worked and he managed to steal a laugh from her. "I heard what you said about James." She sucked in a breath and held it, nervous as to where this conversation was going. He nudged her with his elbow. "You're alright, Evans."

She nudged him back with her elbow and granted him a rare, easy smile.

"You're not so bad yourself, Lupin."

"Call me Moony; all my close friends do."

She raised an eyebrow at him as he grinned wolfishly.

"Oh, we're close friends now?"

His amber eyes turned to her and studied her face for a long moment. She felt oddly exposed and moved to draw away from him slightly but paused before her body had moved an inch. His eyes flashed and she could not tear her eyes away from his piercing gaze. He finally nodded, obviously pleased with whatever secret thing he had found.

"I have a feeling we will be." He ruffled her hair and laughed at her growl. He stood, stretched and headed for bed. "Goodnight, Lily."

"Goodnight...Moony."

Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

It was an average November evening in the Heads Common Room. The cold weather clawed and scratched its way into the room from outside. The fire blazed, throwing shadows around the room like ethereal dancers against the walls. Lily was pleasantly comfortable with her feet up on the sofa, her eyelids drooping heavily, her head in James' lap and his hand in her hair. It was not an uncommon sight since the two had put aside their silly feud in the middle of their 6th year and had become quite close friends in the time following their truce. James' hand weaved its way through her hair again and Lily had to resist the urge to purr. She was so content, so blissfully relaxed. She smiled dreamily and forced her eyes open to look at him.

"I love this."

He was watching her, dark hazel eyes sparkling down at her. He hummed noncommittally, nonchalantly smiling at her, but she caught the flash of pain in his expression as it crossed his features fleetingly.

"What?"

"Nothing." James shook his head at her and resumed stroking her hair.

"No. It's something." She sat up, twisting so that she was sat next to him, watching him worriedly. "What is it? Tell me."

He was avoiding her gaze and she reached out to cup his jaw in her hand. His voice was shaky as he whispered.

"Don't do that."

"James?" His voice was hard, almost cold and Lily scooted closer, dragging her hand to the short hairs at the nape of his neck and toying with them gently.

"Stop it." She frowned and he wrenched away from her abruptly. "Just stop it! Stop tormenting me like this!"

She recoiled from him as though he'd physically hit her and she sat on the opposite side of the sofa chewing her lip. His face was instantly remorseful.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean it like that. I just...I can't keep doing this." His head fell into his hands and he looked like a shadow of his former self; broken.

"Doing what?" She was genuinely mystified and it only served to irritate him more. "I don't understand."

"You bloody wouldn't."

That stung. She looked away from him, hair falling around her face to act as a physical shield.

"Then explain it to me." Her voice was soft, quiet, patient and his frustration melted away at the little girl quality her voice had. He scooted closer to her and looked forlornly at her, desperate to explain.

"It's..." He sighed and looked her dead in the eyes. "I can't be friends with you."

She pushed past the instant, immediate hurt and tilted her head.

"Why not?"

"Because that will never be enough for me!" His outburst startled her and she found herself gaping at him. He was breathing heavily, his sharp eyes watching her with a keen sense of anticipation. She struggled to form a coherent sentence and he grew more agitated.

"I don't know what you want from me, James."

"You. Always you." His voice was low, gravelly and it sent a forbidden thrill through her as he pinned her once again with those dark eyes.

"I thought you just wanted to be friends." She sounded genuinely shocked. "I've been so confu-"

"I get it." His tone was clipped. "Don't worry. It was stupid to even bring it up." He stood up from the sofa and ran a hand through his hair.

"Wait, James. That's not what I-"

"Don't you dare say that's not what you meant." He chuckled mirthlessly and she laid a hand on his arm as she implored him to listen.

"Will you just wait? I'm trying to explain."

"What?" He snapped at her suddenly. "What could you possibly say to-mmph."

He was abruptly cut off as she launched at him and fused their mouths together. He was momentarily stunned into stillness and blinked dumbly as she continued to tease his lips apart. When he felt her wet tongue slide against the seal of his mouth, an 'oh' squeaked from his mouth before he growled lowly and hauled her closer, lips sliding desperately over hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she urged her body closer and she could feel her toes curling with pleasure. It was several loud, wet minutes later that they drew apart, foreheads still touching, eyes still closed.

"Well. That certainly explained some things." James quipped as Lily stepped from the circle of his arms. She patted delicately at her mussed hair.

"Yes. I rather thought it might."