a/n: everybody cheer, it's the return of Kevin from say my name! Thank you so much to anyone who's reading, but especially Bluemnm, Tajee165, Super Cara, Penciled In, siriuslymrsmalfoy, Cassia4u, Whatchoofelloeverfor, awkwardhippogriff and glassycry for your reviews! Also my hearty congratulations to the USA for re-electing Obama. I'm proud of you.

nine – indifference

"Who are you waiting for, Evans?" James asks.

(Lily's been waiting weeks for him to ask her, but she won't let him know that.)

"Kevin," she tells him, trying to remain indifferent.

James scoffs. "You said yes, then?"

"Mm."

"To that idiot?"

"I told you, James, Ravenclaw doesn't equal idiot," Lily says, allowing her resignation to seep into her voice.

He picks up on it and considers her, taking in the red curls pushed around her face by the collar of her robes, her sparkling eyes, cheeks flushed pink. "You know, Evans," he remarks slowly, "if you wanted someone reliable you should have gone to Hogsmeade with me."

"You should have asked," retorts the girl, a little too quickly for her liking. She bites her lip, holding back a smile at her own impatience.

His eyebrows raised a little, surprise evident in his voice, he says, "Are you saying you would have said yes?"

She allows him a cheeky grin. "Maybe."

Kevin comes rushing down the stairs, blonde hair flying.

(It's ruffled and soft but she can't help making internal private secret secret comparisons between Kevin's floppy mop and James' hair. She knows which one she'd prefer to run her fingers through -)

He looks flustered. "Sorry I'm late," the boy apologises, and takes her hand. "You ready?"

Both Gryffindors glance down at their entwined hands and Lily blushes slightly. "Yeah. Let's go."

The boy watches wistfully as the pair walk out of the Entrance Hall, and he's joined by Sirius. Leaning over the banister, he gives his friend a slap upside the head. "Prongs, mate, give her up."

But Lily looks back, and James just smiles.

"You know what your problem is, Padfoot?" he says as he begins to climb the stairs.

"Not a lot has changed over the past year, so I'm sticking with inbreeding," Sirius states.

"Not a lot has changed?"James repeats incredulously. "Mate, where have you been?"

Sirius rolls his eyes good-naturedly at his friend as they walk back to the common room. "At your side. Although, come to think of it, I did give Karen Parker and that broom cupboard on the second floor a miss."

James coughs and flushes a bright red. "You knew about that?"

"Mate, where have you been?" Sirius echoes. "I know everything."

"Really?" James snorts. "Alright. Tell me something."

Sirius turns his head, curious. "What would you like to know, Prongs? Something about Lily?" he teases.

"Shut it," James grins. "I dunno. Anything. What's going to happen next year?"

Sirius thinks for a minute and starts to spout a story involving Remus and Mel Jones, the sixth-year Prefect, and party poppers and Disillusionment Charms and ginger beer and James holds up a hand to stop him.

"That's complete crap, Padfoot. Now I know you're making it up."

"Am not!" the other protests. James fixes him with a look.

"That's about as likely as – as – I don't know – as me getting Head Boy."

"Unlikely," Sirius agreed.

"Highly."

"I might even go so far as to say impossible –"

"I'm not that bad."

"Now who's talking crap?"

James shoves him.