"This sucks," I moaned, slamming my head on the table.

Albus chuckled as we were shushed by Madam Pince, again. "Lin, you're going to get us kicked out again," he whispered in warning.

Jane looked relieved. "That doesn't sound so bad, actually."

I groaned. "This is ridiculous! Isn't it bad enough that we have to worry about NEWTs, without having all this homework dumped on us, too?"

Georgie nodded furiously. "And I thought OWLs were bad."

Rose shushed us this time. "You lot are impossible. How am I supposed to study?"

Carly rolled her eyes. "Just you wait, Weasley. You think you're studying now." She turned to Albus. "Why are you two even here? You're only sixth years."

Rose looked indignant. "Just because we're sixth years doesn't mean we don't care about our grades."

"Actually, I don't." Albus smiled, but shrugged. "I'm here because James, Hugo and Jack have some sort of prank going on in the Great Hall, and I need an alibi."

I smacked my forehead. "The idiot! He's going to get another detention! We barely get to spend time together as it is."

Carly sniggered. "You two can't keep your hands off each other. What're you talking about?"

I frowned at her as a blush spread across my cheeks. "I meant proper time together, like talking to each other, and just hanging out."

Jane glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which, Marcus and I were going to go over his Potions notes. I should go."

Carly jumped up. "Come on. Let's all take a break. We can get back to this tomorrow. It's not like it's going anywhere."

Georgie nodded and collected her things quickly. "I agree."

Rose huffed as Albus and I rose, too. "Great, maybe I can finally finish studying, then."

"You're just waiting for that Hufflepuff boy to show up." I rolled my eyes.

She turned a shade of red that rivaled her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, sure." I winked at her and left the library. I joined the group waiting for me in the hallway. "She's so cute when she thinks we don't know what's really going on."

"His name is Matt McGuire, by the way," Albus added. "He seems like an okay bloke. I can't for the life of me figure out why she likes him, though. He's not terribly bright."

Jane pressed her hands to her heart. "Which of us can say we know the ways of love?"

Everyone burst into laughter. She scowled. I opened my mouth to reply, but squeaked instead as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I looked down, but could see nothing. "You guys go ahead. I forgot something in the library."

The girls nodded and kept walking. Albus, however, looked at me knowingly. "Just don't be too long, yeah."

I nodded distractedly and walked slowly towards the library, the arms around my waist staying where they were. As soon as I turned a corner, James Potter materialized with a swish of a cloak. "Merlin, Lin," he immediately pushed me up against a wall and kissed me, "I haven't seen you all day."

I turned my head as he tried to kiss me again, his lips landing on my cheek. "That's not true," I teased. "We have most of our classes together."

"Mmm," he hummed, "You know what I meant."

He moved to kiss me again, but I dodged again. "And whose fault is that? Al told me about the prank in the Great Hall."

He chuckled as he dropped his face to my shoulder. "Just a little surprise for the students tomorrow at breakfast."

I stroked his hair, running my fingers through the unruly locks. "We never spend any time together."

He placed a kiss on my collar bone before facing me. "We're spending time together right now."

I looked into his warm eyes, darkened with passion. "I meant actual time together, that didn't involve you propping me up against a wall," I teased.

He pouted. "But I like this way of spending time together."

I frowned. "There's more to this relationship than that, isn't there?" I asked, suddenly afraid.

"Of course, Lin," he said quickly, swooping in to peck me before continuing. "Look. Hogsmeade is next weekend. We'll go and forget about studying for a day. How's that sound?"

I smiled softly and pressed my forehead to his. "It sounds wonderful," I murmured before I pressed my lips to his. "Not that you care about studying anyway."

He chuckled and pressed me more firmly against the wall. "Now, about right now…" he trailed off and stared at my lips through heavily-lidded eyes.

"Wait," I insisted. "Check the map first."

He sighed in frustration and pulled out the piece of parchment in question with one hand, using the other to make sure I stayed up against the wall. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

He examined the map thoroughly. I smiled as I watched his brows knit together in concentration. The map and invisibility cloak he had gotten from his father had made it so much easier for us to sneak around when we got the chance.

"Mischief managed." He wiped the map clean. "No one's on this floor except for the students in the library."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. "Good."

Our lips crashed together and I sharply inhaled. I felt as if I was being devoured, and it made my head spin. I moved my arms to grip the front of his robes. I tugged sharply on his bottom lip and was rewarded with a groan. He pushed me higher up the wall and untucked my shirt from the waistband of my skirt. His hand streaked under my clothes and massaged my breast.

I moaned, and he moved his mouth to my neck. "Merlin, Lin, can you be any louder?"

I unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. "Shut up. You like it."

He smiled as he met my lips again. "I never said I didn't."

I opened my mouth to retort, but he took the opportunity to massage my tongue with his own. I whimpered and undid the rest of the buttons on his shirt, thankful he had forgone a vest today. I slipped my hands under the shirt and raked my fingernails softly across his back.

He shivered and attacked my mouth more ferociously, taking his hand from my shirt and using it to hook one of my legs around his waist. A small cough interrupted us.

James quickly moved away from me, and I promptly fell to the floor. I turned red and covered my face with my hands. I peeked through my fingers to see Sally McLaggen smiling at James and me. "You may want to be more careful. Professor Roberts is heading this way." She winked and scurried away.

I jumped to my feet and straightened my uniform. James was hurriedly rebuttoning his shirt. I rushed over to help him. "Jesus, James, did she wink at us? She's so shy usually!"

He grinned and smoothed my hair as I finished his shirt. "Just because she's quiet doesn't mean she doesn't have a sense of humor. No wonder Albus likes her."

"Aha!" I brightened. "So, Al likes her!"

He frowned at me and handed me my bag from where it had been discarded. "Pretend you didn't hear that, Lin. Al is adamant that he has to be the one to win her over."

I scowled. "I could help!"

"No, Lin." He grinned at me and slung an arm over my shoulders. "He won't accept anyone's help, though I don't know why. I needed enough to win you over."

I looked up at him thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

He tapped the snitch necklace that was now askew. "Who do you think got you that?"

"You? I had given up on figuring it out." I fingered it. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

He hugged me closer to his side. "If I had told you, in all honesty, would you have believed me, or accepted it?"

"No, probably not." I frowned at this thought. "I was a jerk, wasn't I?"

"No, I gave you enough reason to hate me," he said sadly as we approached the Fat Lady. "Lemon Drop."

After we had stepped through the portrait hole, I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I never hated you, James. Though you were the bane of my existence, I never hated you."

He pressed his lips to the top of my head. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Get a room!" Carly called from one of the couches, her legs draped over Jack's lap.

I snorted. "Isn't that the kettle calling the pot black?"

"What?" she asked in confusion.

I shook my head. "It's a muggle expression, never mind." I sighed. "Jane would understand. It stinks being a half blood sometimes."

"I think it's brilliant! Best of both worlds, and all that rot." Jane stepped through the portrait hall. "What are you complaining about, anyway? At least your mum's a witch."

"You have a point," I agreed. "Small blessings."

"So, have you done that Potions essay for Hodgkins yet?" Jane asked as she rummaged through her bag.

I slapped my forehead. "No! I completely forgot!"

"Best get started!" she called as she made her way up the girls' dormitories' staircase. "It's due tomorrow."

I rushed up the stairs behind her. James looked pained. "What about me?"

"It's your fault in the first place!" I cried from the stairs. I stopped suddenly and smiled slyly at him over my shoulder. "Besides, you must have done something to satisfy your, ahem, needs, before I came along, right?"

He blushed furiously as the common room burst into laughter. I cackled and ran to my dormitory. He would get me back later, but at the moment I was satisfied with having finally one-upped him.