This is going to be the first of several instalments from Lily's POV to explain the occurrence in the last chapter. I hope you like the different style. R&R prlease!

I quailed in fear as the spider slowly crawled across the far wall of the bathroom - The spider in question had clearly been subjected to an engorgement charm as no spider could grow to those proportions naturally, it was almost as large as my fist.

There was a thump at the door and Arty's voice floated through the wall, begging me to 'please, Please, please hurry up'. I gave a little whimpering sound and sank down the wall, the spider now heading for the door.

Arty spat out a couple of the choicest curses and opened the lock with a flick of her wand before smashing open the door and pelting to the toilet bowl. She then proceeded to let fly the contents of the Honeyduke's Bumper Hamper from Max's birthday we had made short work of the night before.

Eww!

I closed my eyes and sprinted for the door, collapsing a few seconds later onto my bed and pulling the pillow over my head. There was a lull in the conversation and I could tell Alice and Lizzie were exchanging worried glances.

"I told you not to breed your spiders in the bathroom."

I took in a breath and sat up.

"I mean, it was bound to cause problems."

Alice had the decency to look a little shamefaced.

"I wasn't breeding them exactly. Just storing them until I could find somewhere to put them. My brother sent them to me as a present and I didn't know what to do with them."

"Your brother is a nitwit. Why on Earth would he think you wanted spiders?"

"He's eights! Eight! What did you expect?"

"Did you ever accidentally let slip that what you wanted more than anything in the world was a colony of spiders that had been subjected to an accidental engorgement charm?"

Alice sighed and picked up a couple of textbooks. "No, of course not." She crossed the room over to me and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Come on Lils, it's okay."

I gave her a shaky smile and began gathering up my own school supplies. Arty chose that moment to flush the toilet and stagger out of the bathroom.

"You've looked better." I quipped.

She smiled ruefully, "Don't you start, I still maintain it was the hampers fault."

"Don't you blame that poor, defenceless hamper. It was you and you alone who ate seven fizzing-Whizzbees in one minute just to see if you could. Sirius is rubbing off on you."

"HEY!"

"And you drank all that coffee, I mean, come on, what did you expect?"

"You were high as a kite, " Lizzie giggled, "Though I think there's something fundamentally wrong with your life style."

Arty laughed, then buried her head in her hands with a moan, "Don't make me laugh- It hurts too much."

Alice smiled, swung her bag over one shoulder and, with Lizzie right behind her, departed for breakfast almost bumping into Jazz who was charging up the stairs two at a time. Jazz seemed to have two settings at the moment. Fast...And even faster. She seemed constantly to be in motion, even more than usual. Even my dear friend Arty, who, bless her, wasn't particularly intuitive at the best of times, had remarked that Jazz seemed to be operating on a higher frequency than usual.

"Fancy breakfast?" I teased, picking up my charms textbook and wand off my bedside cabinet. Arty went green gain and flopped down her bed. Jazz was now rooting around for something under her bed.

"I'll never eat again."

I reached over and poked her in the stomach, then started for the door, my arms full of textbooks. "Don't be melodramatic, skip breakfast and go to the Hospital Wing. Choke down whatever vile concoction Madam Pomphrey makes you swallow and, if you manage to keep that down, meet me at lunch and come to afternoon lessons. Go on, I'll make your excuses to Professor Flitwick."

She smiled gratefully and collapsed back onto the mattress, pulling a blanket over her head. I waited for Jazz to sprint past me, clutching something to her chest, and closed the door quietly behind me.

I started down the stairs to the common room, humming something under my breath. Then I thought to check my watch and gave a groan. Even if I ran the entire way to the Great Hall getting actually to eat before having to leave was a no-go. Students of ages were already elbowing their way past in every which direction. I let myself be carried along for a few floors then dived off down the Charms corridor. I felt someone push me from behind and the precariously balanced books in my arms took flight, spreading themselves around the floor of a smallish alcove in which a suit of armour was leaning drunkenly to the left. Muttering to myself I dropped to my knees and began picking up all the stupid textbooks. It's amazing how an armful of books can go, well, everywhere. I swear I only had about seven but by this point I had already got a stack of at least eleven. Stupid library, stupid books, stupid me-

"OWW!" MY HEAD, OH THE PAIN! There was a cracking noise, oh man, had I split my skull open? Broken something? Fracture? Funny, the only thing that hurt was the crown of my head and that didn't feel broken. Mind you, would you know if something was broken? I've never broken anything in my entire life. Arty has, like a thousand times. She spent most of the time I knew her falling over and smashing bones...Though they're not always her bones.

But I digress, I sat back on my haunches, still rubbing my battered brain and muttering, to look up at the damage I had inflicted on whatever unfortunate wall my head had met with...And found a pair of warm brown eyes staring back at me like I wasn't quite in focus.

Fantastic, I managed to brain James Potter and convince him I was totally insane all in five minutes. That's a record, even for me.

"Potter?"

The out of focus eyes met mine and a red blush began to spread across his face. "Hi, Lily."

It was only then that I glanced down at the pile of neatly stacked library books and then at the pair of circular glass lying in two halves on the floor by his leg. Ahh, so that was what the cracking noise was. And that was probably why his eyes were out of focus.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine, honestly. Erm, though would you mind rooting around in my bag, I think I've got some spellatape in there somewhere and I can't really see without my glasses."

He bit his lip and smiled nervously at me. He looked so sweet bless him.

"I've got a better idea."

I picked up his glasses and pulled out my wand. "Reparo." And handed them to him. He took them gratefully and stuffed them onto his nose, blinking at me. I'd seen him so often over the last three months, what with Head girl duties and classes (of which we were taking the same) but I'd never thought to ask how much he could see without his glasses.

Answer: Not a lot

"Thanks, I'd forgotten about that."

"Never wise, it's my most used spell. Or at least when Arty's around it is."

"She is bit of a klutz isn't she?" He laughed, pulling me to my feet, sounding more like the James I knew. "Brilliant at her drawing and stuff...But a bit of a klutz."

"Don't I know it, thanks for helping me with the books by the way. I meant to drop them off at the library on the way to breakfast but due to...Unforeseen circumstances things went a little askew and I've gone and missed both."

"You missed breakfast?"

"Uhuh, and I've got tutoring at lunch so I shall just have to starve." I meant it in a jokey way but James thrust my books back into my arms and took off running.

Wha-?

"Um, James? Where are you going?"

He simply waved one hand and ricocheted off Remus who was climbing the stairs before elbowing his way through a crowd of Hufflepuff's and vanishing.

"What was that about?" Remus asked after navigating the last step and coming to stand beside me.

"I don't know...But he's going to miss class if he doesn't hurry up."

"You know James, a law unto himself."

"Lord, what fools these mortal be."

Remus looked impressed, "A midsummer night dream, I didn't know you read Shakespeare."

I smiled. It was one of my secret pleasures. "I'm more surprised you do."

He smiled, nodding eagerly, "Yes, my mother was incredibly widely read and each month when I was better after-" He cut off suddenly and bit his lip. "She used to read to me when I was ill, and to my little sister though she could never sit still enough for Shakespeare."

"You have a sister?"

"Had. She died when I was four."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."

"Oh course you didn't, only the boys know about her."

"What was she like?" I knew really I should change the subject, spare him the pain of recounting his memories but I couldn't. As Arty often said, I was like a dog with a bone when it came to things I didn't previously know.

"I don't really remember very much about her, she was called Ellen, it meant shining light which was just right for her. She was always cheerful, always laughing. She was going to be beautiful when she was older, soft blonde hair and wide grey eyes."

"How did she-"

"-Greyback, my father insulted him so he came after us."

"Oh my gosh, Remus, I had no idea. I'm so sorry"

He smiled tightly, "It all happened a long time ago, come on, we'd better get to class."

"Yes..."

Remus had had a sister. Who knew? I smiled at him and followed him into the classroom. Who knew...?