Part two of Lily's story. I'm not quite sure how many parts there's going to be but I hope you like them nevertheless.

Even after we had all piled into the classroom, Peter slipping in at the last second with a forgotten textbook clutched in one sweaty hand, James still hadn't appeared. In fact he didn't turn up all lesson and I didn't see him again until I was stepping onto the fourth floor staircase on my way to Transfiguration.

He ran up behind me, something held in a small paper bag in one hand which he offered to me. I took it, though hesitantly (I'd been on the receiving end of too many of his 'jokes') and peered inside expecting to find dungbombs or some other horrendous trick from Zonko's. What I really found was even more surprising: a couple of pieces of warm toast, a nectarine and a small bottle of pumpkin juice.

"Breakfast?"

"You said you were going to miss it." He looked slightly red, "I mean, you did want some right?"

My stomach rumbled, answering his question. I bit my lip, embarrassed. "Yeah, I mean, sure I did. But you didn't have to cut class just to get it for me."

"Yes." He said seriously, "I did."

"Thank you." I reached up on tip-toe and pecked him on the cheek. "For everything." Then my staircase moved, taking me to my lesson, leaving him standing there, still touching his cheek where I'd kissed him. And I burst out laughing.

0o0o0

A couple of weeks later…

"Oh Jazz," I sighed, internally wishing that Max, Arty, Alice, anyone was here to look after Jazz instead of me. I had a headache pulsing behind my eyes and a stack of homework to do. "You know you have to tell the others."

She sobbed harder, "I can't, not yet. It will ruin my career and you'll all hate me."

"Why would we hate you? You're our friend."

"Easy for you to say," She hiccupped and wiped her eyes. "You're not the one who's got some disease!"

"You haven't got a disease, don't be stupid!"

"Love could be a disease for all most people care."

"I care. Look, tell the others. If they care they're not really your friends are they?"

"But Max-"

"But Max nothing. She'll support you, I'd bet anything on it. It's not like he's a monster or anything. He's cute, especially for a Slytherin."

She sniffled and I passed her a tissue, "Sure?"

"Sure." I held out my hand to help her up, she took it, hauling herself to her feet. Tossing the used tissue into the fireplace, she scrubbed at her eyes, trying to remove the make-up that was smeared across her face.

We walked together down to the dungeon, despite the fact that Jazz had a free period.

"You're definitely going to tell them aren't you?"

"Yeah, right after potions."

I nodded, smiled, and slipped into class, taking a seat next to Arty. Too bad I didn't see the crossed fingers.

0o0o0

"You do know this is all your fault, don't you?"

"It usually is. Not that that's anything new."

"Why are you taking it so well? Your so-called best friend blew up half the dungeon taking himself and my best friend with him, resulting in my terrible headache and the indignity of having to summon stretchers to get them to the Hospital Wing in one piece." I huffed, scuffing one of my shoe on a small bit of uneven ground, causing Arty's stretcher to dip alarmingly. James seized my wrist, forcing it up before Arty took an unexpected dive.

"Thanks," I sat, rather breathlessly, more than aware of just how close we were standing, almost cheek to cheek. Or rather my face to his chest. "But it's still all your fault."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"James!"

He threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender and laughed. "You called me James."

I raised my eyebrows, "And? What you going to do about it?"

"This."

He dived for me and began to tickle me mercilessly. I shrieked and Sirius gave a moan as he hit the floor. But then he smirked, even unconscious, as Arty rolled over and buried her face in his shoulder. James's fingers slipped under my shirt, tickling my stomach. I squawked again, even louder and fell against him, hiccupping with laughter.

Peeves choice that particular second to decide that James was trying to kill me and that it seemed like a very good idea to join in.

"James! HELP!"

"But you're doing so well on your own."

Madam Pomfrey came barrelling out of the Hospital Wing at that moment.

"What's going on?"

"They're not dead."

"I may not be a healer at St. Mungo's but I do know that."

"Sorry but-"

"Miss Evans, I came out of the Hospital Wing to find the Head Boy having a seizure, the Head Girl tearing down the corridor firing gum at the poltergeist and two dead bodies lying on the floor, wrapped so closely together it's difficult to tell who's who! I am very annoyed. Now get back to your common room and leave these two imbeciles with me."

I didn't need telling twice. We hurried back to Gryffindor Tower, smothering our giggles. The classes hadn't finished just yet so we had the halls to ourselves. We stumbled along, trying, and failing, to smother our giggles.

"Poor Arty, Sirius is going to drive her crazy. What would I give to see her face when she wakes up and sees she's been attached to Sirius." I snorted, most unladylike I know but satisfactory none the less.

"She'll kill him before the weeks out."

"Yeah." I said dreamily. How lovely that would be… Peace and quiet, something a girl like me can only dream of.

"When are they going to realise that they're perfect for each other? Sirius is completely obsessed, he never shuts up about her."

"She likes him too, not that she'd admit it. Stupid, stupid girl."

"Is that how you like me but won't admit it?"

My heart stopped, "You've got to be joking!"

He snorted, " You don't mean that!"

"Oh I really do!"

"Really?

"Really, really, really. You're just too stubborn to admit that I'm not the girl for you."

"And you really believe that?"

"Really, really, really!"

"Lucky Sirius, he's bound to have more luck with Arty than I am with you."

"Oh, a plague upon both your houses."

"What?"

"It's from Romeo and Juliet."

"What?"

"Read it and tell me what you think."

"So I can talk to you again?"

"Yes James, you can talk to me again." I smiled and began to climb the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Oh the joy! Thank you Merlin!"

I opened the door smiling, wondering exactly what a Marauder would think of the greatest love story in existence…