“Class, remember that your essay is due next Thursday – now, I do not want to hear your incessant whining! That’s not the way I want to start the weekend!� Professor Slughorn rolled his eyes at the seventh years. “Sure – you think that just because I’ve got a few years on you that I’ll forget about your assignments – not likely!� he bellowed with a short laugh. “Let me tell you that…�

Lily laughed at her teacher’s ramblings. The man was a genius when it came to potions. But other times…

“Quite a character, isn’t he?�

Lily turned her head toward the voice. She first noticed a small, gold, Head Boy’s badge. As her gaze wandered up, she saw that the person beside her had rather unruly, black hair and a pair of crooked glasses. Instinctively, Lily reached up and straightened the boy’s glasses with a smile.

“Hello, James.�

The fact that his glasses had been lopsided didn’t faze James in the slightest; it had happened so many times before, that he often chose not to fix them anymore. Instead, James carried on about his business as if nothing had happened. “You forgot to put your things away.� He nodded towards the belongings sprawled across Lily’s desk.

Lily shook her head and sighed, looking slightly tired. “I lost track of time during class,� she explained, carefully setting her potions ingredients into the bottom of her bag. “I was too wrapped up in the notes.�

James’ jaw dropped. With a small smile creeping onto his mouth, he repeated Lily incredulously. “You lost track of time because you were too busy taking notes?� James let out a loud laugh. “Are you serious?�

Lily narrowed her eyes playfully at him. “N.E.W.T.s are only a few months away,� she protested. “I want to be as prepared as possible!�

James laughed again, but this time it was a much more playful sound. “Lily – those tests aren’t until the end of May!� He sat on top of the desk beside hers. “Do you know how far away that is?�

The red-haired girl turned her head towards the small window in the corner of the classroom and saw, much to her dismay, that it had begun snowing at that very moment. “Alright, so it might be just a bit more than a few months away…�

“It’s November!� James pointed out loudly. The other seventh years that had been in the process of picking up their belongings after class all turned to stare pointedly at James as his voice reverberated throughout the dungeon. “It’s snowing outside, Lily – snowing!�

“Alright, you’ve made your point,� Lily quickly cut him off with a smile. She stood from her seat. “But just so you know – there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to study for the N.E.W.T.s early.�

James laughed, sliding off of the desk. “Sure,� he agreed, knowing that if he didn’t, she would have never stopped trying to prove him wrong.

Lily closed her book bag and picked up a pile of textbooks that she refused to put in her bag for fear of squishing her potions ingredients. “There we go,� she said, exhaling. She felt her arms strain under the weight of the many books. “Off to Arithmancy…�

James frowned at the pile of books stacked on top of each other. He leaned to the side, peeking around the tower of books in order to see Lily’s face. “Do you need any help with those…?�

Lily hurriedly shook her head, denying any assistance. “Nope – I’m perfectly fine. Thanks, though.�

James rolled his eyes at Lily’s stubbornness. There was no way that she would have admitted that she needed any help – he should have known that!

“Give me that.� James abruptly pulled more than half of the books from her arms. “You’re impossible…�

“I am not,� Lily fought back, silently thankful that James had taken the books even though she had refused to let him. She started to lead him out of the dungeons. “The only reason I appear impossible is because I happen to have my own way of doing things, sometimes…�

“Sometimes?� James echoed with a grin, following closely behind Lily. “How about all of the time?�

“Not true!� Lily continued to argue with a smile. She searched for an example. “How about – that one time when I let you run that Prefect meeting? Remember?�

“Oh, sure, like that counts!� By this point, James was walking directly beside her down the hallway. “If I recall correctly, you cut in every time I spoke to rephrase what I had already said!�

“But I let you lead the meeting, didn’t I?� Lily stubbornly pushed her case with a grin. “That’s got to count for something!�

James rolled his eyes, unable to hide a small smile. “Hardly…�

“Alright, I’m sorry,� Lily said with a rather sarcastic sigh, rounding a corner. “What can I do to make it up to you?�

James’ ears perked up at this statement. “Well, let’s see…�

“Oh, you can’t be serious…�

“Hey!� James shrugged his shoulders with a smirk on his face. “You were the one that offered to make it up to me.�

“But I didn’t think you would actually take me up on the offer!� Lily fired back.

He grinned. “You underestimate the mind of a Marauder, Miss Evans.�

Lily just shook her head.

“Now,� he started, “since I have, obviously, given so much to you, in order to satisfy your hunger for power,� James said with a completely straight face, “it only makes sense that you should give something back to me.�

Lily snickered at James’ formality. “What do you want?�

James chewed on his lower lip as he deeply pondered the question. “Well – � he shrugged, as if he could think of nothing better “ – I wouldn’t mind having a Butterbeer.�

“A Butterbeer?� Lily repeated with a baffled look. “A – Butterbeer?�

James nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, that sounds really good right now – especially with the cold weather and all.�

Lily shook her head; she had been imagining something a little different than this. “Well, let me tell you – for ‘the mind of a Marauder’, asking for a Butterbeer is rather uninventive.�

James raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about, considering I could have asked for much worse.�

Lily nodded at this statement. “True…�

“But seriously, Lily…� James pulled their conversation back on track as they reached the door of Lily’s classroom. “Tomorrow’s a Hogsmeade day – what do you say about grabbing a few Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks?�

Lily stepped inside of the Arithmancy classroom and dropped her books on the nearest desk. She turned back around and nodded with a smile. “Yeah, sure – sounds like fun.�

James grinned and put the pile of books in his arms next to the ones on Lily’s desk. “Great – I’ll meet you in the common room in the morning, then.�

“I’ll be waiting,� Lily responded, waving as James slipped out of the classroom. Once he left her sight, Lily dropped her hand and gently set her bag full of potions ingredients on the floor beside her desk. She then proceeded to look through the stack of books, searching for the correct textbook for the class. In the process of hunting through the mass of books, Lily noticed that her friend had already entered the classroom and was sitting in the desk beside hers.

“Hey, Adette,� Lily pleasantly greeted her roommate.

But she didn’t get a response. Frowning slightly at this unusual behavior, Lily looked up from her search for her book and analyzed Adette a bit closer than before, sensing that something was wrong. Her long, blonde hair appeared to be lying down perfectly, and her blue eyes were brighter than usual. So she probably wasn’t upset about her appearance today…

And then Lily noticed her dropped jaw.

“Oh, no.� Lily stood and fished around in her pockets for her wand. “Sirius didn’t put that lockjaw curse on you again, did he?�

Adette just shook her head, looking very astonished. “Oh – my god.�

Lily raised an eyebrow. She dropped her wand back into the pocket of her robe, but remained standing with a hand on her waist. “What is it?�

“Did I just witness what I thought I did?�

Lily did not have time for these games. She turned back towards her mound of books. “What are you going on about?� she muttered, sounding uninterested in what her friend had to say.

Adette looked floored. “You know exactly what I’m going on about!�

Lily did not look up. She was too preoccupied searching for her missing textbook.

“You,� she hinted, “and James!�

“What about us?� Lily asked blindly, clearly not seeing what Adette was trying to get at.

“Well,� Adette laughed to herself, “which part should I bring up first? The part where James was carrying your books for you, the part where you were openly flirting with him, or the part where he asked you out on a date and you agreed?�

Lily finally took the time to look away from her stack of books in order to roll her eyes at her friend. “None of that happened, Adette – you’re exaggerating everything, again.�

“Alright,� Adette agreed with a nod, “fair enough. You have a chance to redeem yourself.� She turned in her seat to face Lily straight on. “Explain to me why James was holding your books – which, might I add, is one of the most obvious signs that a male is interested in a female.�

Lily had to chuckle at this statement. “I had too many to carry,� she explained, gesturing to the pile on her desk. “There were too many to hold at once.�

“I’m sorry, Lily.� Adette shook her head. She tried to appear disappointed in Lily’s answer, but couldn’t help revealing a small smile. “I don’t buy that excuse when I can, clearly, see your bag sitting beside your desk – and it is only half full.�

“But I had - �

“Question number two,� Adette quickly cut her off, not even bothering to listen to Lily’s excuse. “When on earth did my best friend start to flirt so obviously?�

Lily had to laugh at this question. “Adette, I wasn’t flirting!�

“Oh, please!� Adette rolled her eyes. She swept back her hair with a toss of her head and pushed out her chest. “‘I’ll be waiting’,� she repeated Lily’s earlier comment to James in a deep, seductive voice. And, as fast as she had changed her behavior, Adette immediately returned to her slouched posture and higher-pitched voice just as quickly. “What the hell was that?�

Lily was appalled by this imitation. “I did not do – that,� she stammered, rather embarrassed.

“You could have said ‘alright’ or ‘I’ll see you there’,� Adette pointed out with a smirk. “But you, instead, chose to say – the ever flirtatious – ‘I’ll be waiting’.�

Lily felt her face turn a deep scarlet, feeling as if everyone in the room was now staring at her after Adette’s performance. “I did not,� Lily mumbled, lowering her gaze and covering her chest with both arms.

“And this leads me to my final question.� Adette arched an eyebrow, rather interested in hearing Lily’s next response. “What on earth brought you to say ‘yes’ to James Potter when he asked you out?�

“Look,� Lily tried to correct Adette once and for all, “James did not ask me out! I owe him a bit of a favor,� she said as nonchalantly as possible, “so he said I should buy him a Butterbeer.�

“You don’t have to defend the reasons behind it,� Adette reassured Lily. “I’m just saying – that sounds like a date to me.�

Lily shook her head. “James gave up on that a long time ago, remember?� She finally found the correct textbook and tried to pull it out from the bottom of the pile. “For two years he hasn’t asked me out on a date.� She finally tugged the book loose, but not without managing to knock the rest of the books onto the floor. Lily grumbled and dropped to her hands and knees. “Do you remember how angry I used to get with him?�

“Oh, I remember,� Adette’s eyes widened, clearly wishing she hadn’t been able to remember. “I seem to recall many nights of nothing but complaints about him…�

“He would ask me out every single day,� Lily reminded her friend, as if she hadn’t already heard. “And, every time, I would tell him, ‘no’! Until, one day – he just stopped.�

Adette nodded. “Which is about the time, I believe, when you finally broadened your horizons and realized that you two might actually get along better than you thought.�

Lily finished re-organizing her books, ignoring her friend’s last comment. “I see absolutely no reason why he would start asking me out again.�

Adette shook her head sadly, realizing that it wasn’t worth her time trying to push the idea any longer. “Well – in case you’re wondering, I’m not upset about it or anything,� she reassured Lily. “I like James – I think he’s a great guy! I’m just shocked more than anything at this point…�

Lily sat down in her seat and opened her book. “That’s great – I’m glad you feel that way,� she told Adette, “but it’s still not a date.�

Adette nodded, turning back around in her chair to face the front of the room. “Whatever you say, Lily.�

Lily smiled, glad that Adette had seen it her way.

“Alright, class, today we’re going to review the past three chapters for the test next week,� the teacher began in a monotonous tone. “If you could please turn your books to page two-hundred and ninety-four…�

Adette felt a sharp poke in the side of her rib cage. She gasped silently, making a face at the pain. She glanced down at her side and noticed that Lily had jabbed her quill into her robes – leaving a small ink stain – in order to grab her attention.

“What?� Adette hissed, leaning in.

Lily did the same thing. However, instead of appearing upset like Adette did, she looked rather nauseas.

“Did I really just agree to go out on a date with James?�

*

“Lily – don’t panic!�

Adette put her arm through Lily’s and gently dragged her up the stairs toward the Gryffindor common room. “This isn’t a problem – you can handle anything, right?�

“But I – I didn’t know!� Lily stammered, looking very scared. “I just thought I was agreeing to get a couple of Butterbeers – not go on a date!�

“So you made a mistake!� Adette shrugged. “Big deal – everyone has at some point in their life, right?�

“Not like this!� Lily stumbled up the last of the stairs and turned the corner towards the Gryffindor entrance. “This is not something that people would normally mix up!� Lily stopped in front of a portrait of a large woman, turning on her friend. “Have you ever done this?�

Adette nodded. “Of course I have!�

Lily said a word to the lady in the picture and the frame swung open to reveal an opening. She put one hand out to hold open the portrait, and then turned to glare at her friend. “When?�

“Well…� Adette twisted the long strands of her blonde hair around her finger as she thought. She finally dropped her hand, looking at Lily apologetically. “Alright, maybe I haven’t quite done what you have - � Lily threw up her hands in frustration and turned to enter the hole behind the portrait “ - but I’ve still made loads of mistakes! Lily? Lily!�

Adette chased her friend through the opening and into the Gryffindor common room. “Lily – stop making me chase you around the castle!�

Lily did not stop walking. “How could I have been so stupid?� she scolded herself. “It was so obvious – why didn’t I just pay attention?�

Adette darted around Lily and cut her off before she could reach the stairs leading up to the girls’ dormitory. She knew that if she let Lily walk up those stairs in this mood, she most likely wouldn’t come down for days.

“Listen to me,� Adette calmed her friend. She put both of her hands onto Lily’s shoulder, holding her in one place. “This isn’t the end of the world.�

Lily exhaled, dropping her head onto her chest.

“Right?� Adette prompted. “It’s one day,� she told her. “You can get through it without a scratch. All you need – � Adette dropped her hands and straightened her posture “ – is a little help from moi.�

Lily let out a small giggle. No matter the circumstance, Adette always found a way to make her feel better.

“And who on earth would ever want help from you, Foster?�

Judging by the look on Adette’s face, Lily knew that the person standing behind her was someone that Adette did not get along with. And that could only be one person.

“No one asked for your opinion, Black,� Adette coolly responded, stepping around Lily. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the boy.

“I was only looking out for Lily’s best interest.� Sirius held his hands up as if he had done nothing wrong. He grinned and tossed his dark hair back, out of his face, but a single lock of hair fell back down and covered his eye. “I don’t want Lily to be disappointed when she realizes that getting help from you was the stupidest choice she ever made.�

Lily’s thoughts immediately flashed back to her conversation with James earlier. “I’ve made worse choices…� she mumbled.

“Look, Black,� Adette spit out his surname, “why don’t you run along and have those secret meetings that you always have with your little club.�

Sirius looked highly offended. “Club?� he choked out. “The Marauders are not a – a club!�

Adette raised an eyebrow. “Then what would you call it?�

Sirius could not come up with an answer quickly enough. “That’s beside the point,� he stammered, trying to appear superior.

Adette made a show of rolling her eyes. “Come on, Lily.� Adette took her friend’s hand and pulled her up the stairs. “We’re done with this conversation.�

Sirius breathed in through his nose, furious as Adette sauntered up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory without a look back. She had just walked away from his taunts without flinching!

With as much strength as he could muster, Sirius slammed his hand into the brick wall.

He instantly regretted it.

“How you doin’ over there, Padfoot?� Remus asked casually over the top of his book when he heard Sirius’ howls of pain. “Did everything go as you planned?�

“No it did not, Moony,� Sirius growled, joining his friend on the couch in front of the fire. He analyzed his hand, looking for injuries.

Remus smirked behind his copy of Hairy Snout, Human Heart. “I told you not to go over there…�

“Sure,� Sirius grumbled, massaging his fist. “Rub it in when I’m in pain. Some friend you are…�

Remus calmly marked his spot in his book and closed it, smiling. “It’s hard to feel any sympathy for you when I told you not to go over to Adette in the first place.�

“He’s right, Padfoot,� James cut in, shrugging.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if she put a spell on your silverware to stay glued to the table at lunch, would you?� Sirius kindly pointed out.

James sat back in his comfortable arm chair with a smile. “Just give Adette a chance,� he said. “Those girls – they’re not so bad…�

“He just – gets on my nerves!�

Lily sighed and flopped on her bed. “I thought it was my day for a pity party.�

Adette laughed. “You had the whole morning to mope – it’s my turn, now.�

Lily smiled. “Alright, fair enough.�

“Here – I believe these belong to you.� Adette opened her book bag and started pulling out book after book.

“Oh…� Lily blushed, slightly embarrassed at the fact that she had made her friend carry several of her books. “Yeah – thanks for that.�

“No problem,� Adette said, brushing off the comment with a wave of her hand. She tossed the books one by one back to Lily. “I mean – � Adette shrugged before teasing her friend “ – it was either putting the books in my bag or letting James carry them…�

Lily neatly propped each of her books on top of her desk against the wall, and turned to glare at her. “Not funny.�

“To you,� Adette giggled. “After tomorrow, we’ll both be laughing about this!� Lily’s face remained stony. “Oh, come on, Lily! Lighten up!� Adette searched for a way to make her friend feel better. “Here – I’ll help you – how about that?� Adette jumped over her bed and kneeled on Lily’s closed trunk. “And keep in mind I don’t help just anyone – so feel privileged.�

Lily stood from her bed and walked towards Adette. “And how exactly are you planning on helping me?�

“Well,� Adette started, “first, let’s talk about your appearance, shall we?�

Lily nodded, waiting to hear where Adette was going with this.

“Your hair…� She reached out and took a strand of Lily’s long, curly auburn hair in her hand. “You can either put it up or leave it down. Leave it down,� she gestured to Lily’s hair now, “and you look far more attractive.�

Lily smiled at the compliment. “Well, thank you.�

“But tomorrow, you should put it up.�

“But – � Lily stammered “ – you just said – �

“Remember who you’re going out with, Lily…� Adette reminded her with wide eyes. “Are you trying to appear as if you’re getting dressed up to go out on a date, or do you want to look like you’re just grabbing a Butterbeer with a friend?�

Lily’s mouth formed the shape of an “O�.

Adette climbed off of the trunk and opened it. “Next topic of concern,� she started, digging through Lily’s personal belongings, “is your clothes.�

“Alright,� Lily nodded. “Something casual that I wear everyday – �

“ – except that you can’t wear your robes,� Adette quickly corrected her friend, tugging several shirts out from the bottom of the trunk. “Now, here are a few examples.� Adette held up two clothing items. “But remember,� she quickly pulled the shirts closer to her so Lily couldn’t see them just yet, “you still need to wear something relatively nice – I mean, you are still going out in public – but you also want something that will keep you warm.� Adette now showed Lily her choices. “Option A - � she held up a long-sleeved, emerald green shirt “ – is both casual, but also fits your curves rather nicely. And,� Adette added with a smirk, “it also brings out the color of your eyes, if I do say so myself.�

Lily laughed at this side comment.

Adette pulled the shirt back down and, this time, held up a large, hand-knit sweater. “Option B is a bit… different.�

Lily made a gagging noise at the sight of the shirt. “My grandmother knit that for me!� she shouted, sounding petrified that Adette had even decided to use that sweater as an option. “Have you ever seen me wear that thing?�

Adette analyzed the small unicorns embroidered on the front of the pink sweater. “I dunno,� she shrugged. “I thought I might have seen it on you once or twice on the weekend.�

“I have never - � Lily strongly emphasized the word “ – worn that a day in my life!� She waved a hand toward her bedside table where a photo of her family was lying out. “I only bring that sweater to make my mum think I wear it!�

“Well, now is the time when you want to wear it!� Adette pointed out. “It enhances none of your features – I imagine all it would do is hang off of you like an old potato sack!�

“Oh,� Lily said sarcastically, pulling the sweater from Adette’s hands to analyze it herself, “that makes me feel loads better. Really.�

“Just consider it, alright?� Adette jumped onto the bed, landing just beside Lily. She hugged her friend and put on a smile. “I promise – we’ll burn it tomorrow night and you can tell your mum that Sirius set it on fire.�

Lily wrinkled her nose in deep thought. “Well,� she sighed, folding the sweater and setting it on her pillow. “I guess if this is what it takes…�

*

Lily stared hard at herself in the mirror.

I can’t believe I’m about to do this.

She tugged on the bottom of her sweater and turned to the side, cringing. There was nothing she could do to salvage her appearance.

Quickly, Lily threw her hair up into a ponytail and opened the door of the bathroom.

“Hello?� Lily peeked around the door, searching for her roommates. And, with a rush of immense relief, she realized that Adette and her other roommates had already left to spend their day at Hogsmeade.

Lily stepped out into her dormitory and sprinted across the room to her bed in order to grab her coat. She quickly put her arms through it and held the front of it closed over her sweater.

She slowly made her way down the winding staircase. Once she reached the bottom, Lily peeked around the corner, crossing her fingers that the room would be empty. And, to her satisfaction, it was void of nearly all Gryffindor students.

Except James.

Lily took one look at James’ appearance and her insides sank. He was wearing jeans, just like her. However, instead of his normal t-shirts and sweatshirts, James had decided to throw on a blue shirt underneath a second, striped shirt that was left unbuttoned. And, to make Lily feel even worse than before, she watched in a startled silence as James checked his reflection in the glass trophy case, pressing a hand up to his hair to flatten it before she walked down.

Lily groaned.

She felt horrible. She had gone through all of this trouble to make James think she looked unattractive when all along, she realized, he had been trying to do the opposite – to impress her.

I can’t do this to him, Lily realized, feeling guilt swell inside of her. He’s still my friend – and whether or not he likes me, I would feel horrible about embarrassing him by looking this ridiculous.

And, without a second thought, Lily spun on her heel and ran back up the steps to change her clothes.

*

Lily tiptoed back down the stairs, peeking around the corner once more. She saw that James was still standing at the bottom of the steps, waiting patiently for Lily – even though she was more than half an hour late.

She straightened her posture and put on a smile. And, as calmly as possible, Lily put her hand on the railing, stepped down –

– and missed the step.

“Lily – are you alright?�

Lily blinked several times, looking around at her surroundings. She had slipped, feet first, down to the bottom of the staircase. And, now, she was sprawled out on the floor at James’ feet, looking up at his concerned expression.

“Oh – uh – yeah, I’m fine.� Lily sat up and shook her head, trying to run a hand through the hair that she had just brushed out minutes ago. She looked up just far enough to realize that James was holding his hand out for her to take.

“Are you sure?� James asked, gently touching Lily’s arm as she refused to take his hand and stand up on her own.

“Yeah – just a bit of a tumble…� Lily laughed softly, afraid to show her blushing face. She looked down and began smoothing out her green shirt in an attempt to avoid eye contact.

James, too, let out a laugh, but it was much louder. “I’ll say.�

Lily froze. He had just made fun of her. He made fun of her!

She instantly felt the awkwardness of the situation lift. He had responded as if this were an everyday conversation – like they were just a couple of friends, out to grab some drinks!

“Oh, like you’ve never done it?� Lily retorted, grateful for James’ jokes. “I seem to recall an incident with the grand staircase this fall…�

“That doesn’t count,� James countered, holding up a finger. “Sirius deliberately tripped me.�

“So that’s what you called it when your shoes were left untied…�

James laughed. “Touché,� he retorted, stopping the insults.

Lily smiled. “Good,� she said. “Because I vaguely remember something about you craving a Butterbeer.�

“I am.� James nodded, holding out his arm. With a lopsided smile, he asked, “Shall we?�

Lily grinned and looped her arm through his. “Let’s.�

*

“Adette – did you want anything?�

The blonde-haired girl looked between her roommates and the ice cream store. “No – I’m fine.� She pointed to a wooden bench. “I’ll just sit out here and wait for you all to finish.� And before the other girls could ask why she didn’t care to join them, Adette sped over to the bench and sat down, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

I saw them go into the Three Broomsticks, she told herself, searching frantically through the window of the building directly across from her bench. I know they’re in there…

“Foster,� a surprised sounding voice interrupted her thoughts. “Friendless, dateless, and sitting alone in the cold – not a good image for a young lady.�

Adette glared at the intruder. “Funny, Black,� she spoke dryly. “Now keep walking before I feel the need to break something.�

Sirius just chuckled. “Am I interrupting something?� he asked casually.

Adette pulled her scarf up around her chin “You’re not interrupting anything,� she muttered, wishing that this dull response would make the boy realize there was nothing exciting going on; when he had no way to torture her, Sirius often gave up and was more likely to leave.

But it seemed to be the opposite.

“Well…� Sirius replied, sliding onto the bench next to Adette. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I joined you?�

“Actually – � Adette cleared her throat “ – I do.�

“Oh – I’m sorry,� he spoke smoothly. “Then I am interrupting something, aren’t I?�

Adette fumed. She could have sworn that smoke was coming out of her ears. “It’s nothing, Black,� she muttered, staring adamantly at the pub across the street. And, by sheer dumb luck alone, Adette saw a flash of red sweep past several of the windows inside of the Three Broomsticks.

Her posture instantly changed; she sat up straight and tall, as if this would be able to help her see better than before.

Unfortunately, Sirius noticed this change.

“What are you doing?� he mumbled, half to himself. His gaze followed hers to the window. And, looking as if Christmas had come early, started to laugh loudly.

“You’re spying!� he accused her. “That’s what you’re doing, sitting out here all alone – you’re bloody spying!�

Adette quickly shushed him, slapping his arm. His slight flinch told her that she must have hit him hard enough to have left a red hand print. “You don’t have to tell the entire village.�

But Sirius couldn’t have looked happier. “I can’t believe it – Adette Foster is spying on her best friend!� He burst out laughing. “Well…� he corrected himself, turning to face Adette. “Not only that – but you’re spying on her while she’s on a date!�

Adette shot a deadly look at her enemy. “With your best friend.�

“Wait, what?� Sirius looked closer into the window. “That bloody stag,� he muttered, not quite loud enough to hear. “He said he was meeting up with someone else – but he never said it was Lily!�

Adette couldn’t help but smirk. “At least my friend told me.�

Sirius rolled his eyes. Before he could find an insulting response, Adette gasped.

“I can’t believe it…�

Sirius’ eyes darted back and forth between Adette and the window. “What?� he hissed, unable to realize what had Adette in awe.

“Look at her outfit,� she murmured. “And her hair – she left her hair down!�

He lifted an eyebrow, clearly not seeing the importance in this observation. “And what does that have to do with anything?�

“Leaving your hair down practically gives you the best tool you could ever use on a date!� Adette said as if it were obvious to everyone but him. “For example,� she continued, “if Lily wanted to draw more attention to herself, all she would have to do is a small hair flip.� When Sirius showed no understanding of this concept, Adette looked at him as if he was missing half of his brain. “Haven’t you ever seen a girl flip her hair before?� he continued to look confused. “You know,� she quickly continued, tossing her own blonde curls over her shoulder. “That.�

Sirius chuckled. “Oh, yeah – I’ve seen that a few times before…�

“It’s a classic,� she explained, turning back to the window. She gasped again, but this time put her hand out and dug her nails into Sirius’ arm. “And so is that! Lily is so going to have to explain everything tonight…�

“What – ouch – get your grimy hands off of me!� Sirius made an effort to pry Adette’s fingers off of his wrist, but it wasn’t until she had loosened her grip that he was able to do so. “Look – I don’t see what the big deal is,� he grumbled, massaging his arm until the numbness went away.

“The big deal,� she mimicked Sirius, not recognizing the fact that she had just injured him, “is that they’re flirting!� Adette rounded on him. “Are you blind, or do you honestly not see what’s happening before your eyes?�

“They’re not flirting,� Sirius scoffed at the idea. “All she’s doing is laughing! She does it all the time…�

“She’s not laughing,� Adette immediately corrected him with a smile, “she’s giggling. Completely different.�

“It’s not – �

“Giggling is much more feminine,� Adette explained, as if speaking to a five-year-old. “But at least she wasn’t extremely obvious and did something like put her hand over her mouth.�

Sirius groaned. He felt that as if after every ridiculous comment Adette made, he lost a clump of brain cells. He was slowly being tortured to his death – very slowly.

There was no doubt in his mind. James would pay for this later.

“They’re just so cute together!� Adette sighed.

“Yeah, well…� Sirius struggled to find an appropriate response. “At least James isn’t flirting back or anything…�

“Oh, no,� Adette said sarcastically. And then, after a sufficient pause, she smartly replied, “He started it.�

Sirius laughed at the absurdity of the statement. “Of course he did…�

“Really,� Adette said with a nod. “He’s being a gentleman.� She grinned. “Not only did he grab both of their drinks, but he also pulled out her chair.� She smiled to herself. “I’m sure that’s not how he acts around his friends.�

Sirius was too shocked for words. He sat in a stunned silence, watching the date continue. I should have never come over here in the first place – Moony was right, yet again…

“Oh – look – � Sirius pointed to the window, sounding relieved “ – their date’s done – they’re leaving.�

Adette shook her head. “No, they’re getting a second round,� she replied.

“How do you bloody know that – �

“See?� She nodded towards the Three Broomsticks. Lily stood and picked up their mugs. “She’s – oh my god – did you just see that?�

Much to Sirius’ dismay, he nodded rather regretfully. “Yeah, I saw it…�

“James – he just checked her out!� Adette nearly screamed, unable to control her excitement. It took all of her strength to keep herself seated. “I told her that James still liked her! It’s so obvious!�

Sirius grumbled. “So she’s cute,� he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean he’s in love with her.� He started to shake his head and chuckle. “Look, Foster – you’re overanalyzing every single little detail.� He looked smug. “I hate to break it to you – but you’re insane.�

“Oh – look!� Adette ignored every word and put a gloved hand over her mouth, as if she were trying to hold back her tears. “They bumped knees – and they didn’t pull away!� She fanned her eyes. “They’re so cute…�

Sirius dropped his head in defeat.

*

“I swear – Sirius has a loose screw.� James laughed along with Lily. “Be grateful you don’t have to endure anyone as mental as him.�

“No – I completely understand!� Lily exclaimed with a hint of amusement. “Adette did the same thing last year on my birthday!�

James nearly tripped over the entrance to the portrait. “You’re joking.�

“I wish I was!� Lily laughed. “It was horribly embarrassing…�

They laughed the entire way to the steps of the girls’ dormitory.

Once their laughter died down, Lily instantly felt a change in the atmosphere.

This is it. Lily swallowed. The date’s done – he’s going to try to kiss me. I know he is.

“I had fun,� Lily said with a kind smile. And she had! She subconsciously found herself wondering if she had ever laughed more than this with anyone else before. “Thanks.�

“I should be thanking you,� James quickly responded with a grin. “Technically, we went to have Butterbeers because you felt bad about being so controlling – remember?�

Lily laughed softly. “That is true…�

Again, it fell silent. Lily looked down at the floor, trying to slow her frantic thoughts. Get out of here! If you don’t leave now, he could kiss you! It’s nothing but a disaster waiting to happen!

And who says that’s bad? Lily found her inner dialogue retaliating against her mind. Maybe – maybe this is something I want. She couldn’t believe she was even having these thoughts right now! Maybe I actually like the guy! Is that so hard to believe?

Lily swallowed, looking back up. This was James Potter she was thinking about – the boy she had despised up until this school year. It was entirely improbable that all of her bad thoughts and feelings that she had built up about James for over six years had changed in less than six months.

But it was still possible.

Lily leaned against the stone wall behind her, swallowing.

She watched as James took a single step forward, but kept his gaze steady and unmoving, penetrating her own eyes. It was both a struggle to maintain and to avert his expression. A part of her longed to look away from the intensity of his stare. Another part – a very strong part – found it impossible to look anywhere else but at him and wondered how she had been able to do so for six full years.

Her ankles went weak.

It wasn’t until that point, when Lily saw how he looked at her, that she realized she wanted this more than ever. She wanted to be kissed. But not just from anyone – from him – from James. She wanted to be able to brag to all of her friends that she had found a brilliant, witty, and good-looking guy, and that he loved her – that they loved each other! She wanted –

“Well, goodnight.�

Lily nearly toppled over in shock.

She stared in disbelief as James nodded towards Lily and backed away. He turned and jogged across the common room, towards the boys’ dormitory. He took one last look over his shoulder and waved before disappearing from view.

He didn’t kiss me…

Lily could have slapped herself for how stupid she had been. It was ridiculous for her to have ever thought that he would like her as more than a friend. And even if he did – he was smart enough to know that you could never go back to being just friends after you see them as more than friends. He was looking out for their friendship!

But every sign was there! Lily retorted, wishing it were true. He likes me – or – I thought he liked me…

Lily shook her head and stumbled up the stairs to her dormitory, wishing she could erase all of her jumbled thoughts.

Slowly, she opened her door, hoping not to wake any of her other roommates – but she should have known better than to think that Adette would have fallen asleep without talking to her first.

“I saw you two at the Three Broomsticks!� Adette pounced on Lily the second she walked through the door. “You were adorable together!�

Lily tried to smile. When she found that she couldn’t, she chose, instead, to just look in the other direction.

“Of course,� Adette continued as Lily changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas, “once I saw that you wore your green shirt instead of that horrid sweater without telling me, I knew instantly that you liked him!�

Lily nodded mutely.

“But why didn’t you tell me?� Adette hissed, trying – but failing miserably – to keep her voice down. “I would have loved to help you get dressed up – rather than dressed down – if I had just known that you liked him so much!�

This time, Lily managed to get a smile to appear on her face, but it didn’t last long. When her expression dropped, she crawled weakly into her bed and snuggled into the warm, comforting blankets.

“I want details!� Adette cried, leaping onto Lily’s bed. But all Lily did was pull her bed sheets up, further over her head.

“I don’t want to talk about it,� Lily muttered, burying her head into her pillow.

Adette looked shocked. She had seen them earlier! They had been having a good time! There should be no reason why Lily was upset! Something must have happened between then and now…

“What happened?� Adette asked soothingly, her behavior changing instantly. She sat on the edge of Lily’s bed and started to rub her friend’s back, just like a mother would.

And with a sniff, Lily just shook her head and answered truthfully.

“Nothing.�

“Let me at that boy…�

Sirius looked up from his sad attempt at an essay and saw to his horror that Adette was charging straight towards him.

“Wait – stop!� Sirius leapt from his chair, holding his hands straight out in front of him to protect himself. His heart rate increased as he noticed the look on Adette’s face. Immediately, he searched for an answer as to why she would act this way towards him. “Foster – what the hell are you doing?�

Without slowing, she growled, “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!�

Sirius’ eyebrows shot into his hairline as she buzzed past him. If she wasn’t upset with him – then who was she upset with?

He looked over his shoulder in time to see Adette headed straight towards the stairs of the boys’ dormitory.

Straight towards James.

“Whoa – I don’t think so…� Sirius snatched Adette’s wrist hanging by her side and pulled her away from her target. “With the way you look right now, I wouldn’t let you in a ten foot radius of a rabid animal for fear of letting you injure the creature…�

Adette spun, glaring hard at Sirius. “This is no time for jokes, Black.�

“Oh, really?� Sirius did not loosen his hold on Adette’s wrist. “Then maybe you could inform me what time it is?�

“It’s time to have a talk with your lousy, good-for-nothing best friend,� Adette grumbled, keeping her eyes pinned on James as he moved across the common room and sat in front of the large fireplace.

“Well, then,� Sirius replied just as forcefully, “I guess it’s time for me to have a talk with your lousy, good-for-nothing best friend, too.�

“What?� Adette tore her eyes away from James to focus on Sirius. She looked thrown off by this statement. “What did she do to you?�

Sirius made a face, not sure how to reply. “I dunno,� he stammered, shrugging his shoulders. And then, seeming to retain his confidence, he asked “What did James do to you?�

Adette breathed heavily, narrowing her eyes at Sirius. “Alright, look,� she hissed, lowering her voice. “If you won’t let me talk to James – then you will.�

Sirius slowly released her wrist, waiting to hear what she had to say.

She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out a hip. “You tell James that if he ever – ever speaks to Lily again – he will be hexed beyond recognition.�

Sirius frowned. “If he talks to Lily?�

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know,� Adette snapped back, stomping her foot angrily. “Just tell him not to come anywhere near Lily if he knows what’s good for him.�

And before Sirius could reply, Adette spun on her heel and ran back up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory to continue getting ready for the day.

In a befuddled silence, Sirius stumbled towards the fireplace and to the couch where James was sitting, scratching his head.

“Morning, Padfoot.� James stood, stretching. He rubbed his eyes and pointed towards the exit. “Breakfast?�

Sirius nodded mutely.

“So…� James put on a smirk. “I saw you talking with Adette…�

James expected an angry outburst from his friend, trying to defend his actions, but none came.

“Yeah,� Sirius mumbled. And instead of an explanation, he raised a question. “How was Hogsmeade yesterday?�

“Oh,� James said with a sigh, grinning. “It was great – I had loads of fun.�

“Good…� Sirius smiled, biting his bottom lip. “Yeah – that’s good…�

James ignored Sirius’ confused look and continued beaming, walking merrily towards the Great Hall.

What the hell did you do, Prongs…

*

“Adette!� Lily confronted her friend the second she walked back through their dormitory door. “Where were you?�

Adette smiled kindly, approaching Lily’s bed. “It was nothing – don’t worry about it.�

“No.� Lily pointed a finger and jumped out of her bed, still in her nightwear. “I saw you try to sneak out without waking me up this morning – you were clearly up to something that you shouldn’t have been up to.�

Adette smiled guiltily. “I wasn’t trying to sneak out,� she weakly defended herself, looking down at the floor. “I just had to speak with someone.�

Lily crossed her arms. “Who?�

The blonde girl rolled her eyes and plopped onto the corner of her bed. “Alright – I went to find James.�

Lily’s eyes doubled. She could have sworn she was about to faint. “You didn’t.�

“Relax, would you?� Adette sprawled out across her freshly made bed, lying her head down on her pillow. “I didn’t get to James – I only talked to Sirius,� she spat the name.

This did not make Lily feel any better. “What did you say to him?� she nearly shrieked, frantic to find out what her friend had done.

“I just told him not to let James come near you,� she said simply.

Lily collapsed onto her bed. “You told him what?�

“Lily – I did you a favor!� Adette tried explaining, sitting up on her elbow.

“But – James didn’t do anything wrong!� Lily shouted, on the verge of tears. “I don’t want him to stay away from me because he didn’t do what I wanted him to do! I just…� Lily sniffed, sitting in a slouched position. “I wasn’t happy with the way everything turned out last night – that doesn’t mean it was his fault!�

Adette bit her lip, feeling guilty for causing her friend to lose control of her emotions like this. “I’m sorry, Lily,� she apologized. “I thought that it would be better if he didn’t – you know…� she muttered, moving from her comfortable spot on her bed to the open corner on Lily’s bed.

“It’s not your fault, either,� Lily brushed off Adette’s apology, wiping her eyes. “James never meant for it to be a date, and I got my hopes up when I should have realized that I was exaggerating everything in my mind…�

Adette felt tears well up in the corner of her eyes. It killed her to see Lily upset when she rarely ever broke down. Adette had only seen Lily this upset twice before, and it was never over a boy.

“If it helps at all,� Adette said, resting her head reassuringly on Lily’s shoulder and hugging her, “Sirius is rather unreliable.� She could feel Lily chuckle softly. “He might have already forgotten to pass on the message to James.�

Lily did not reply. But they both knew, without Lily admitting it, that staying away from James for the time being might end up being all for the best.

*

Lily froze at the sight of James entering through the portrait hole. Immediately, her arms and legs seemed to seize up and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.

It had been nearly a week since she had last seen or spoken to James. It wasn’t his fault, however, that they had not been associating with each other. Not only had Lily taken to hiding or sneaking out of the room when James was near, but Adette had caught on and helped create excuses for Lily to leave as quickly as possible.

Her grip on her Charms textbook loosened and she dropped it onto the floor with a loud thud, knocking her out of her trance.

Adette looked up at the sound of the book hitting the hard surface beside her foot. She quickly glanced at Lily and followed her locked gaze, seeing where she was staring.

“Come on,� Adette said, nodding understandingly. She stuffed her quill into her Potions book, marking her spot, and threw the book into her bag. “Let’s go finish our homework in the library, shall we?�

Lily slowly reached down to pick up her book off of the floor, keeping her eyes on James as he walked across the room: far from Lily and far from the exit.

“Alright,� Lily responded absentmindedly, standing on shaky legs.

“Don’t forget your parchment,� Adette spoke slowly, as if speaking to a little girl. “And your quill.�

“Right.� Lily shook her head at her stupidity. “What was I thinking…?�

Adette put an arm around Lily’s shoulders, choosing not to answer this question. “And here we go!� she said with great exuberance in order to cheer Lily up. She kept her arm around Lily’s shoulders and gently escorted her to the exit, as was custom every time they spotted James in the same vicinity. “To the library!�

Lily allowed herself to be dragged by her friend, but her eyes were glued to James. He had risen from his chair next to Sirius Black, and was now walking towards the boys’ dormitories.

This is ridiculous, Lily scolded herself, strengthening her hold on her book. I can’t run from him every time I see him! Sooner or later, we are going to have to talk to each other about Head duties, anyway!

Lily’s fear slowly began to disintegrate. James probably didn’t even realize that he had done anything to upset Lily. So why act as if anything had changed between them in the first place? Right?

Because it didn’t, Lily told herself. He never did anything to ruin our friendship – I’m the one that has been blowing this whole thing out of proportion!

In an instant, Lily had made up her mind to speak to James. She needed no second thought. Without warning, Lily expertly slipped out of Adette’s grip and stepped into James’ path, facing him straight on.

Her breath caught in her throat, but it was not for the same reason as before. Before, Lily had been afraid to speak to James at all. Now that she had worked up the guts to say something – she had no idea what to say.

“Um…� Lily was now horribly aware of how close she had gotten when she had jumped into James’ path. She tried to take a step back without letting him realize what she was doing. “Hi.�

“Hey, Lily,� James said with a kind smile. He seemed slightly startled by her abrupt appearance, but didn’t let this faze him. “I feel like I haven’t seen you around lately.�

“Uh – yeah…� Lily nodded, swallowing. “Well – I’ve been busy, you know,� she replied as confidently as she could. “With – things coming up and all…�

“Of course,� James agreed with a shrug. “I understand: N.E.W.T.s to prepare for and such,� he said with a teasing smirk as he recalled their conversation from the week prior. “And,� he added conversationally, “all those assignments to finish before we leave for winter – �

“Why didn’t you kiss me?�

Lily would have willingly been the victim of fifty Marauder pranks rather than be forced to stand in her very spot right now.

She couldn’t believe what she had just blurted out. Her mouth had taken absolute control without allowing herself to filter her thoughts. And in the middle of the common room – of all places!

James’ face was expressionless.

I embarrassed him, Lily suddenly realized, feeling worse than she had before she managed to work up the courage to speak to James. I didn’t just embarrass myself – I embarrassed him.

“Sorry,� James muttered slowly, unsure of what he had just heard. “What did you say? I don’t think I caught it…�

Lily was unable to ignore how loud her outburst had been. Nearly everyone in the common room was silent, staring avidly at the Head Boy and Head Girl. She spotted Adette, covering her mouth with wide eyes. Across the room, Sirius, with his jaw dropped, was sitting so close to the edge of his chair that Lily could have sworn he was seconds from toppling onto the floor.

“It was nothing,� she assured James, quickly shaking her head. She suddenly seemed very interested in studying the cover of her textbook. She cleared her throat and tried to act as if nothing happened as she started to back out of the conversation, turning away from James. “See you in class tomorrow…�

“Wait – �

Lily felt a strong hand seize her wrist, spinning her back around. She had nowhere to look but up into James’ curious, hazel eyes. Please don’t, she silently begged with him. Don’t turn me down – not like this.

“You asked,� he spoke softly, “why I didn’t – � his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion “ – kiss you.�

“Uh – � Lily bit her lip, trying to think her way out of this predicament. She pulled on her arm to tug it out of James’ grip, but it did not budge. “No,� she lamely replied with a false laugh, her gaze darting around the room. “I didn’t.�

“Yes,� James firmly corrected her, not paying any attention to the onlookers behind them. “You did.�

Lily’s breathing quickened. She had no excuses! And even if she did have an excuse, they never would have worked.

As if to make it as quick and painless as she could, Lily lowered her voice to a whisper and spoke as fast as was humanly possible.

“Look, James,� she said with a very shaky voice, tugging one last time to pull free from James’ grip. This time, it worked. “This is not the time, nor the place.�

James looked as if he were about to start cracking up at the hilarity of the situation. “It’s not the – but you were the one that brought it up!�

Immediately, Lily’s eyes widened and she tried to shush him. When he threw his arms up with a hint of frustration, Lily pursed her lips in irritation. “It’s not like I meant to bring it up!�

James’ jaw dropped. “How could you not mean to?� he shouted. “You approached me! You clearly had something to say, or else you wouldn’t have started talking to me!� The look on his face was one of great amusement. “Lily – this isn’t exactly something you can say without realizing it.�

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, safely protecting her textbook. She looked slightly bothered by James’ last statement. “I beg to differ…�

“The point is – � James continued, unable to hear what Lily had muttered under her breath “ – you were thinking about last Saturday for one reason or another.� He bent his knees and slightly bowed his head in order to maintain a direct eye contact with Lily. “Right?�

She took one step closer to James, trying as hard as she could to minimize how much the entire Gryffindor house would overhear. “Well,� she hissed, trying to defend herself as well as she could, “we were on a date – weren’t we?�

James shrugged, lowering his voice to a conversational level. “I suppose,� he replied.

“And the most logical thing to do at the end of a date,� Lily retorted, “is to kiss your date! At least,� she continued, “that’s what I thought you were going to do – I thought you were going to try to kiss me!�

James almost looked offended. “Not necessarily!� His voice started to increase in volume again. “Maybe I was going to – but I didn’t because I wasn’t sure you felt the same! I mean,� he explained as if it were obvious, “the last time I asked you out – you threw pumpkin juice in my face!�

Lily narrowed her eyes. “Have you ever considered the fact that maybe things change?� she protested, turning red. “Maybe I would have been a bit more open to the idea after a few years!�

“So,� James continued without missing a beat, “you’re saying you wanted me to kiss you?�

“Well – maybe,� Lily spat, highly flustered by the full blown argument they were now having. “I mean – I was expecting it, wasn’t I?�

“Alright, you made your point!� James rolled his eyes. “You were expecting it,� he repeated. “But would you have objected to it?�

“I – well, no,� Lily answered truthfully.

“Well – fine then,� James shouted exasperatedly. He grabbed Lily’s shoulders and abruptly pulled her towards him, planting a kiss on her lips in the middle of the entire common room. Just as Lily finally got her bearings, she found herself pressing back into James, moving her lips evenly with his. At one point just before he lifted a hand from her shoulder and to her cheek, she thought she felt him smiling into the kiss.

Many gasps went around the room as the students witnessed the unbelievable sight before them. As if in a hazy dream, the entirety of Gryffindor house watched, unmoving, as Lily and James slowly separated, staring wordlessly at each other.

“Well,� Adette broke the silence, unable to hide her growing smile. “That was certainly unexpected…�

“Unexpected?� a second voice cried. It was Sirius Black, standing and walking, rather quickly, towards Adette. “That was a bloody miracle!�

“It was not.� Adette rolled her eyes. “You saw them at the Three Broomsticks!� she told him quickly. “Did it look like they weren’t getting along?�

“No – I mean,� Sirius loudly replied, “they’ve been enemies for years!� He scoffed at the idea. “Only a seer could have seen this coming…�

“Black – that’s not the point,� Adette continued, her eyes beginning to flame. “You saw that – �

“Here – hold this.� Lily cut off their bickering and thrust her Charms textbook into her friend’s stomach. She turned back to James in the same second and wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile. And then, standing on the tips of her toes, she went in for another kiss.

Adette sighed, forgetting her argument entirely. “Isn’t that just the most precious thing you’ve ever seen?�

Sirius put two hands up to his throat and made a gagging noise. “Please,� he choked out. “Prongs – get a room!�

“Oh – would you knock it off!� Adette cried, outraged. She used Lily’s book to hit Sirius repeatedly in the arm. “You are so immature…�

Lily and James had reluctantly pulled apart by now. They were both watching the entertaining argument. As soon as their friends had created a greater audience than they had, James gently wound his fingers between Lily’s and tugged on her hand, nodding in the direction of the exit.

And, with a relieved smile to get away from the crowd, Lily gratefully followed James out of the Gryffindor common room, leaving their friends to wonder where they had disappeared to.