As Saturday wore on, Lily began to have the distinct impression that there were a set of eyes following her and Kyle around Hogsmeade. She'd lost count of the number of times she had looked behind her because she felt an odd breeze on her shoulder, or her arms, or her hair.
"Are you alright, Lily?" Kyle asked, finally acknowledging her distraction after about the 12th time since they'd arrived.
"Yea, I'm just…" she drifted off, realizing that if she continued on with what she wanted to say, Kyle would surely think she was off her rocker.
Kyle watched her for a moment longer, waiting for some sort of reply.
"Nothing," she ended.
Kyle smiled and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "I'm a little thirsty, do you want to get a butterbeer?" he asked.
"Actually, that sounds perfect, thank you."
The bell jingled merrily above them, welcoming into the comfortable heat of Honeydukes. The door hovered open behind Lily for a quick moment before slamming shut against the cold. Lily eyed the door curiously, before turning back toward the interior of the café; Kyle was already in line waiting to order. She felt the corners of her mouth curve into a smile. It pleased her to be able to genuinely know she was actually having a pretty good time, besides the minor paranoia. Usually she dreaded going on dates, not wanting to put so much time and effort into it. She made her way to a table away from the busy hustle and bustle of the café.
"Lily!" James Potter materialized right in front of her just as she was getting comfortable.
Lily's mood deflated instantly. "James, what are you doing here?" she groaned.
"Just making sure glamour boy doesn't lay his hands on you."
"Isn't that my decision?" she hissed.
James just glared at her.
Something fell harshly into place, "wait a minute here…it's been you hasn't it?! You've been watching me all day?" she asked, her anger suppressed in the quiet gentle tone.
"Guilty," James said cheerfully. "Well not all day, only for the past 15-20 minutes. I was with Sirius, Remus, and Peter in Quality Quidditch supplies when I saw you and that skunk derk walk past the shop."
Lily gaped at him. "Does the term stalker mean anything to you?"
James put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "I'm offended! Politely looking out for you under my invisibility cloak for 15 minutes is hardly stalking!"
"JAMES! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS HERE!" she growled.
James spotted Kyle moving through the crowd back to the table. He grinned at her, before disappearing completely from view.
She stared wide-eyed at where he had been. Then the surprise quickly distorted into rage. "Hold on Kyle. I'm sorry; I think we might have a visitor." She stood up and went over to where James had been standing. She waved her arms out, trying to feel for him. She realized she must look like a complete moron, but she was too angry to care. "JAMES!" she hissed, "I know you're here somewhere!" She listened. There was only silence. Kyle watched her curiously.
"Lily? Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yea…I just…" she cautiously sat down, shutting her running mouth. "I'm sorry Kyle," she said distractedly.
She felt him reach across the table to touch her hand. An invisible hand slapped the back of Kyle's head, pitching him forward. He dropped her hand, "what in the name of Merlin?!" he exclaimed, looking wildly around him.
"Kyle, can you take me back to the castle?" she said quickly, having the urge to shout at James in private, making his punishment that much worse.
"Yea, let's go."
He stood up, glancing back occasionally to eye the air around the table where they had been sitting.
……………..later………………….
"JAMES POTTER!"
"What?" he asked, looking up from his book.
"YOU ARE UNBELIEVEABLE! I'm going to murder you. It is totally a.) Illegal, b.) Disrespectful of you to follow me regardless of how long, and c) cruel of you to ruin our date!" she shrieked her hands firmly on her hips.
"Lily! I'm sorry, okay!"
"Sorry does not remotely cut it!" she shouted.
"He's clearly not right for you!" he yelled, obviously having wanted to say that since he saw the two together.
Lily snorted. "Oh and I guess you are then?"
James's eyes bore into hers. "Damn straight!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "James we already went through this."
"No Lily! No we didn't!" He stood up fast, throwing the book hard across the room, where it hit the wall with a loud bang. "We never really got down to discussing it!"
"James…?" she started.
"What are you afraid of?"
"Oh well, geez…let me think…could it be because of that little spectacle you just displayed?" she whispered, gesturing to the book that lay open on the floor.
"Lily, I'm serious!" James said powerfully.
"Look, I'm not afraid of anything. Why would I be?" she asked, not daring to meet his eyes.
"You wouldn't be dancing around the obvious if you weren't scared of something!" he yelled, his chest rising and falling with fury.
They stood in silence for minutes. James stomped over to the window to stare out over the grounds of Hogwarts, his hand running fitfully through his hair, making it stick up messily on his head. Lily was to confused, insecure, and uncomfortable to say anything or even look up at him.
She didn't realize that she was trembling until James was in front of her again, gently nudging her chin up so she could look into his eyes. They had softened considerably and were searching for answers that she herself didn't think she had; but the look in his eyes told her that he might already know some of them. He tenderly caressed her cheek and she slowly began to feel her body relax, knowing by how gentle his touch was that he would never hurt her. Her tummy rolled over and her knees began to wobble as she started to feel light headed and a little stupid gazing up into his eyes. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip causing them to tremble. She stepped back; fighting whatever it was that James always made her feel.
"James, please stay away from me."
James groaned and dropped his hand. "No, Lily. I won't. I'm not going to stop until I know for sure."
"Know what?"
"What I need to know." He turned and disappeared up the stairs to his bedroom.
She stood there suddenly cold despite the fire still roaring in the grate. She had some thinking to do.
Lily sat in the Head Dorm a few weeks later lying back on the couch and reading a romance novel. She thought that James was already asleep, so was vastly surprised when the portrait opened and he stumbled in.
"Hey," she mumbled, placing a bookmark in the place she left off and putting the book down next to her.
"Hey," he said emotionlessly.
She remembered that tone, and gazed at him in the firelight. "Hey, come here for a minute."
James walked over to her.
She gasped lightly upon seeing how beaten up his face was.
"That's nothing compared to my arm. I'm fine."
"Stop being macho and sit down!" she demanded.
He complied, sinking down next to her, and staring into the fire.
"I'm going to have to take your shirt off. Do you mind?"
He shook his head; a true testament to how exhausted he was.
She gently pushed back his cloak, first taking in the sight of blood on his light blue t-shirt. "James," she breathed, "what did you do?"
He just shrugged.
"Lift your arms."
He complied.
She gently lifted his shirt over his head. There was a long jagged scratch on his upper arm and on his side, just under his ribs. Lily was surprised when she began to feel her eyes stinging. "James, what happened?"
"I can't tell you."
She looked up at him and saw that he looked pained and sternly serious.
She conjured a cotton swab, and began her ministrations. "I won't make you tell me where you go. But seeing as how this seems to be a repeat, I need to you to tell me when."
"That's really not necessary."
Lily swiped at her eyes.
"Hey, hey." James gently pushed Lily back so he could see her face. There was one tear track down the side of her face. He smiled at it before lifting his thumb and wiping it away. "And you want to continue to tell me that you don't feel anything for me."
"James. I do care about you, but I can tell you with all honesty that I don't have those feelings for you," she said weakly. "I don't know why you insist on bringing yourself grief."
"Then why are you crying?" he asked gently.
"Because, you're one of my good friends! I don't like to see any of my friends hurt, or in any form of danger of being hurt."
"Oh, so you cry when May gets a few scratches?"
"SCRATCHES? James, these are deep, any deeper and you'd need stitches!" she exclaimed.
James ignored her; he leaned in and placed a small kiss on her temple. Her stomach dropped as it always did when he touched her. "James…" He kissed her nose, both her cheeks, and finally her lips. She began to tremble.
"You're trembling. Lily, I…"
She quickly placed her fingers over his mouth before he could get the words out. "No, nope, don't say it. I don't want to have to hurt you James." She took her hand away and waved her wand over his wounds, refusing to look him in the eye. Every time she looked into his eyes, she would go all mushy and forget what she was thinking; it was something she needed to work on. She pocketed her wand and left James where he was sitting on the couch. She had let her emotions leave her again; she couldn't afford to feel for James. She couldn't lose herself in a man like James Potter and get hurt in the process. She needed to be more careful in the future.
"Lils, can I borrow your silver heels for the ball? I would send out for some but I really don't want to spend so much money on a pair of shoes I'm only going to wear for one evening." May asked the next day in Potions.
"Oh Crap, I haven't even thought about what I'm wearing to the ball; I've had so much on my mind…"
"Like James?" May asked slyly.
The empty cauldron in front of her tipped over with a resounding gong. Several people snickered at her as she scrambled to put it to rights. James smiled at her. It made her want to throw up. "What? No!"
May stared open mouthed at her. "Actually, I think that's exactly it. You like him! I knew it!" she whispered delightedly.
"I do not! He's just been confusing me lately. He's been so weird. Anyway, you can definitely wear my silver heels; I don't like the ones I have right now, I'll probably send out for another pair when I send out for my dress."
"Merlin that's some short notice. Did you at least have the courtesy to pick out a color so you're not leaving Kyle on the line to guess?"
Lily banged her head on the table. "I'm messed up, May," came a muffled reply.
May just laughed and began measuring the ingredients for the Felix potion.
Lily had to admit to herself, she looked really good. The dress she wore was form fitting and sleeveless. It was a silky emerald green gown that fell straight and sleek to her feet, which were clad in tall silver shoes ordered along with the dress through owl post. She wore very little make up, preferring natural beauty to enhanced. Her long wavy red hair curled around her shoulders and breasts giving her the look of a goddess. On her neck she wore a single drop diamond.
"Holy Hippogriffs! Lils! You're going to knock Kyle's socks off!" May gushed.
"Cliché, yet affective," Lily laughed.
"I recall saying that earlier this year; poser."
Lily laughed. "May you look beautiful!" And she did, she wore a light blue dress that was form fitting like Lily's, and a sapphire necklace. Her black hair was piled on top of her head, with soft curls falling around her face. "Shall we?"
"Why not?"
"Whom are you going with anyway?" Lily asked as they walked down to the ball.
May visibly blushed. "I thought I told you."
"No, I would have remembered."
"Oh well, no matter."
When she remained silent, Lily nudged her.
"Oh, alright, I'm going with Sirius."
Lily gaped at her. "Sirius Black?"
"Yes, Sirius Black," she said through narrowed eyes. "What's wrong with that?"
Lily shrugged, "nothing at all. Just that, last I checked you guys hated each other."
"No, never hated. Sexual tension?"
Lily chuckled.
"Lily…wow," Kyle had spotted her and walked over. He held out his arm for her to take, and Lily transferred her arm from May's to his. "May, you look great as well."
"Well thank you Mr. Studdly; you don't look so bad yourself." May winked. "Anyway, etiquette tells me I'm supposed to go off and find my date; you know before one of the tables explodes and I'm forced into isolation from the embarrassment of going to a ball with Sirius Black." Lily laughed as May disappeared into the throng of chattering students.
"Would you mind if we talked for a minute?" he asked.
Lily shook her head, and followed him out to the gardens. They were beautiful; fairy's flitted around, winking and sparkling in the dark, creating a romantic feel. She sat down on the bench that he gestured to and he sat down next to her. "Lily, I've really come to like you a lot. I was hoping you would go out with me. Like steady…not just a date."
Lily sat in stunned silence; she never saw something like this coming, so never had the time to think of an appropriate reply.
"Lily?" Kyle asked sounding worried after a moment.
"Kyle, I like you and all, but…" she couldn't think of anything else to say. Panicking, she sat there staring at her hands, which were twirling in her lap.
"But you don't like me like that?" he asked, turning and staring out over the gardens.
"I'm sorry," she said looking up. "I didn't expect you to ask something like that. I didn't even know that you liked me. I guess I didn't have time to prepare myself. I'm so sorry." She felt suddenly nauseous.
He weakly waved her apology away. "Don't be sorry," he said quietly. "I should have known."
"It's not your fault; I didn't mean to lead you on if that's what I was doing," she said wanting to find a nice dark cave to crawl into and hibernate until the next ice age.
"You didn't lead me on. I should have seen that you were in love with Potter. All the signs were there."
Backing up as if she'd been slapped she stared at him, mouth agape. "In…love…No! You must be mistaken!" she cried desperately, "I'm not in love with Potter! Trust me!" she laughed as if the thought were ridiculous even though her insides were twisting up.
He looked at her, smiling weakly. He didn't say anything.
"We're still friends aren't we?" she asked. "I don't want this to make things awkward."
He shook his head, reaching down to take her hand. "Nothing's awkward. And of course we're friends. I'm actually kind of surprised that you'd still want to be friends with me after I told you how I felt about you."
"Of course I want to be your friend, you're a great guy. It would be silly if I didn't want to because of this."
"Great, still friends then?"
"Still friends."
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, gesturing toward the dance.
"Sure," she said, smiling and standing, allowing him to lead her into the School.
Finally walking into the Great Hall, Lily was amazed by the amount of Halloween jolliness that hung suspended from the ceiling, crawled from around walls, and flew over the heads of the shrieking crowd. Fat pumpkins smiled eerily, floating above the dance floor, their eyes and mouths glowing and flickering with candlelight. Magical bats swooped from the ceiling, frightening clumps of chattering students whom were resting from dancing by the refreshment table. Small, life like, spiders crawled all over the walls, causing students to clump together and migrate closer to the middle as to avoid the walls.
Loud and fast paced music vibrated over the room, drawing madly dancing couples onto the dance floor. Lily eyed the dance floor cautiously. There was absolutely no way that she was going to go out onto the dance floor and make a complete fool of herself like some of the people dancing were.
"Wanna dance?" Kyle asked seriously.
Lily looked up at him with wide pleading eyes.
He chuckled good-naturedly, "how about to the first slow song?"
She sighed in relief. "That sounds nice."
Luckily the next song that began playing was slow. She allowed him to take her hand and lead her into the crowd on the dance floor. Spotting May dancing with Remus, she had to smile at the wink that May sent her way. She wrapped her arms around Kyle's neck, managing to maintain a comfortable and friendly distance.
"Hey, you know Hufflepuff is having an after game party in our common room after the game on Sunday. You should come," Kyle said conversationally.
Lily shook her head, "I'm sorry, Gryffindor has one after pretty much every match, win or lose, if I was going to go to your house's party instead of mine, I'd be forever branded a traitor and forced to sleep outside the portrait hole until I mended my ways."
He laughed, unaware how true that statement was. "Gryffindors and their loyalty."
"I love Gryffindor. We're literally one big happy family."
The song dwindled to an end and Kyle stepped back from Lily. "You thirsty?"
Realizing that in fact her throat was kind of dry and that she really would appreciate a cup of punch accepted the offer.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
Lily nodded and walked off, weaving through the crowd of hyper teens while she waited for Kyle to return. Sensing something off, she looked behind her; seeing nothing she continued on cautiously. Thinking fast, she managed to dodge an empty flying cup. Bouncing back up like and angry cat, she pulled out her wand, brandishing it in the direction of the attack.
May stepped out of the throng holding her stomach and laughing.
"Calm down, Red, it was empty," she giggled.
"Doesn't change the fact that you scared the heck out of the Head Girl!" she said angrily. "That was irresponsible and immature. Not to mention you made me look like a pansy!" she hissed.
May giggled louder, "a pansy? Actually, that's a good name for your first-born daughter. You know, follow the family tradition of naming your daughters after flowers? Pansy Evans, well not Evans, Potter more like. Pansy Potter," she bent down, holding her knees, giggling at her joke.
Lily shrieked in rage and lifted her wand.
"Down Girl! I'm only joking!" May chuckled, straightening herself and laying her hand on Lily's forearm.
Just when Lily was about to retort a pair of arms slithered around May's waist. Her eyes shot from the arms to Sirius's smirking face resting on May's cheek.
'I'll explain later,' mouthed May.
Lily felt her head nod through the impending fog in her brain.
Sirius bent his head slightly and whispered something in May's ear causing her to smile mischievously and nod. She winked slyly at Lily before heading off with Sirius.
Pushing the fog out of her brain and forcing her feet to move, she headed toward the refreshment table in search of her date. She saw him chatting idly with a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. If memory served her right, his name was Travis Walters, and he was a beater. She walked up to the two and stood beside Kyle. He looked at her briefly and smiled, handing her her punch. She took it gratefully. Feeling slightly awkward she wandered off again, taking her first sip of the punch. Her first impression of it was that it burned horribly as it slid down her throat. She scrunched up her face as the sensation hit her tummy.
"Hey Lily," someone said, lightly touching her arm. "Everything all right?" the voice asked after a minute. Lily looked up into the intense blue eyes of Sweeney Walsh. Sweeney was a Ravenclaw prefect and was third in the class.
"Oh yea, I'm fine, something's a little off about this punch though."
"Don't drink anymore then."
"Didn't say it was a bad off, just a bit off." She took a large gulp from the cup, finding the burning sensation to be highly pleasant.
He just patted her arm, "well I just wanted to wish Gryffindor good luck tomorrow, even though your team doesn't need it."
"Talk to James about that. It's his team," she said, gulping down the rest of her punch. The aftertaste was surprisingly fruity and very sweet. It was delicious. "Hey Sweeney, while you're on your search for James, do you think you can stop by the drink table and get me another cup of punch? This stuff is amazing."
He looked at her peculiarly. "Sure, I'll be right back," he said slowly, watching her for a minute, before heading toward the drink table.
She nodded absently, tapping her foot to the fast beat music now playing. A few minutes later she spotted Sweeney making his way to her through the dancing mass. Punch sloshed everywhere as he passed. She took the cup from him when he was close enough and chugged it down.
"Merlin Lily! Take it easy!"
Her head felt light and everything that she had been worrying about seemed to dull and get pushed down into the back of her mind. Smiling she looked up at Sweeney. His blonde hair was in tasteful spikes. She had an insane urge to run her fingers through it. Eh, what the heck. She lifted her hand and ran it through his hair. "I like you're hair. You're very handsome Sweeney," she said slowly, gazing up at him.
"Oh Merlin," he grumbled. "Lily, I think you shouldn't have anymore punch." He reached to her hand with the cup in it, but she pushed him away angrily.
"Don't get fresh with me," she reprimanded. "I'm off to get some more of this…fire punch. You wanna come?" she asked, suddenly finding it difficult to string the sentence together.
"Lily, I really don't think you need anymore." He grabbed an erratically dancing fifth year. "Who did this to the punch?" he asked sternly.
"I don't know man, but isn't great?" asked the fifth year.
Sweeney released the boy. Lily took this time of Sweeney's preoccupation to leave him and get herself some more punch. Why was he so protective of it anyway? It was just punch. She could have as much as she wanted.
She successfully weaved through the crowd, successfully losing Sweeney, and found the refreshment table. Sirius was standing behind the punch handing out cups, grinning like and idiot. A very cute idiot…
"Sirius my man!" she called excitedly.
Sirius turned surprised eyes onto Lily.
"Hey, can you fill me up?" she asked.
Sirius grinned, "Of course, Ms. Lily. It would be my pleasure." He took her cup and refilled it.
"Siri, have you seen May?" she took her cup back and sipped, enjoying the liquid more and more.
"Yea, she's helping James look for you actually."
"She's helping James?" she asked unconvinced. "Oh well," she said, swiping her hand over her forehead. She downed the rest of her drink, feeling right as rain. "Now why are they…?" She stopped, trying to remember what they had been talking about.
"Would want to find you?" Sirius prompted, taking her cup and refilling it at her gesture.
"Yea," she muttered, shooting down the punch. She clutched at her chest feeling it burn again. "This is good stuff, Sirius!"
Sirius barked with laughter. "Yes it is."
The Hall was suddenly quiet and Dumbledore was speaking. "It is that time when the Head Boy and Head Girl share a dance. Then we eat and dance some more!"
Sirius burst into laughter as the spotlight landed on James on the center of the dance floor and Lily by the refreshment table. James stormed through the crowd, pushing people out of his way to get to Lily. "Where have you been all night?" he growled. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out to the dance floor. James turned to face her and wound his arms stiffly around her waist. "Where were you, Lily?" he asked quietly, looking irate.
Finding him impossibly gorgeous, Lily wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her so that their bodies were touching in the most intimate of ways. James shivered, turning bright red; his grip relaxed. She leaned up to his ear and breathed in lightly. "I've been right here all night, Jamey."
He pulled back quickly, staring confusedly into her eyes. "Jamey?"
She sighed deeply and pulled him back to her so they were touching. She began to idly play with the hair on the back of his neck.
"Lily, not that I'm complaining or anything but…" he stopped, gasping as she leaned up and ran her lips and tongue over his ear lobe. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders to steady himself and pushed her back gently. "Lily, what is wrong with you?" he breathed. She noticed how large his pupils were and how the irises were just thin lines of a dark smoky gray. She grinned, thinking about her affect on him. What was wrong with her? She never did things like this…but it just felt so good.
"Nothing at all." She tried to push closer to him again, but he wouldn't have it.
"We are in a public, dancing at a school function, in front of all of our classmates and professors," he said sternly.
Lily snorted. "You sound like me."
James grinned.
Lily, noticing there were other people around them on the dance floor, grabbed a short 6th year that was dancing next to them.
"Hey little man, can you run and get me some more punch?"
She didn't look up to see James's shocked and embarrassed expression.
"Um sure, Lily."
"You know me?" she squealed happily.
"You're the Head Girl."
"That's right I am. Now go get me some more punch, before I start docking points."
The teen scampered off.
"Lily what was that?" James hissed in an outraged whisper.
"What? I'm thirsty." She pouted, leaning up towards his face.
"Lily…" he warned, turning his face.
"Come on James, I know you want me," she whispered seductively, pulling his face toward hers, "I want you too," she whispered a hairs breath away from his mouth, she gently brought her lips to his.
James stepped away from her. "I want answers right now. What the hell is going on with you?"
Lily giggled. She felt more laughter bubble up.
"Lily, here's you're…"
"Oh my punch!" she exclaimed excitedly, reaching for the cup the boy was holding out to her. James's hand intercepted hers and swiped the punch away from her.
"JAMES!" she shrieked.
She watched as he sniffed it before rage blossomed over his features. "Who did this?" he asked the boy quietly.
The boy shrugged.
James grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her off the dance floor.
"James! Give me my drink! You're such a bully!"
"Lily, do you know how much of this you've had?" he asked, sounding as if he was holding in blind wrath.
"I don't remember," she said quietly, thinking.
"You don't…" He threw the cup into the trash, still full. "Do you know what you've been drinking all night long?"
"Punch…really good punch," she smiled.
"No, well yes, but punch that was spiked with fire whiskey."
Her stomach dropped at his words and she suddenly didn't feel so good.
"You're trashed, Lily!"
She shook her dizzy head in denial.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the refreshment table. Seeing Sirius there seemed to throw him over the edge because he screamed in rage. "BLACK! OUTSIDE NOW!"
Sirius's lighthearted expression fell instantly upon seeing a completely trashed Lily Evans leaning on a furious James Potter.
"Prongs, I didn't know she was going to drink it!" he defended himself.
"YOU SPIKED THE PUNCH?!" he growled angrily.
"Well, yes, I did," he said sheepishly.
James was bright red with rage. "Where is May?" he asked dangerously. "Did she know about this?"
"Well yes…"
"Go find her, right now. I'll deal with you after I deal with Lily."
Sirius ran off looking for May, leaving Lily and James.
"Lily there you are!" Kyle exclaimed, spotting them and jogging over.
"McFee, this is not a good time," James said dangerously, pushing Lily behind him.
"What do you mean this isn't a good time?" Kyle said angrily. "Lily is here with me tonight, Potter."
"I realize that McFee…"
"Look Potter, you can have Lily everyday of your life, I have her tonight."
James's eyes narrowed and for a moment, Lily though he was going to hit Kyle.
At that moment, Lily felt something brewing, "James, I don't feel…" she stopped, fearing what might happen if she opened her mouth again. She clutched onto the back of James's robes hoping for even an ounce of strength and comfort he possessed.
"Oh bollocks." He spun around and put his arm around her back and the other under her knees and heaved her up.
"Is she ok?" Kyle asked.
James ignored him as he sprinted out of the Great Hall. "Just a minute Lily-Flower."
"I like when you call me Lily-Flower," Lily said lightly.
She felt James's lips curve into a smile against the crown of her head.
When they reached the bathroom, Lily pushed herself away from James and ran inside. She threw herself into one of the stalls and heaved. She had never felt so incredibly sick and disgusting in all her life. When she was done, she hugged the toilet bowl, afraid that if she moved the contents of her stomach would make another appearance before she had time to prepare.
James came in a moment later.
"Potter, don't come in here!" she croaked, lifting her head to glare at him.
James rolled his eyes and crouched down beside her. He gently rubbed circles into her back. "I'm going to kill Sirius and May."
"May?" she asked weakly.
"Yea, she knew apparently."
"Figures." Lily felt her stomach rising again and bent quickly over the bowl. James gathered her hair away from her face and continued to rub her back in comforting circles as she began to heave again.
A few minutes later, a sheepish May entered the bathroom.
James looked up from his position sitting back on the tiled floor, rubbing Lily's back with one hand as the other held her hair. Lily herself was kneeling over the toilet bowl coughing and sputtering.
"Funny isn't it?" he asked dangerously quiet.
"What's funny?" she whispered.
"How harmless fun can go around full circle and smack you in the butt?" He leaned forward slightly, hesitated, and stood up. "I'm going to leave you here with her. I have to go have a chat with my best friend."