I let the wonderful assortment of beautiful aromas climb through my nostrils, flow around my sinuses, slowly creep down my neck and in to my chest, caressing my lungs and making my heart glow, seeping right through my body, until it reaches my extremities, giving them a numb, tingly feeling.

So many taps to choose from, I turn them all on. They gush colours, ruby, topaz, pearl, jade, aquamarine, amethyst, emerald; fragrances, strawberry, ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, lemon, jasmine, musk. I let these different scents and hues ensnare my senses, sending me into a sweet reverie, as I slowly sink into the foam. I relax my over tensed muscles and let myself drift, afloat on the water. My head feels completely weightless and empty, yet my mind is racing, so many thoughts, but it feels amazing. The roads and paths of my mind are clear, no traffic. I am free. Free to think.

'The emerald tap is my favourite you know.'

And I'm back. Back from my world of nothingness and everything.

I slowly lift my head, letting my feet drift deeper in to the water, until I am upright, gracefully treading water. It is only now that I dare to open my eyes, as the voice I just heard had sounded terrifyingly familiar. My eyes are dazzled by the moonlight overhead and the million reflections sparkling off the water. As I grow accustomed to the light, I begin to focus on a figure, standing by the edge of the pool, barely recognisable through the coloured steam. Well, I say, barely recognisable, yet I of course recognise who it is, who it inevitably must be. I mean, how could it not be? How could it not be James Potter?

'What are you doing her, Potter?'

'Why, taking a bath of course! What else would I be doing in here?'

'You followed me here, didn't you?'

'Of course I didn't, Evans! Just because I am madly in love with you doesn't mean that I stalk you. Unless you want me to, that is?'

'Stop it. You're not in love with me and I don't wish for you to stalk me, whether you love me or not.'

'But I do love you, Lily!'

'No you bloody well don't. And don't call me Lily. You have no right to call me by my first name.'

'But I know you love me too, Lily.'

'No I don't. Now, get in or go away!'

'I'll get in then.'

I closed my eyes and looked away, as James Potter removed the towel from around his waist, but when I opened them again, I found him floating beside me, a brilliant grin on his face.

'Thanks for inviting me in, Lils,' he purred.

'Invite you in? I told you to get in or go away.'

'Same difference,' he shrugged, still grinning that gorgeous smile of his.

WAIT ONE NEWT PICKING MOMENT! Did I just think that James 'Toe-rag' Potter's smile was GORGEOUS?!...............Yep, I think I did.

Well of course you did. It is gorgeous isn't it?

Who are you?

I'm your conscience of course. What other voice would be speaking to you from inside your head?

You're inside my head?

Yep, but think on the bright side, at least James can't hear any of this.

I suppose.......but I don't call him, 'James', I call him Potter.......that's all he's worth, his surname....

Maybe, but you'd prefer to call him James.........He calls you Lily....

Yes, but I'd rather he didn't......I'd rather he call me Evans........that's all I'm worth to him, my surname....

Oh, but you're not. You're worth so much so much more to him, Lily. Anyway, you know you like it really......

Of course I don't like it.......I...I love it.

Exactly.

Bog off!

I suddenly realise that I am staring at James Potter and that he is staring right back at me, that utterly gorgeous smile of his widening by the second. I feel my cheeks grow pinker, and pinker, until they must be some kind of deep crimson. This only serves to make James' smile grow impossibly wider, until his cheeks are nearly covering up his glorious, hazel eyes, which are sparkling in the moonlight coming from the enchanted ceiling of the prefect bathroom. The mingled hues of green and brown give his eyes a natural, almost earthy quality, like moss growing on bark. I abruptly comprehend that I must still be staring, my emerald eyes melting into his hazel ones.

'Do you know why the emerald tap is my favourite, Lily?' James whispers through the rising steam.

'No....no I don't. Why is it your favourite?' I reply softly, still mesmerised by the hazel eyes in front of me.

'Well, Lily, it's because it reminds me of you, your eyes,' he purrs, 'they're so beautiful.'

'Oh, James,' I reply, in an amazed whisper.

'You called me James!' He gasps excitedly. I blush. Shit. I called him James.

'Of course I did, silly,' I reply, attempting to cover my tracks, 'That's your name isn't it?'

'Yes, but you never call me James,' he exclaims, still excited, 'You've only ever called me by my surname, until now.'

'So? what of it?' I mutter, my cheeks positively smouldering by now. I want to look away. I don't want him to see me blushing, as that will only increase my embarrassment, but I just cannot take my eyes away from his, which are now sparkling with delight.

'Nothing,' he whispers, 'It's just....' And then his lips are on mine, capturing them in a soft embrace. Without even a nano-second's thought, I'm kissing him back, our lips plunging deep within each other's. He places his warm hands on my shoulders, his tongue still at war with mine. My fingers entwine themselves in James' soft, but ruffled hair, massaging his scalp through his thick ebony locks. Oh, dear Merlin! I cannot believe this is happening! I am being snogged by James 'Toe-rag' Potter! Oh, lord! You must be kidding me! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!.......But wait, I'm snogging him too....but that must mean....NO....NO WAY...

I told you that you liked him.

Shut up, you. What are doing back here? I thought I told you to bog off!

You did, but I can't, 'bog off', I'm your conscience. I've always been here and I always will be.

But you can't have always been here. I've never heard you until tonight.

Just because you haven't heard me, that doesn't mean that I haven't been here. Consciences only speak when they really need to, and that's when a person is about to make a serious lapse in judgement. You've never heard me until tonight because you've never made a serious lapse in judgement and it's my job to keep it that way.

So, you want me to go out with James Potter?

All I want is for you to give him a chance. You know he's changed these past couple of years, you know he's deflated his head a bit since fifth year and you know that he's been a lot kinder, a lot gentler and a lot more considerate this past year or so. You can ignore me if you want, but I'll keep pestering you for hours, days, weeks, maybe.........Hey, maybe I'll even pester you for years, for the rest of your life, telling you that you should have listened to me and given James Potter a chance!

Bog off and let me think!

What do you think this is?!

I said, bog off!

Okay, but I'll be back....

No you won't. I've made my decision....I'm going to give James Potter a chance.

I release my lips from his, panting for breath and lay my head on his shoulder, letting him kiss my neck. I wrap my arms around his chest and breathe in the wonderful fragrance that is dancing of his wet skin.

'James,' I whisper, my mouth just below his earlobe, 'do you want to know what my favourite tap is?'

'Yes, please,' he whispers, still kissing my neck.

'Well, James,' I whisper, 'it's the pearl tap.'

'And why is that?' he asks.

'Because it's fragrance is musk,' I reply, 'and you always seem to smell of musk, so it reminds me of you.'

'Thanks Lils.'

Then, he carefully lifts me off his shoulder, so that, once again, we are staring into each other's eyes, looks of amazement on both are faces. We stay like this for a minute or so, staring, utterly mesmerised into each other's eyes, my arms wrapped tightly around his torso, his hands on the small of my back.

'James,' I whisper, breaking the silence, but not the contact with his hazel eyes, 'is it your cologne or something that makes you smell so nice and musky?'

'No,' he replies, still not breaking eye contact, 'I think it might be something to do with this.'

He pulls away from me, paddling backwards a few feet or so, that gorgeous grin on his face. And then, with a loud sort of pop, James transforms. Swimming towards me is a glorious Stag, with enormous antlers and sparkling, hazel eyes.

'You're an animagus? I manage to whisper, utterly amazed. The Stag nods his head in reply.

'Your...your beautiful, James,' I stutter, still amazed by the fantastic sight before me, 'but how on earth did you manage it?' With another loud pop, James transforms back into his original body and grabs me in a tight embrace.

'It's not just me,' he replies, 'Padfoot's a dog and Wormtail's a rat. It took us years to get the hang of it, but we had to try.'

'Because of Remus?' I ask, having an idea of why James and his friends might do this.

'Yes,' he replies.

'Because of his condition?' I whisper amazed that James would make such an effort, just to help his friend.

'Well, he needed somebody to keep him company every month, and Sirius, Peter and I were all willing to do whatever we could to help our friend, so.....'

But I cut him off with a kiss. I never thought that James Potter could be so considerate, so selfless and such a loyal friend. I know that it sounds hard to believe, but I think I might love him.

'Lily.'

'Yes, James.'

'I think I might love you,' he whispers, 'and I'm not exaggerating this time.' And he stares into my eyes, waiting for my reaction.

'James'

'Yes, Lily.'

'I think I might love you too.'

James' lips envelope mine in a deeper kiss than before. A more intense and passionate bond connecting us like we need each other as much as we need the air we breathe, and it was all thanks to my conscience.