Hello lovely readers. I'm happy to say that I actually haven't been lazy and I've updated again. Thanks so much for sticking with the fic, I know I've been incredibly inconsistent. But I've finally gotten some free time and I'll be able to finish the story within the next few weeks. Enjoy!

12121212121212121221212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

Relationship Status: Null and void, yes!

Marauder Pranks: Including mine…10

Health and Sanity: Did I ever have those?

When I opened my eyes that morning, the first thing that occurred to me was that the room was unnecessarily bright, and that the pounding in my brain was also highly unnecessary.

After I was awake enough to realize that yes, it was the morning and yes, I had a hangover, I also came to the realization that yes, I had spent the night curled up in Potter's arms. When the hangover thing occurred to me I figured might as well get up and cure it. However, when I made to get up from the couch I realized that a pair of warm strong arms were secured tightly around my waist. I twisted my head as much as I could in my current position and there he was. Potter was lying next to me on the couch, his hair was tousled and he was still fast asleep.

As much as I hate to admit it, it felt wonderful, just to be held. I hadn't realized how nice it was just to have someone near you. I knew how awkward it was, how insanely strange it was to have my housemate, arch-nemesis, friend, cohort, resident arse, and bicker buddy of 6 years, sleeping next to me. But somehow after everything, it didn't seem to matter much anymore. However, no matter what I thought of him in the moment, I would never be able to live down being wrapped in his arms when he woke up. So I reluctantly decided to get up. I slithered out from between his arms and watched intently as he frowned, grumbled and rolled over.

Now we must remember that I still had a mild hangover, and judging by what Potter had consumed the night before, I figured he would have a real nasty one. So, being the resourceful thing that I am, I stumbled up to my room and pulled out my potions set. I knew the draught well enough; it cured even the worst hangover within seconds. I let my mind wallow in its numbness, as my hands seemed to find the ingredients of their own accord. I ladled out one portion and downed it immediately. I considered being a royal bitch and leaving Potter to his headache when he woke up. But I reasoned that it would be a very low thing to do considering he just did me a favor, (to his own benefit, but a favor nonetheless). So I conjured a mug and poured some of the steaming liquid in.

When I went downstairs I found him still asleep. I placed the mug down and I scribbled a quick note telling him what it was, and that if he didn't haul his arse out of bed soon he'd miss breakfast. With that very meal in mind I made my way toward the door, stopping briefly to cast a blanket over Potter before I left. (I can be nice sometimes)

The next few days were like a breath of fresh air. I'd never thought that I would be so happy to be single. The pure joy of being free was enough to keep my spirits up for a week running.

Every time I saw Amos in class or in the halls he would stop and try to reason with me. The first time it had resulted in a rather nasty row. He went on about the bullshit prank that the Marauders cracked, and I went at him for putting his hands on a random girl (whether or not she was actually a girl) and how he never respected me, etc.

When he went as far as having a go at my fellow Gryffindors, I cracked. I told him exactly what I thought of him, the real reason that I was breaking up with him, and how ready I was to be rid of him. He left me alone for a few days; then tried again. I got even more irritable and railed at him once more. Eventually he seemed to accept defeat.

The news of our break-up had spread like wildfire and I was being treated a little less than politely by many of the Hufflepuffs. Well, that is the Hufflepuffs other than the available 6th and 7th year boys who were much more friendly than I was used to. It seemed that I was suddenly a major object of interest.

The increased attention was flattering and exciting. But best of all, it made me feel more equal to Potter. Our relationship had shifted slightly. After having such a good time cavorting with the marauders, it was difficult to continue hating their guts. I could still greatly dislike Potter as an individual, but it wasn't the same. The rules and bounds of our enmity had shifted and the previous well-defined lines of battle were suddenly blurry. I didn't know what to think of Potter anymore, or how to act around him. I was reduced to maintaining a distance and waiting to see if he'd do anything nice.

The day after my break-up with Amos, we had another small spat which he ended suddenly by thanking me for the hangover draught, (he had then added with a wry grin that he hadn't needed it, he didn't get hangovers, but it was a nice gesture), the little shit. That had thrown me completely off guard and we didn't fight again for the rest of the week, a new record.

I had a general attitude of confusion over how I should be acting toward Potter who seemed to be strangely and subtly becoming a friend. I couldn't decide whether or not I liked the idea. I needed our rows, the chance to vent my anger. But with no other drama in my life and no teasing from Potter to make it worse, I had no anger to vent. So suddenly I didn't seem to miss our fights at all. It wasn't until one fateful night when we were doing our patrols that my opinion of Potter changed drastically.

It was late at night when Potter and I set out to do our nightly round of patrols. Often we would assign prefects to patrol different floors and so take care of most of the castle for us. Usually we'd split off and pair up with other people so as to avoid one another. However on this particular night it was a night off for the prefects and so we grudgingly agreed to take on the entire castle ourselves.

We began our search of the castle on the floors where we were most likely to find students out of bed (in the unused classrooms). It was never pleasant walking in on a couple going at it and trying to tell them to go back to bed. Oftentimes I would hover outside the room till they surfaced and then take away a few house points before shuffling them off to bed. Others, such as Potter had no shame in bursting into a classroom and tell them to get it on in their own beds. He never took house points if he could help it. I suppose after so many charades of his own, he knew what it was like to be harshly punished, and he let people get away with hardly a scratch.

So this night we were patrolling the castle, and making our way through winding hallways, checking behind tapestries and statues for rogue students snogging. We were walking in a comfortable silence for some time, broken only by an occasional couple or daring 1st year that we had to shoo back to their respective houses.

Presently he said, " So, now that you are free of Diggory, you are single, and quite available…" He grinned over at me. I scowled. It was my default reaction, but it was also a reaction to a strange fluttering I felt in my stomach when he said it. Honestly, we begin to get along well and he goes and says something like that. Right when I start thinking that he respects me for me, he shows that he is a pig-headed teenage boy with a one-track mind after all.

"Don't even start Potter!" I bit out irritably.

"What? I thought we were starting to get along rather well, so why wouldn't it work?" His usual bravado was slipping away, and he sounded like he was overdoing the cheekiness.

"Well we WERE getting along just fine until you went and ruined it!" I seethed.

Here we were, preparing for another row. I felt the anger bubbling up inside me from who knew where. Everything had been just fine, I hadn't needed to fight, and I didn't want to. For the first time in a long time, I didn't want to hate Potter and I didn't want to argue with him, but that fact only made me angrier and I felt the tension building up inside me. Potter could do that to me, put me into a flying rage at the drop of a dime. I don't know why I get so riled up, but in that moment he seemed to have ruined the very careful balance of our relationship. Just as I was getting used to the idea of not hating his guts forever and ever, he goes back to his old tactics, the ones that made me dislike him in the first place.

"We don't need to fight about this Evans." He muttered.

"Oh yes we do! I understand now Potter. You helped me get rid of Amos just so you could get to me! You helped me get away from one annoying bloke so that you could take his place making my life miserable!" I felt my voice shaking, a telltale sign of an oncoming screaming fit.

"I thought I always made your life miserable," he said with that bloody grin of his.

"YOU DO! And now you are insisting on continuing with your ridiculous juvenile banter and I am SICK OF IT!!"

"Evans, please…"

"IN FACT, I'M SICK OF YOU! GOODNIGHT POTTER!"

"Evans, where are you going? We can't just go to bed now! We still have the dungeons and the towers to patrol. And no matter how intolerable I may be, it's your duty to patrol this castle!" His logic was good. But I had no patience for him at the moment.

"I am not going to bed Potter. I am going to go patrol the dungeons, you take the towers." I didn't want the towers because of the relentless stairs and the almost inevitable couple shagging that you'd find when you reached the top. I was angry, and hot-blooded and I had no patience for other people having sex.

"I don't want you going down to the dungeons alone." Potter said flatly. The nerve.

"EXCUSE ME? You don't think that I can take care of myself? The 7th year head girl is too weak and helpless to patrol the scary dungeons all alone! I am perfectly capable of handling myself Potter, and I certainly don't need your help." I seethed.

Before Potter could reply I shouted "Levicorpus!" He gave a cry of surprise and while he was in the air, I turned on my heel and darted down the first staircase I found. I continued to bolt down the next few floors before I was sure that Potter had not followed me. Apparently he realized that there was no reasoning with me in my state and he gave up to go patrol the towers.

I was very satisfied in my victory. But it was a hollow one. I had actually enjoyed being closer to him. I had warmed up to the idea of accepting his faults and for once, embracing his many strengths. But what shocked me the most was the occasional flutter in my stomach when he winked at me, or gave me his signature grin. There is no doubt that he is an extremely attractive male, but our differences had, until now, kept all feelings of lust at bay. Now I didn't know what to think or feel, because everything that I hated about James Potter was slowly but surely disappearing from his character, and I could only hold onto the little faults in order to protect myself from his myriad attractions.

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts about Potter as I wandered down one of the cold stone passages in the dungeons, that the attack came as a complete surprise. I had walked straight into a trap.

I was roused from my thoughts when quite suddenly my wand flew out of my hand, my feet froze in motion and seemed glued to the floor, and my cry of surprise was silenced. I flailed around helplessly in my new predicament, thinking that someone was playing a really nasty prank. But my thoughts changed when I saw something dark move out from the shadows down the hall. I couldn't see who the person was as they walked toward me, until he was a mere 2 feet away from me and he drew back his hood.

"My my, I set my trap for a marauder, but I catch a flower instead. What a delightful surprise Miss Evans." Snape drawled.

His sallow face glowed a nasty yellow in the torchlight. I attempted to reprimand him and demand that he set me free, but my words had no sound. I had to hand it to him, it was very cleanly done. I was wandless, I couldn't move, and I couldn't speak. I was sure that he had been expecting Potter to be the one patrolling the dungeons and had set a trap in order to get back at him for a rather nasty duel they'd had earlier in the week when they'd passed one another on their patrols.

He laughed at my vein attempts at speaking. "There's nothing you can do, Evans. You are completely at my mercy." His eyes sparkled maliciously and suddenly I got worried. I had assumed that he would tease me for a bit then let me go, but his eyes had a hungry look to them, and I didn't like the way they were scanning up and down my body.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to fear. That is, if you comply with my requests." He sneered at me. I glared right back. "You know, I was with Rita when she walked in on you and Diggory. I know the effects of a love potion when I see one Evans. I didn't know that you could have such a good shag when you are under the influence of one. Obviously its possible. Lucky for me I happened to bring this along." He withdrew a small vial from his robes and waved it in front of me.

"I nicked it from Jones and Diggory last week, its still quite potent. Care to try a taste?" He said seductively. I must have looked insane because my eyes became the size of saucers when I saw the vial. It was bad enough to be forced to be in love with my own Boyfriend, but Snape? That was just disgusting. I began to struggle violently against my magical bonds.

He stepped closer, still laughing, more like cackling. Snape had a very good evil cackle. And it was not a pleasant one to hear. He reached out and cupped my cheek, I whipped my face away from his grasp, but his hands roamed lower. I felt a shiver of disgust run up my spine as his hands curled around my waist and drew me closer to him. I struggled against his grasp, but it was firm and I didn't have full mobility. However in that moment I remembered that though I could not speak, I still could move my mouth. I spat in his face. It worked. He immediately let go of me. But a moment later he slapped me hard across the cheek and for a moment I saw stars. Now even more wary and with my cheek stinging I glared at him full-throttle. He stepped forward and roughly grabbed my face.

"I am going to give you a love potion, and we are going to go up to the Head's dorms where Potter will find us, and I WILL have my victory." He hissed. I could feel bruises forming where his fingers were gripping me. He then laid a rough, wet kiss on my lips. I wriggled but I could not escape his grasp. I felt his slimy tongue invading my mouth and I resorted to biting it. He finally released me, slapping me again for good measure.

He withdrew the love potion again and uncorked it, giving me a sinister smile. He then grabbed my throat forcing me to gasp for air. Just as he was about to pour it down my throat, the potion bottle shattered in his hand. He let go and looked up surprised, but no one else was in the corridor. Suddenly a spell shot out of nowhere and I felt that I could move my feet. It was a good thing too because next thing I knew I had to duck a jet of blue light as it sailed over my head. I peered into the darkness but I couldn't see a trace of my savior. Snape seemed to have reacted faster than I and he was shooting a number of spells at the vacant air from which the spells had come. I stayed flat on the floor, hoping to avoid being hit by the sudden volley of spells ricocheting off the walls and flying over me.

I discovered whom the mysterious person was when one of Snape's spells bounced off a wall and forced the person to dive to the side. Suddenly Potter was revealed in mid-air. I realized then that he must have crept down the corridor in his invisibility cloak. It was he who had come to my rescue, and I had never been so happy to see him. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as he deftly ducked a spell, and shot out one of his own, his face set and focused. As much as I trusted Potter to handle the fight well, I knew that Snape wouldn't be able to take on the two of us, if only I had a wand. As if my prayers had been answered I saw Snape drop one of the two wands he was holding as he dodged one of Potter's jinxes. I immediately began crawling toward it, but Snape saw me and aimed his next spell at me. I fell to the floor, ropes having twisted themselves tightly around every part of my body. I was completely stuck.

In the next moment two things happened. I felt the ropes loosen and fall off as Potter's spell freed me. I heard Snape scream "Sectumsepmpra!" and shortly after, a cry of pain. I rolled over and looked up. Potter was on the floor, and there was something dark and red flowing from his chest and stomach. It looked as though someone had slashed across his torso with a sword. He was writhing on the floor clutching his stomach and I was frozen with shock. I'd never seen a spell like that before.

Snape was smiling nastily as he sidled over to Potter. "Well if it isn't the famous Potter. Not so strong without your friends to protect you?"

"Bastard" I heard Potter bite out. His voice was tight and I could hear him holding back the pain.

"You should be more polite to your superiors. You see, I came up with this nice little spell on my own, and I'm the only one who can reverse its effects. After all, if I felt like it, I could just let you lie here and die." He sneered.

I took the opportunity to inch myself closer to the fallen wand, as Snape continued to talk. I glanced back at Potter. He had made no reply, but there was a steadily growing puddle of blood around him. I crawled as fast as I could go and still be quiet. I reached out on the floor, feeling around for that o so precious thin little piece of wood.

"No one would know it was me. You see, it would be difficult to target me as the attacker when there were only two witnesses and the spell came out of dear Lily Evans' wand." With that he kicked Potter hard in the side of his head. Potter groaned.

I whipped around just as my hand closed on the wand. Sure enough the wand he was twirling around for Potter's benefit was my own. His felt strange in my hand, but I knew what I had to do. I still had no freedom of my voice, but I had always been good at the nonverbal spells. A moment later my wand was flying out of his hands and into mine, and he was then suspended upside-down by his ankle, and he too was silenced.

He writhed and blustered angrily as his face turned red from the blood rushing to his head. I laid his wand on the ground just out of reach of his hands and ran to kneel beside Potter. He was white as a sheet and still bleeding freely. I could see bruises forming all along the right side of his face and he was bleeding from his mouth as well.

"Bloody hell." I muttered. No sound came out. I quickly reversed Snape's spell and regained my speech.

For a moment my mind drew a total blank. I knew I had to help him, I had to get him to the hospital wing, but looking at the bloody boy lying there just made me want to cry. I racked my brain for some sense and thankfully I remembered. I had practiced a number of healing spells in Flitwick's class and I called upon them now. I was beyond the awkward point now, I recklessly shoved open his robes and practically ripped off his blood-drenched shirt. His chest was a bright shining red, focused around a long gash running across it. I began whispering the charms, to stop the bleeding, to seal up the wound, to clean his body of the blood.

After I was done, he was still a sickly color, but the gash that had been bleeding so heavily was nothing but a thin line and his face was free of blemishes. His eyes that had been squeezed shut against the pain, flickered open and looked at me. "Lily?" he said quietly.

"Yes James, I'm here. It's alright, you're going to be alright." I said it as much for myself as for him. He beamed at me. "What?" I asked.

"You just called me James."

"That's your name isn't it?" I couldn't believe he was being so cocky when he had just lost about half of his body's supply of blood.

"Yeah, it just sounds really nice when you say it." He mumbled. I can't quite describe how warm that made me feel inside.

"Ok then, James." I said awkwardly. It did sound nice though.

He reached up and cupped my cheek. "Thank you."

I nodded dumbly. "The least I could do…" I mumbled. It was I who should be thanking him, but at the moment the only thing on my mind was making sure he wasn't going to die on me. "Do you think you can stand?" I asked tentatively.

"No. But I'll try anyway." He said resolutely. I helped him into a sitting position and he looked woozy. But his face was determined and with my help we were both standing. He swayed on the spot and had to grip onto me for support; I felt a not-unpleasant shiver run through my arms where he had touched them. I grabbed his arm and placed it securely around my shoulders.

"Come on, we'll walk together. I need to get you to the hospital wing now." He nodded and we began to move slowly down the hall. He paused when we were level with the still-inverted Snape. He raised his wand to cast a spell but I stopped him.

"NO… Let me do it."

I proceeded to cast a number of nasty jinxes that would have him in pain for days. "Serves him right." I said flatly. Potter, I mean James, just smiled at me and allowed me to help him up to the hospital wing. (Good god, I'm calling him James now. It should be strange but somehow it just feels right)

When we arrived at the Hospital wing, a blurry-eyed and rather irritated Madame Pomfrey greeted us at the door. She was young for a school nurse, but she was consistent. She had joined the staff in our third year straight out of training at St.Mungo's, and it seemed that she had a "magic" touch. I'd never known anyone to be in the hospital wing for more than a day or two since she had arrived at Hogwarts. And I was thankful for that now, I needed her help. I would never be able to forgive myself if Potter died for my sake.

"You had better be about to drop down dead, to be getting me out of bed this time of night." She grumbled. But when she looked at us properly, Potter now a sickly shade of green, and me covered in bruises, her faced changed and she was suddenly quite alert.

"Come along dearies, right this way." She bustled us into the room and snapped into action. "How you two got yourselves into this mess, head boy and girl, and in the middle of the night too… but I won't ask any questions, none of my business actually." She continued to mutter a stream of comments as she helped me lower James onto the nearest bed. I was about to go, feeling relieved and free now that I knew James was in good hands, but she wouldn't hear of it. "Now honestly, you think I'm going to allow you to go back to bed, what with the state you're in?" She then proceeded to force me onto the bed beside James', to some of my mild protestations. I gave in quickly though. I was exhausted from the climb up the stairs with half of James' weight, and my entire body ached.

Madame Pomfrey looked after me first, quickly healing my bruises. Then she turned to James. "Well, what's wrong with him?" She asked me pointedly.

I stared back at her. How much was I supposed to tell her? There was a code among the students. When you had a duel, it was between those dueling only, you did not rat out one another to the teachers. And though this episode had not been an arranged duel, it still felt wrong to tell her what Snape did, especially considering that I'd more than gotten back at him with my handful of jinxes. "He lost a lot of blood m'am." I said carefully.

"Was it damage from a spell?" she inquired. I told her the effect of the spell itself, without divulging who had cast it. She looked somber as I described it. "That's dark magic." She said softly. "Only rarely have I heard of a spell having that effect. This could be serious." She bent over James and gently pushed back the robes that were still hanging open. She took a moment surveying the wound and turned back to me. "It's a nasty one alright, but he should be fine. Was it you that fixed that up?" I nodded. She smiled at me.

"You have a knack for healing Miss Evans, that was not an easy wound to heal, I think the boy was lucky you were there, a less practiced witch or wizard may not have been able to save him. I can probably prevent it from scarring, and replenish his blood supply, but it looks as though most of my work is done for me. I think you should consider a career in Healing Ms.Evans, it may suit you well in these dark days."

I smiled back. I hadn't realized that I'd done so well. I'd been so terrified that he was going to die on me at any moment that it never occurred to me that I might have fixed the damage already. I was relieved sure, but mostly I felt a swell of pride at her words. I was pretty sure I didn't want to be a healer, but it was nice to know that it is something I'm good at. I'm sure it will help me beyond the walls of the castle.

"Now dear, you get your rest while I attend to Mr. Potter. You've had a rough night."

"No. I…I'd like to stay up with him, if that's alright?" I said hesitantly.

She gave me a knowing smile, "Of course you do dear." She conjured a chair beside his bed and turned her back to me. I went and sat down next to him. His eyes were closed, but I could tell that he was awake.

I just sat and stared at him. Just an hour ago he had caused my blood to run hot with anger, he had set me on edge and sent me off in a fit. But now, lying there still incredibly pale, and surprisingly still, I suddenly wondered how he could ever make me angry ever again. What he did for me tonight was going further than I had ever thought. He actually, truly cared about me. He must have decided against checking the towers just to follow me and make sure I didn't run into any trouble. And when I did, he came and got me out of it. Go figure.

This time I knew I really owed him something. He had stepped over the bounds of whatever our relationship was, and he has risked his neck for my sake. All for me. And now looking down at his limp form on the bed, it made my heart ache. In that moment my opinion of James Potter totally changed. I could never truly hate him, and I realized that I never really did. I had wanted to push him away so badly that I had made myself believe that he was such a pompous ass. But now I knew better. He was just a guy, a bit over-confident, a bit egotistical, but still warm, friendly, generous and protective of those he cared about. I now felt extremely lucky to be counted as one of them.

When Madame Pomfrey had finished sealing up his wound completely, she handed me a bottle of something a deep red color, and a glass. "If you're going to sit up with him, make sure he drinks a glass of this, it should replenish his blood in no time. Then I want both of you to get a little shut-eye." She gave me another soft smile, then she headed off to her own bed.

I turned back to James. "I know you're not asleep, and you heard the woman. You'll feel better if you drink this." James opened his eyes and smiled up at me.

"You know me all too well Lily." He grinned. I loved the way he said my name. It slipped off his tongue in such a natural way and it sent a little shiver down my spine. He made to sit up, winced and then tried again. I sat in silence as he took the glass I handed to him and downed it with a grimace. "Why do all healing potions have to taste to bloody nasty?" He grumbled. I giggled and he looked at me quizzically. "You alright then?" He asked, concern on his face. "I'm sorry I was so useless after…"

"Useless? You were NOT useless James Potter! You saved my arse back there, its me that should be thanking you on bended knee!" I huffed. Then I decided that was exactly what I ought to be doing, so I knelt down beside the bed and grasped his hand. "Thank you." I said seriously. "If you hadn't gotten there in time… well, it wouldn't have been a pretty picture. So, thank you."

He looked at me hard, as if surprised that I was actually thanking him. Then his face broke into one of his trademark grins, and he didn't look pale at all anymore, in fact he seemed to glow. "Anytime." He said with a wink.

"What made you come back for me?" I asked tentatively.

"You know, even the great Lily Evans can't always handle things all by herself." He laughed. "I saw you on this." He pulled out an old piece of parchment from his robes and I looked at him curiously. "It's a map, look. I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The parchment suddenly sprouted black ink lines that spread across it to form the shape of Hogwarts. I looked on, astonished. It was a neat bit of magic and extremely useful. Better still I saw the labeled dots of all the people in school. I could see that Snape was still stuck in that corridor in the dungeons. But I saw a passage down there from behind a statue on the third floor that I hadn't been aware of. So that was how James had made it down to the dungeons so quickly. "This is brilliant!" I whispered.

"I thought you would like it. Just don't make me hand it in." He said warily.

"Are you kidding? This is a treasure, no one in their right minds would give this in to the teachers!" I gushed.

"My my my, it looks like teacher's pet Lily Evans is loosening up a bit." He grinned at me.

"This would explain A LOT of your pranks of the past 7 years, I have very good blackmail now." I shot him a pointed look.

"Right. Well, I saw you and Snivellus on the map and I figured that something must be amiss, so I came down to beat Snivellus' arse for you." He said proudly.

"You seem to be forgetting that the one who actually fried his arse was ME." I countered.

"Yes but if it weren't for my heroic deed of almost dying for you, you'd be down there snogging his greasy arse."

"I didn't ask you to risk your life for me."

"I didn't need to save you."

"Save me? You're making it sound like I was some damsel in distress!"

"You were."

"You were the one who got all bloody and battered."

"Some thanks for my pains. They were battle wounds if you recall."

"That I healed!"

"And I thanked you for that already."

"Yes and I thanked you for, as you call it, 'saving me'."

We stared at each other for a moment. I knew where this could head if we let it, but neither of us wanted to argue again. There was a split second of tension when no one said anything. Then I watched as the corner of his mouth twitched, and his eyes were glimmering. And at the same moment we both burst out laughing. It felt like hours before we stopped, my stomach hurt from all the laughter and I had tears in my eyes before we finally calmed down.

I sighed. "I'm exhausted, we should both sleep. Especially you."

He nodded his agreement. " 'Course. I'm tired too. I just… I don't want to sleep alone."

I stared at him. "Look, I know you shag a lot of girls James, but I'm sure you can go for one night without having one in your bed."

He turned bright pink, which looked absolutely adorable. "That's not what I meant at all." He mumbled. "I just wondered if…if you wouldn't mind lying next to me. Just for tonight." He looked at me, calculating my reaction.

My first instinct was to say a very vehement NO, and make sure that I didn't send any wrong messages. But then I remembered how nice it had felt to be held, and that I too, didn't want the feeling of being alone. Not tonight, when I had realized my own limitations. Tonight we had needed each other, and so it didn't feel so strange to stay close, just for one night. We had come to a truce, and it was good, so who was I to deny it.

"Alright then." I said softly, feeling my face burn. He looked surprised but pleased and he moved over to make room for me. I slipped off my shoes and crawled in beside him. I turned my back to him so we both fit comfortably, and I felt his arms circle around my waist again. Once more I felt that sense of safety and warmth. I could feel his steady breath on my neck and it was another comfort. I could also feel the drum of his heartbeat reverberate against my back and it was that, which finally lulled me to sleep.

I woke up the next morning to Madame Pomfrey shaking me gently. I was groggy and irritated, we'd gone to bed late and judging by the bluish tinge to the light in the room, it was still early. Not to mention I had been extremely comfortable where I was, curled up close to James' warm frame.

"Rise and shine dear." She said kindly. I grumbled.

"If you want to get breakfast, change and still be on time for your first class, you'll need to get up now." She lectured. I groaned but sat up nonetheless. I shivered; the room was cold. I had half a mind to just flop down again next to the still-sleeping James (the boy can sleep through anything). But Madame Pomfrey immediately steered me away from his bed and forced me to sit down on mine. She turned to look at me and her stare was grim and worried.

" I have a potion for times such as these. I do wish you had used more sense dear. That sort of exertion was not good for the boy's health, not after loosing so much blood. Now, I need to know whether you used the spell or not."

"What spell? Did I not cure him properly? Oh Merlin, I didn't mess up the healing charms did I? I'd feel right awful if I have." I began to panic.

"No, Mr. Potter was cured well enough…perhaps too much. I was referring to what you did after his wounds were healed." She looked pointedly from me to the empty spot in the bed beside James. Suddenly it clicked.

"WHAT? I…we never…don't know what you are insinuating…absolutely ridiculous…we didn't…can't imagine that we would've…Madame Pomfrey!" I stuttered, completely flustered.

She gave me a long hard look then said, "So you two did not…"

"NO we absolutely did nothing of the sort!" I said vehemently.

"I see. My apologies, the situation suggested… well, never mind. Both of you should be up, breakfast is starting. I'm sure at least Mr. Potter will need to change his shirt before class. You could also use some fresh clothes." She stated, scrutinizing my disheveled robes.

I gave her a curt nod and proceeded to wake James up. It was a long process that involved a lot of pushing, shoving, tugging, threats, pleading and eventually tickling. I finally woke him when he laughed so much from the tickling that he rolled off the bed and we ended up in a giggling heap on the floor. When he had regained his power of speech he gave me a bleary-eyed grin. "Well this is possibly the most pleasant thing I've woken up to in ages."

"Really? What is it normally?" I asked.

"Usually its Sirius in his froggy boxers, doing a little victory dance after dumping a bucket of ice over my head. "

"Sounds amusing to me"

"It gets old REALLY quickly. Not to mention it's bloody frigid."

"And our breakfast will be too, if we don't get a move on. Come on sleepy head, we have classes to attend to."

"Oh those silly things? Why bother? Saving your innocence is much more fun." He winked.

"You know, of all the reasons for you to skip class, 'saving' my innocence is not one of them."

I liked our witty banter much better than our rows. My voice wasn't hoarse, I wasn't angry and it was actually rather fun to swap jibes in a civilized way.

After we had left the hospital wing, plodded up to our dorm, changed and sullenly shoveled down breakfast, I felt that there was something unfinished. There was that remaining tension between us, we could not yet quite think of ourselves as friends, it had not been declared, and it didn't seem right. But we didn't hate each other any more, so we weren't exactly rivals either. Because I didn't know who he was to me, I no longer knew how to act around James Potter.

During potions while James was carefully stirring the Felix Felicis, now a sparkling shade of silver, I decided to make my move.

"This isn't a truce you know." I said flatly.

He looked at me surprised, his face darkened slightly. A moment later he was giving me his stupid grin. "Of course not. After all, why would saving your honor be worthy of friendship? I'm still that jerk that you love to hate." He said it with his normal jovial swagger, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"I don't hate you." I said softly. "But that doesn't mean that I can't reprimand you for just about everything you do." I tried to return the signature grin, but I had a feeling it looked more like a sloppy smirk.

He smiled though. "So we're back to fun with Ice-queen Evans. I'm so excited. I love it when you're feisty."

I tried to give him a reproving glare, but it wasn't working anymore. I couldn't quite hide the smile that was tugging at the sides of my mouth. He had successfully broken through my cool exterior and there was no going back. But I could pretend. At least, for a little while…

12121212121212121221212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

Hey, for all Snape-lovers, I'm sorry. I know that this slightly deviates from the books, but I started writing the fic before DH and I figured that it would be better for me to stay in the world of the fic rather than change halfway through. Anyhow, I was slightly disappointed by the low numbers of reviews for the last chapter. It's really nice to hear from you guys, it's the main reason why I still write. Even just a word or two is always appreciated. Thanks so much!

-prongspal