Mischief Managed!

17.

James' hand gestured lazily. "Well obviously, Moony, you're a werewolf and we all go running about in the forest once a month," he replied briskly.

Sirius nearly dropped his wand in shock. "Bloody hell," he moaned, slapping his forehead and approaching James cautiously. "Prongs, is that you?"

James laughed. "Of course it's me, Padfoot. Could youplease lower your wands, you're worrying me."

"Perhaps you should be worried – er – Prongs. We need a mirror," Peter murmured. A mirror conveniently appeared in his hand, and he offered it to James tentatively.

James nearly fell off his table. Recovering himself, he turned to Sirius.

"What the hell did you do?!"

Sirius shifted from foot to foot, like a small child who needed to go to the toilet. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, staring at the floor. "Merlin, how do we fix this?"

James suddenly smiled. "How about – we don't? Won't be a moment, lads!"

"Hello!" James said to the Carved Witch, smiling brightly. "Could you ask Lily to let me in, please?"

The Carved Witch eyed him suspiciously before vanishing to the other side of the door. James could have sworn he heard her mutter something about his cheerfulness. She sounded sarcastic, for a block of wood.

The door opened, and James wandered in easily, to find Lily lying on the lounge studying. She looked up at him brightly. "Hello again!"

And before James knew it, she had stood up and kissed him.

James froze, watching as the Head Girl resettled herself on the lounge and looked at him expectantly. "Anything you wanted?"

James coughed. "No, just to see you," he told her weakly, settling hesitantly down beside her.

Lily smiled again (this must be a record, James couldn't help thinking). "That's so sweet," she practically purred. "What's gotten into you?" she asked as an afterthought.

James shifted uncomfortably. "Ummm… I just want to spend time with my girlfriend," he replied warily.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Ok, who are you and what have you done to Art?" she joked. "Really, what has gotten into you?" she repeated, before shifting closer. "Not," Lily continued, "that I mind in the slightest."

And then, much to James' horror, she kissed him again.

James leapt up, dancing away from the couch. "I – I – Ihavetogotomydormitorynow." James stammered, casting one more alarmed look at Lily's hurt expression before hurrying back out of the Head's tower.

Emmeline, Alice and Isadora were busy studying in the Gryffindor common room when someone appeared above them. Much to their surprise, it was Lily, and she was looking as white as Nearly Headless Nick.

"Are you ok?" Alice asked instantly. Being Alice, she seemed to have a sort of radar that picked up that sort of thing.

Lily shook her head slowly, back and forth, back and forth.

Emmeline stood and slung a comforting arm around her shoulders. "How about we go up to the dorms?"

They settled Lily on her old bed, and surrounded her. Emmeline's hand's massaged her back soothingly, while Alice held her hand.

"He – he ran away!" Lily sniffed. She really couldn't understand it. Art had been acting (strangely) sweet and caring, and as she hadn't seen that side of him for quite some time, Lily had only tried to express her appreciation. Or so she explained to the girls.