#ch17

She tried to sidestep him, but James moved to impede her path. "No, you know what I find really interesting?" he coolly continued; "the fact that you had no moral qualms about leaving the castle to shag your boyfriend, only hours after one of your supposed best friends landed in the hospital wing!" Lily looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening, but it was not even eight o'clock yet, and most students slept in Sunday mornings. They were the only ones about in the Entrance Hall. "Good bloody God, Potter, everything you say is less and less your business! Now move!" "No!" He once again blocked her path, and Lily could not help herself. She whipped out her wand and jabbed it against his throat. "Move!" "Oh, really?" mocked the wizard. "You're going to hex me? Why do I have trouble believing that?" "GAH!" Lily flicked her wand: "Silencio!" James Potter found himself uncharacteristically—albeit magically—speechless, which distracted him long enough for Lily to slip around him. She had reached the marble staircase and was several steps up before he had restored his voice and managed to catch up, hopping in front of her and causing her to cry out in irritation. "I need to speak with you," said James. "I wasn't stalking you—I actually have to talk to you about something, and I was looking for you, and I didn't see you on the map, and then I thought maybe Harper would know where you were, and I looked around, and I didn't see him either. That's how I knew. I don't just spend my mornings staring at a dot labeled 'Lily Evans' you know."

Happy birthday sweet, sweet girl! Now, if y’all will excuse me, I’ll be in the corner crying my eyes out.

Ehm… I mean… it started out fluffy, so that counts for something, right?

Oh.

It clicked in James’ brain where he had seen all this previously.

In Sirius.

And in Remus.

So many times.

It shouldn’t be a surprise nor should it hurt, but it came at James like a blow to the chest.