Being Head Girl had many perks, thought Lily usually did her best not to overuse them.  She didn’t often sneak out after hours, claiming to be on rounds or something when she wanted to meet someone out of bounds.  She didn’t take or give points in revenge or pick specifically on people she disliked while turning a blind eye to ones she did.  But one thing she did do every so often was slip down to the kitchens when she couldn’t sleep.  When she’d lived in the Gryffindor tower, she’d just crawl into bed with Marlene or sit in the window seat but neither of those options worked for her now.  

So instead she made her way down to the kitchens for a mug of hot chocolate and a better chance she wouldn’t be interrupted by James or Sirius in their common room.   When she slipped in and had finished greeting the house elves, they pointed to where another student sat, telling her they would bring her drink to her there.  Lily grinned seeing who had beat her to a midnight snack.  “Bad dreams?” she asked Frank with a smile as she sat opposite him at one of the four long tables that mimicked those in the Great Hall above.

Frank was a creature of habit, his mother had always told him that predictability could get him killed—especially in the current state of the Wizarding World but he was safely contained in the walls of Hogwarts and frankly, his after curfew ritual of sneaking in to the kitchens for the wondrous stash of ice cream was definitely the least life threatening thing he’d ever do. With a tub of chocolate before him, he was more then content to spend most of the night here. Was he breaking rules? Yes, maybe so but he highly doubted the fact that he was the only one out at this hour. Besides, he needed to think.

There was so much he had to do and so little time—he needed the grades required for the Auror program, he needed to control his temper because merlin knew that if another snake referred to him as a blood traitor—he was going to lose it, he needed to not be sappily in love with his best friend and end up heart broken and most of all, he needed to keep his friends safe. He shoved another spoonful of the icy goodness in to his mouth and nearly fell off the bench when he factored in the female voice. He turned in his spot to face the redhead with a guilty expression, “no—I just needed to think” he murmured, “if I share this with you, will I be able to get out of detention?” he questioned hopefully as he gestured to the ice cream tub.

Lily had always liked Frank.  Of the seventh year Gryffindor boys, Frank was the one Lily had been friendly with the longest.  They’d hit it off in first year and that was that as far as Lily was concerned.   And so her smile was easy as he offered her the bribe.  “I was never going to give you detention, but if you don’t then I have one less person to share my mum’s Halloween cookies with this year,” she said with a smirk, quietly thanking a house elf as it brought her her hot chocolate and, causing her to grin, a spoon.  She used the spoon to take some of the whipped cream off her drink and then piled some ice cream on top of it, eyes closing happily at the taste.  

"A penny for your thoughts, then," she said after she’d swallowed.  "Or should I offer more since you were willing to risk detention to entertain them?"

"Your mum makes the best cookies" he sighed, a small smile at his lips as he handed the girl the tub of chocolate, "damn Lily, are you trying to land yourself a toothache?" he teased as he shook his head slowly, he thought he had a soft spot for sweets but she could give him a run for his money. "Definitely more, you can repay me in cookies" he grinned as he leaned back against the table, "to be honest, graduation and the aftermath has me on edge" he admitted quietly, "i know—it’s months away. We have plenty of time but the state of the world outside these walls is just uh—overwhelming?" 

"Which is why they work so well for bribes," she said with a satisfied smile as she ate her ice cream.  "What?" she asked in reference to his teasing, hand covering her full mouth until she swallowed.  "People eat ice cream with whipped cream all the time," she protested.  She took another spoonful, still with the whipped cream though this time accompanied by a smug grin before the spoon made it’s way to her mouth, as he spoke.  She leaned forward on the table as he leaned back.  Her expression softened as his words hit chords inside of her.  "No, I get it," she agreed when he’d finished.  "It’s scary to think about. We should all be planning futures and careers and I just - sometimes it feels like we won’t have that."  It was more serious, more poignant, than she had intended and she blamed the late hour and lack of sleep for the words even leaving her mouth.

"Yes, and those people are the first to whine about a tooth ache" he chuckled as he took his own spoon and took a spoonful of whip cream, "I’m a hypocrite" he chuckled with a wink. "We will" he muttered as he gave her a pointed look, "we’re going to have careers— a good life. We just might have to fight for it" he murmured with a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair before leaning forward and propping his chin on the palm of his hand. "What does your future entail, Miss Evans?" he questioned, his curiosity getting the best of him.

She let her jaw drop in mock offense as he stole some of her whipped cream.  “Thief,” she muttered jovially as she took another spoonful.   His steady optimism was a balm on her worried soul and she forced herself to give a half grin and to try and believe his words.  She wanted them to be true, after all, and she was a firm believer that if you gave up wanting something, you’d already lost it.  His question caught her off guard and she considered it for a moment before answering.  “I wanted to be a healer,” she confessed with something of a sad smile. She’d only changed her focus of study this term, deciding that the future she could see would need people to fight for it, not wait on the sidelines to clean up the battles they were not brave enough to join. “And to fall madly in love with Prince Charming, of course,” she added, brightening her smile. “And what about yours, Mr. Longbottom?”

"I’ve been called worst—Lily, sharing is caring. As Headgirl, that should be your priority" he teased as he swiped a bit more of the whip cream before focusing on the ice cream. "Wanted to be?" he repeated, a small frown tugging at his lips, "you would have been lovely at it" he assured the girl before him quietly. Even if things had been different—been peaceful. He was almost sure that he’d still be heading down this path. Being an Auror was honourable—something he wouldn’t mind devoting his life too. "Your prince charming? Well, lily love—he might be under your very nose" he teased softly. "Being an Auror is my first priority and right up there—it might sound selfish but I want a family. I want to be with someone I’m in love with. I don’t want this war to take that choice away from me" he rambled softly, running a hand through his hair, "It sounds ridiculous—selfish even but uh— the heart wants what it wants—right?"

"I’m not Head Girl right now," she pointed out, using her spoon to gesticulate her point.  "Else I’d have to give us both detention and James would never forgive me if I benched one of his Beaters from practice."  She shrugged as he told her she’d be a good healer, it was something she’d more or less put from her mind.  Not that being an Auror wasn’t honorable or anything, the truth was she didn’t think she’d gt that far.  She knew enough about healing to be useful at that if she needed to be, she was rubbish at defensive or offensive magics, though, and that’s what she would need the most.  "Maybe one day I still will be," she allowed, imagining a life after this war was over.  She grinned at his teasing.  "I don’t know if I’d exactly call you a prince, Longbottom, though you are charming," she joked back.  Her smile softened at what he shared, reaching over to place her hand over the one that had just run through his hair, giving it a comforting squeeze.   "That’s not ridiculous at all," she said genuinely.  "I wish I weren’t so scared to want that too," she added, biting her lip.  

"James— would definitely not be pleased" he grinned, "but, Marley and Sirius would probably give you hell" he winked, it was an unspoken rule that Sirius and Frank didn’t play without one another—the only exception being when one of them was injured. Being benched was definitely not a pleasant way to kick off a season. "Hey—woah, I would be honoured love but I was actually referring to James" he teased with a wiggle of his brows. "Despite my occasional irrationality and impulsive behaviour … I value my life far too much to go after you" he chuckled. A soft smile played at his lips as he in return squeezed her hand, "well Lily love, the fact that you’re scared proves how much you want it. We shouldn’t let anyone take away our choice… if you want something—fight for it!"

"Marlene doesn’t scare me," she said with bravado, not adding that she would certainly thing twice about getting on Sirius’ bad side when it came to Quidditch.  At his mention of James, Lily felt the tell tale - and now familiar - heat of a blush creeping into her cheeks.  "I am certain I have no idea what you’re talking about," she insisted, suddenly far more interested in her spoonful of ice cream than she was in this line of inquiry.  "But I do believe that.  Alice would never forgive you if you did," she replied impishly, repaying fire with fire. She had her theories about Alice and Frank and she wasn’t above using them to get out of talking about James.  

"That’s bollocks and you know it" he smirked, "Marlene and Sirius are dangerous on their own but together—they’re a bloody nightmare" he chuckled. "Lily love— are you blushing?" he teased as he stole a bit more of the ice cream. "Alice? Alice Fortescue?’ he repeated trying his best to keep calm and not blurt out every passing thought when it came to the blonde. "Lily, she’s my mate—my best mate. Nothing more, nothing less!" 

"It is not!" she insisted.  She’d agree with him on the Sirius bit but she was adamant that she wasn’t afraid of Marlene.  She’d been joined at the hip too long to be afraid of her, even if she was in cahoots with Sirius.  She ducked her head as he pointed out her blush, resisting the urge to pluck a marshmallow from her drink to chuck at him.  "I am doing no such thing," she insisted, denying it far too intensely for her denial to do any good.  His matching denial of Alice fueled her on.   "You know what they say," she pointed out as if quoting a lesson.  "True love is friendship set on fire.  Maybe all that happy future of yours is lacking is a little spark?" 

"Alright—come on, care to tell me what’s going on between you and dear James?" he questioned, a small smile stretching at his lips. He adored teasing the redhead but all jokes aside, he was indeed curious. "Somethings are meant to be the way there are Lily—she’s lovely. More lovely then I would care to admit but like you said—she’s my friend. Once you step into that territory—you can’t ever go back!’

"Nothing!" she answered all too quickly, her smile fading as his stretched.  Nothing if you didn’t count the way he’d ignored her for a week and the way she’d ended that by kissing him in his bloody dorm room in the middle of a fight.  No.  Nothing at all.  "I mean we….well he…." she sighed.  "Nothing."  This was less adamant, and sounded more like giving in.  Her smile was soft as they broached the subject of Alice.   "The hope usually is you wouldn’t have to go back," she pointed out.   She teased quite a lot but her advice was well intentioned.  She thought Frank and Alice would go quite lovely together, they were already more than halfway there.

"Nothing always means something — come on Lily, you know can trust me. I give you my word that nothing we speak about leaves these walls" he promised as he scooted forward, curious to what had the girl all flustered. "Lily, if she wanted to be with me—she would have said so within the last six years. She doesn’t see me like that— am I happy? No. But I would do anything to make her happy—if staying the way that we are accomplishes that —who am I to change things?"

She didn’t answer right away, suddenly very concerned with the marshmallows in her hot chocolate and avoiding Frank’s gaze altogether. “James and I - kissed,” she finally forced out, the act of which more or less opened the flood gates.  “Well, I kissed him actually.”  Her speech picked up speed a she tried to explain, her words moving quicker than her mind.  “We were fighting and he said….and I just got…and I…”   She sighed, grimacing.  “Nothing was easier.  I miss nothing.”  

"Frank," she began, eyebrow raised a bit at his words.  "if you never told her how you feel in the past six years, why do you think you know so well how she feels?” 

"Did you really?" he teased quietly, the information wasn’t really new to him. James had beat her to it, he had a feeling that perhaps that was what was wrenching at her. "How did it feel? You look confused but uh, James has that affect on people — I can’t really blame you" he grinned as he propped his chin on the palm of his hand. "I just— I don’t want her to think that it’s all or nothing … once I put myself out there, I can’t take it back. Even if there’s a remote possibility that she might feel the same way —I can’t risk it. I know, it’s not very Gryffindor of me but, I can’t risk it when it comes to her!"

"Don’t tease," she all but pleaded, dropping her head to rest on her arms on the table.  "It felt fantastic," she answered, admitting it for the first time since it happened.  Her voice was muffled as she was speaking into her folded arms but she refused to look up, to face the conversation she was having.  At least not until he got snarky about it.  "Well then you date him," she said with sarcasm as she lifted her head to glare halfheartedly at him.  

She didn’t push the issue, not really.  If Frank wasn’t ready to tell Alice how he felt, that was his call.  “I think you’re underestimating how much you mean to her,” she did feel the need to add.  “But I get the feeling.”

"I’m sorry…I’m sorry" he sighed with an apologetic smile, he couldn’t help but sympathize with the girl. He was once a victim to confused feelings—it was a real eye opener. "That’s always a good thing" he grinned, "see—I would but he’s a bit too masculine for my liking" he chuckled. "I have a better suggestion— how about you date him? He’s a decent bloke, appealing on the eyes and well, if he hasn’t made it clear over the last six years … he’s mad for you" he winked as he took the mug from the girl and took a small sip. "Lily—I will trying to be open too it and if the opportunity to be with her presents itself—I will take it" he promised quietly, a small smile playing at his lips.

She appreciated that he stopped teasing when she asked, she had enough of a hard time sorting her feelings through as it was without spending all her energy on trying not to blush.  At his suggestion though, a helpless look crossed her face.  She opened her mouth once or twice to explain before deflating a bit.  “What if I do start….and I’m not….what if he changes his mind?”  That was the crux of the problem, really.  Lily had a bad history with people telling her they loved her and then turning their backs on her.  She had little interest in putting herself right back in the line of fire.  

"I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised," she said with a grin, just thinking of the way Alice had been flustered when Lily had mentioned Frank as more than a friend to her before. 

"Lily— that’s ridiculous" he muttered, "and when I say ridiculous—I don’t mean you … the very idea of him changing his mind is ridiculous. He’s waited for you for so long, do you really think he would toss you aside? Does he seem like that type of bloke?" he questioned, a brow quirked as he took her hands in his. "He adores you—he has tendencies to be a dolt but he wouldn’t have pursued you for so long if you were merely a passing fancy" he promised as he gave her hands a squeeze. "If he hurts you—in any way. I give you my word that I will take my bat to his downstair regions. Ask Sirius—it’s a nightmare" he winked, a smirk at his lips. "You are gorgeous, brilliant and everything he could possibly want in a girl, don’t doubt yourself!" 

She focused with incredible intent on his hands as he spoke, his words doing more to lift her spirits on the matter than she would have liked to admit.  She was still nervous but his confidence in the matter did more to bolster her than her own self doubts were doing to pull her down.  That was the thing with Lily.  She had a habit of believing things about herself as others laid them out easier than if she thought them herself.  Which is why losing a sister and a best friend already made her not so sure she would live up to all of James’ expectations.   She couldn’t bear to let him get close and then lose him too.  She had to smile at Frank’s threat to James’ should he hurt her, and that’s when she was able to look up again.  “Maybe you’re right,” she said with a soft smile that steadily grew.  “Thank you Frank,” she said, squeezing his hands.  “Don’t you doubt yourself either.  Any girl would be lucky to have someone like you.”

"There’s the smile that I adore" he noted, his own smile widening, "there’s a really good chance that I’m right—you should see my track record. I’m nearly always right" he grinned as he let go of her hands and tugged the tub in his direction. "I don’t know about that—I’m a bit too temperamental" he muttered, a sheepish smile at his lips. "So tell me, what’s your move? Will you tell him you fancy him or did you already have that conversation?"

She rolled her eyes as he proclaimed his wonderfulness, wrapping her now empty hands around her mug and holding it to her lips as she sipped.   “Oh, you’re right, you have one flaw.  How could anyone possibly hope to overcome such a handicap,” she teased with good nature.  If anyone knew about having a temper, it was Lily.  And as far as Frank went, there were far more fantastic things about him that balanced him out.  “Well considering when I kissed him I said ‘that’s how you tell someone you fancy them…’ I think he might already know,” she said, biting her lip as she tried not to smirk.

“Hey—most people don’t really find the quality, temperamental attractive! Some people can’t overlook it” he shrugged, a smile lingering at his lips. “Lily Evans, as dar as big gestures go—you really are a sneaky one. Really, I’m impressed” he exclaimed, shaking his head slightly as he peered over at the redhead before him in awe. Lily never seized to surprise him, “was he able to function after that or did you leave him there gawking? Tell me that he didn’t have a heart attack!” he teased with a wiggle of his brows.

"Well it hasn’t driven her away yet," she pointed out, unable to resist bringing Alice back into the conversation.  She had to laugh as he imagined James’ reaction, remembering it herself with a wide smile she couldn’t quell.  "It wasn’t so much a big gesture as losing my temper," she confessed.  "You’re not the only temperamental one here.  He all but froze when I did it and I practically ran away.  Sirius had to remind him to chase after me."

“Lily— why are you so determined? Not that I mind but uh—why Alice? Why pair me up with her, sure I have feelings for her but as far as I’ve come to know … they aren’t necessarily mutual” he muttered as he quirked a brow. “Well, to be honest—I always thought that our of the spur of the moment he’d be the one to make the first move… you must have caught him off guard” he chuckled, shaking his head idly, “if a girl I fancied for quite some time laid one on me … I might have had a heart attack!”

“I’ve not paired you up,” she protested, though it wasn’t entirely true.  “I’m just - making an observation. Alice deserves a good man in her life and I think the two of you would be aces together.”  Not to mention she had seen the way Alice’s face turned seven shades of red when the idea of dating Frank had been mentioned.  Frank may not think the feelings were mutual, but Lily had more than a few suspicions.  “Well he did sort of make the first move,” she said scrunching her nose and looking down at her hot chocolate.  “He might have kissed me on the train,” she admitted, adamantly not looking at Frank.  “So technically he was first.”

“Lily, I am flattered that you think that highly of me and I will definitely keep that in mind” he murmured, a smile at his lips. “Bloody hell—I love you two but merlin, you two are hopeless” he sighed, shaking his head slowly as he stood up, straightening himself out. “Lily, as far as I can tell —he’s completely mad for you and giving it a go with him would definitely not be a mistake, I would spend the entire night convincing you of that but it’s late—very late” he murmured as his eyes darted to the clock. “Come on—let me walk you back to your dorms!”