A Fine Line

"You're shitting me," Alice exclaimed, rolling off her bed and crossing the room. "You've got to be shitting me."

Lily held up her hands, a pleased expression washing over her face. "Not in the least. Slughorn didn't even ask what I needed or what it was for. Sure, it took two hours, but I did it! I should be able to make Wolfsbane in no time."

Alice shook her head in amazement. "I know you're the top of our class and all, but goodness! A potion from the Restricted Section? What was it called again?"

"It was just a healing potion," she replied, falling onto Alice's bed and bouncing a bit. "When he undergoes the transformation, his skin and insides get all stretched out and mangled. It's very painful, and that's why he never shows up to class after a full moon. The instructions said this would help to ease the pain and side effects." She smiled, obviously pleased with herself. "Not to brag, but I feel so utterly brilliant right now."

"As you should!" retorted Alice, crossing the room again. "It's amazing, though, how they kept it a secret for so long. Who else knows?" She began chewing on her fingernail, the feeling of the huge secret she had just heard beginning to press down on her. "Are we the only ones?"

Lily shook her head. "Apparently, Snape figured it out, which doesn't surprise me. I mean, he's not dumb; I just can't believe he actually went to see him in the midst of his transformation. You'd think if he figured it out he'd know better than to do something like that."

"Eh, you never know. Snape would love to find any reason to get them expelled. Maybe he just thought that was his chance. I'm just surprised you didn't figure it out earlier."

Lily shrugged. "Me too. They just must be really good at hiding things." Alice's roommates were at the door, and Lily shot Alice a warning look, not wanting their conversation about Remus's secret to be overheard. She changed the subject quickly. "So, what are you wearing on your date this weekend?"

"Date?" Juliette Cove, the more annoying of the two roommates, squealed. "Alice! You have a date?"

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Don't sound so surprised," she replied flatly. "And don't ask any questions because it's none of your business."

Juliette smiled a big, sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm just shocked, that's all. Boys aren't exactly your forte, if I remember correctly."

Alice felt the heat creeping into her face. In fourth year, she made the mistake of confiding in Juliette, who proceeded to make a complete and total fool out of her by telling her then-crush, Will Thomas, just how Alice felt about him. It was one of the reasons Alice really couldn't stand Juliette. "Like I said, it's none of your business, so you should leave before I hex your face full of pimples. Those aren't exactly your forte, if I remember correctly."

Juliette sneered, but didn't reply. She motioned to her mousy crony, Victoria Key, and the two left. "Have I told you lately how much I miss you being in the dorm with me?" She turned around and dug around in her trunk. "What do you think of this shirt?" she asked, holding it up for Lily to see.

"Hey, I gave you that last year!" Lily exclaimed. "I didn't know you still had it."

"Are you kidding? I love 'Hags with Bags'!" Alice replied, whirling around and looking at it in the mirror. "Best band in the history of bands."

"Really?" Lily looked skeptical. "Personally, I think The Rolling Stones are better."

Alice looked at her in the mirror. "The who?" she asked.

Lily thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, they're pretty good too." She chuckled at Alice's confused expression. "They're Muggle bands."

"Oh," Alice responded, suddenly disinterested. "No offense, but your taste in music is so obviously atrocious."

Lily smiled and said, "I think that shirt will do just fine, Alice."

Alice tossed it on her bed and turned around to face Lily. "I'm so nervous," she admitted, starting to chew on her thumb nail again. When she received a reproving look from Lily, she let her hand fall back to her side. "I mean, I want this to be a great date, but what if I mess up? After all, Juliette was right; boys are not my forte."

"Oh, Juliette can take a long walk off a short dock for all she's worth," Lily replied, patting Alice's shoulder. "As long as you're yourself, there's no way Frank can't fall for you. You're the nicest, funniest girl I know and any guy would be so incredibly lucky to date you."

Alice smiled grudgingly. She knew Lily was just trying to make her feel better, and it was working. "Thanks, Lils. You're a good friend."

Lily smiled brightly. "It's the truth," she insisted. "If you were a boy, I'd definitely pick you over James any day."

Alice laughed. "Well, if you were a boy, I guess I'd pick you over Frank, too. I mean, you are, after all, my very best friend. And, according to Mark What's-his-last-name, you're a great kisser."

Lily slapped her forehead and closed her eyes, her cheeks developing a slight tinge of pink. "I forgot about him. That was, undoubtedly, the worst day of my young life." She shuddered. "Not even kidding, he drooled all over the collar of my blouse. I'm glad that one didn't reach James. He would never let me live that down." She shook her head like she was trying to get the memory out. "Gross."

"I wonder if Frank's a good kisser," Alice said, turning back to the mirror and fussing with her hair. "Not that I would know or anything." Her eyes widened and she whirled around. "Wait, what if he thinks I'm a bad kisser? Oh, God, Lily! What am I going to do?"

"Oh, come off it and stop fussing," Lily replied. "Everything will work out for the best, I promise. Now, if you'd please drag yourself away from that mirror so we can go to dinner, that'd be wonderful."

Alice followed Lily out of the dorms, still feeling panicked. She was so nervous, she wasn't even sure her stomach could handle dinner. Lily was chatting absentmindedly, not even bothered that Alice wasn't paying attention. By the time they reached the Great Hall, Alice's stomach was in knots. There's no way I'm going to sleep tonight... or ever again, as far as that's concerned.

They took their normal spot at the table, Lily sitting by James and Alice sitting across from her. Alice glanced at the ham and potatoes sitting oh-so-tempting in front of her and her stomach growled. "Okay, I'm not that nervous," she admitted aloud, filling her plate and grinning.

"I knew all it would take was some ham," Lily told her, taking a slice off the serving plate for herself.

"What are you two talking about?" James asked, watching as Lily snatched the roll off his plate. "Hey! That's mine!"

Lily opened her mouth, but Alice stomped on her foot under the table. "Nothing," Alice told him, staring pointedly at Lily. "Nothing at all."

"Ouch," Lily whispered, tucking her leg underneath her so she could rub her foot. "That hurt."

James and Sirius were too absorbed in their conversation about Quidditch to notice, but Peter saw and gave Alice a strange look. She shrugged and reached for a biscuit. "I'm nervous, but not so nervous that I can't eat."

"I knew this would calm you down," Lily told her, slathering a generous clump of butter on her biscuit and smiling. "And the biscuits are my favorite things they fix." She took a bite and asked, "What time are you supposed to meet him?"

"One o'clock at the Three Broomsticks," Alice replied. "He's working there for a bit. He didn't say why; it's probably some super secret undercover mission. Like that Muggle character, James Bonded or whatever."

Lily snorted into her pumpkin juice. "James Bond, you mean. It's probably because they want Aurors stationed around Hogwarts. Or maybe he's just moonlighting, you know, to make some extra money for all the dates he wants to take you on."

Alice smiled despite herself. "Perhaps." She rose, suddenly not hungry anymore. "I think I'll head back. I've got some work to finish before tomorrow."

---

Lily followed James, Sirius and Peter through the portrait hole. "We better go get ready," Sirius told James. He turned to Peter. "Best be getting out now before patrols start."

Peter nodded in agreement. "Are you coming with us tonight?" he asked James. "Or do you not feel up to it?"

James ran his hands over his face and sighed. "I'll be out later," he told them finally. "I've got some things I need to sort out."

Sirius clapped him on the back and smiled. "Take your time, mate. Moony's not going anywhere. Later, Evans." Sirius and Peter left, leaving James and Lily staring at an empty common room.

"Do you want to go with me to McGonagall's office?" James asked abruptly, taking her hand. "I've got something to ask her."

Lily looked at him closely and noticed he looked a little paler than usual. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing his hands were clammy. "Why didn't you go with Sirius and Peter? I wouldn't have minded; you know that."

He led her out of the common room and into the hall. "My mum had an accident yesterday," he told her as they walked towards McGonagall's office. "She's going to be okay, but it gave me a scare. I worry about my parents. They're getting too old to live by themselves in that big old house."

"What happened?" Lily asked, her stomach tying itself into knots. She couldn't believe he didn't tell her.

James shrugged. "My dad wrote to me a couple days after it happened. She was home alone and fell down the stairs, I guess. My dad got home a few hours later and found her lying at the bottom and freaked out. He got her to Mungo's, and they think she broke her hip, but they expect her to make a full recovery." He sighed, looking straight ahead. "I wrote Dad and told him I wanted to see her, but Mum wrote back and told me not to worry. She also told me if I left school she'd send me a Howler I'd never forget." He paused and smiled. "She's a tough old bird, let me tell you."

Lily took his arm and squeezed it gently. "I'm glad she's going to be all right," she replied, laying her cheek against his shoulder. "What do you need from McGonagall?"

"Mum's coming home today, and McGonagall said I could Floo her if I wanted. Just for a little bit though; she doesn't want the whole school to know she's a softie. She and Mum went to school together," he explained. "And she secretly loves me."

Lily let go of his arm when they reached McGonagall's office. He knocked and the door opened. "Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," McGonagall said coolly, motioning to her fireplace. "Ten minutes," she told him, rising from her desk and looking him over. "I'll be back then."

"Thanks, Professor," he called after her. He took some powder from the mantle, knelt down, threw the powder in the fireplace and shouted, "Potter Manor!" Lily knelt next to him when a face appeared that almost caused her to fall back.

"James! What a pleasant surprise! How are you doing; I hope nothing's the matter."

An older man's head appeared, and Lily couldn't help but notice how much James resembled him. He even wore the same kind of square glasses currently perched on James' nose. "Hi, Dad, I'm fine," James replied. He motioned to Lily. "This is Lily Evans, that girl I told you about."

Mr. Potter smiled broadly. "We've heard a lot about you," he told her. "How's Sirius doing? Your mother's worried sick he's getting into trouble."

Lily heard a woman's voice call, "Darling, is that James?"

Mr. Potter's head turned sideways as he looked back as his wife. "Yes, dear!" he replied. He turned back to Lily and James and rolled his eyes. "She's awfully sour about being stuck on the couch for the next couple of days. She's got me running around like a house elf, trying to get everything put in order."

Mrs. Potter's voice came through again. "Don't just stand there, John, help me off the couch so I can talk to him too!"

"Hang on a moment," Mr. Potter called. His head disappeared and James looked over at Lily, his neck slightly flushed with embarrassment.

Suddenly, an elderly lady's face appeared and she exclaimed, "Oh, Jamesie! You're looking rather pale; are you coming down with something?" She looked over at Lily and smiled. "And you must be Lily! Jamesie just never stops talking about you--"

James cut her off. "Glad to see you're doing well," he told her loudly, drowning out the last part of her sentence. "I was worried about you, Mum."

"Those damned Healers have me on the sofa for a week!" she told him, his distraction technique obviously working. "What am I supposed to do for a week I ask you? I told them, 'I can't stand being still!' but they insisted that if my damned hip was ever going to heal properly, I'd have to stay off it for a week."

"You could do a puzzle," James suggested. "Remember that one with the kittens I bought you for your birthday?"

"One puzzle isn't going to last me for a whole week!" she insisted. "I might just die of boredom."

Lily looked over at James and noticed he paled visibly when she mentioned dying. "I'm sure you could catch up on your reading," Lily added. "I can give you a list of books that could easily keep you busy for a week."

Mrs. Potter turned to her and smiled brightly. "That would just be wonderful, dear!" she exclaimed. "You write me a list and mail it to me. And you!" she said to James, "You must write me more. I won't have much human contact for a week and some letters from my only son would certainly do me some good."

"Yes, Mum," James told her.

The door opened behind them. "Minerva!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed. "It's lovely to see you!"

McGonagall's face twitched, like she was going to smile. "Beatrix," she replied. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. Nasty little scare you gave us." She looked at James and Lily. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm sure James and Miss Evans have patrols to do."

"Oh yes!" Mr. Potter called. "Make sure you really apply yourself son! No slacking off!"

"Yes, Dad," James replied. "I'll write, Mum, and see you both at Christmas."

Mrs. Potter's smile widened. "Oh yes, don't forget! It was nice to finally meet you, Lily."

"You too, ma'am," Lily replied, smiling as Mrs. Potter's face disappeared. The fire flickered and sparked, signifying the end of the Floo connection.

"Thanks, Professor," James said, standing and helping Lily up. "I'm glad to see this hasn't changed her much."

McGonagall's mouth twitched again, and Lily swore she'd actually smile this time. "She's just the same as she was when we were in school," she remarked. "Now, off to rounds."

James and Lily left and began to patrol the halls. "You talk about me a lot, then?" she asked playfully, taking his arm as they ambled down the hallway.

His face turned pink. "They exaggerate," he told her. "They're getting old and senile, so whenever I casually mention something, they think we've written an encyclopedia on it or something."

Lily laughed. "They aren't that old!" she insisted. "Besides, it's flattering; in a slightly creepy way."

They continued in silence for awhile, and once they finished that floor, they made their way back to the common room. "They really are too old to be living alone in that house," he said again. "I wish they'd find someplace smaller, with no stairs."

"They can't be that old," Lily replied, not really sure of what to say next. "And I'm sure they enjoy their independence."

"They can enjoy their independence somewhere that doesn't make so nervous," he told her. "They're almost sixty, but sometimes they act like they're twenty again."

"Forever young." Lily sighed and smiled at him. "It's obvious they love each other and you very much. I hope I act like that when I'm fifty-something."

James shrugged. "Maybe you will. After all, you know what they say. Boys tend to like girls that remind them of their mothers." They sat side by side on the couch in the empty common room and stared into the fire. "I was thinking," James began, breaking the silence, "that maybe, if you wanted to, of course, that maybe you could come home with me over holiday break. Only if you want to, of course." His ears turned slightly pink. "Mum's really looking forward to really meeting you."

Lily leaned into him and smiled. "I think that sounds like a good idea. I'll have to go see my family first though, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. We could stay there for a few days and then go to your house for the rest of break. My parents want to meet you too," she confessed.

He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "Sounds like a plan." He kissed her quickly and stood up. "I should probably go check on the guys. Hopefully, Sirius hasn't gotten Moony into too much trouble."

Lily rose and smoothed her skirt. "All right, just be careful," she told him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his jumper. "I'm glad your mum is okay."

He rested his chin on her head. "Me too." He pulled away and smiled down at her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and turned to go up the stairs. "Night, James," she called from the landing.

"Night," he replied as he stepped out into the hallway. He hurried to the Great Hall doors, and once he was a safe distance from the school, he transformed.

He ran across the grounds, his animal instincts clouding his human ones. He could smell Moony, and as he followed the scent, he saw a giant figure illuminated in the moonlight. He ran faster, beginning to smell Padfoot and Wormtail as he came closer and closer. He jumped over Padfoot, skidding to a halt on the slightly dewy grass.

As the sunlight peaked over the horizon, they herded Moony back into the shack. He was beginning his transformation back; his arms seemed to be balding and his face was developing more human characteristics. He slumped against the wall, his eyes closed and tongue lolling out. James transformed; Peter and Sirius following close behind. "Glad you made it," Peter panted, collapsing on the floor. "I'm surprised I haven't lost any weight from all that running."

Sirius chuckled, bent over and breathing hard. "I feel you, Wormy. That's tough stuff."

James leaned against the wall, his head back and chest heaving. "It doesn't feel hard when we're transformed. It's just when we're us again, it sucks."

Remus moaned softly in the corner, the wolfish snout shrinking into a normal nose. Sirius looked at him sympathetically. "That has to hurt," he thought aloud, watching as the hair receded, seemingly sucked back into his arms. Sirius winced and looked away. "I just can't watch, you know."

James nodded, staring at the floor. "I talked to Mum," he said offhandedly. "She asked about you."

Sirius laughed. "I love your mum, mate. If she wasn't happily married to your dad, I'd want to be your new stepfather."

"That's just so many kinds of wrong."

Sirius shrugged. "It's just how I feel, mate. You know I can't help it." He turned to Peter, and chuckled softly when he realized he was asleep. "I'm tired too," he remarked, sitting on the hard floor and stretching his legs out in front of him. "All this running really takes it out of me."

James nodded in agreement and slumped down next to him. "I asked Lily today," he told him, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt. "If she wanted to come home with me. She said yes."

"You're kidding-" Sirius groaned and hit his head on the wall "-a whole break with Lily-Yells-A Lot? I want to cry now."

James laughed and shook his head. "I'm excited."

Sirius glared at him and said, "Of course you are, you're going to be getting something out of this whole disaster." Sirius rubbed his eyes violently and yawned. "I'm getting too old for all this physical activity. I need a pastry. A big pastry with raspberries and whipped cream. Maybe with some blueberries on the side..."

James shifted so he was lying on the floor, his hands folded behind his head. "You sound like Alice," he remarked, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

Sirius's eyes shot open at the mention of her name. "Mate, what do you think about McCoy?"

James shrugged and wiggled, trying to get comfortable on the hard wood floor. "She's a nice enough girl; has quite the temper, Lily tells me. Why? Are you starting to fancy her?" he teased. When Sirius didn't reply, James opened his eyes and sat up. "Merlin's baggy shorts, you fancy her!"

"Maybe a little," Sirius admitted. "But she's... different, I guess is the word, than most girls I've fancied. I don't know why, but I get that feeling, you know?"

James grinned and lay back on the floor. "Maybe it's because you got to know her as a person. I mean, you've never really gotten to know the girls you've fancied before, and when I say know I mean know as a person, not physically."

"I knew Lydia Pierce!" Sirius objected. "And I really don't know McCoy all that well; she just gets to me. I can't explain it." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Either way, I'm pretty sure she still fancies Longbottom, and since that bloke's got a job, I don't have anything on him." James chuckled and Sirius glared at him. "Girls like blokes with jobs, I'm telling you."

James rolled on his side, away from Sirius. "Well, you'll never know unless you try," he replied. "Now let's take a nap before classes; I'm exhausted."

Sirius shook his head as he stretched out on the floor. Maybe, for once, James's advice wasn't completely crazy.