All Right, Evans?

Chapter 4

Monday, 6:50 P.M.

"Prongs, are you going to hide your face in your lap 'til detention, or can we get some supper?"

"Is Evans going to be at supper?" James asked, his voice muffled.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "All I know is that Evans got to eat lunch while we sat around the hospital wing with your sorry arse."

James lifted his head to look at his friends. "To be fair, I didn't tell you to skip lunch."

"But we'd look like a right couple of gits if we didn't," Sirius said. "Besides, I had my fingers crossed that Pomfrey wouldn't be able to remove the boils, and I wasn't going to miss that. Also Remus wanted to yell at you as soon as he could."

"For good reason," Remus said.

"Sure, right." Sirius got to his feet and kicked James's shoes a few times. "Come on now, Prongs, I'm sure Evans isn't too sore; not like she got in trouble because of you or anything. And Peter hasn't eaten since breakfast, he looks practically emaciated..."

"You're the one that's been whining about food all day," Peter piped up.

"Wormtail, cheek me again and I'll eat you at the next full moon."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Sirius..." Remus sighed but chose not to comment further. "Let's go, Prongs, Madam Pomfrey will have all our heads if you don't eat something."

Resigned to the pressure, James stood and followed his friends out of the dormitory. They made their way to the Great Hall, occasionally hailed by a passing student who wished to congratulate them on the afternoon's excellent fight. Remus wore an odd expression at these times, like he couldn't decide if he should smile or not. Peter remained in awe at the fact that he was associated with James and Sirius at all. Sirius did his best to act bashful, and James merely mumbled his thanks as his thoughts continued to shift towards Lily.

Not that that was anything new, but his fantasies usually didn't involve his own humiliation.

James followed his friends to four seats at the Gryffindor table, and it wasn't until he'd pulled a dish of potatoes toward him that he realized who was sitting across from him.

"Surprised to see you here, Potter. I thought you'd given up magic in favor of a Muggle life."

James quickly masked his flinch and grinned across the table. "Ah, Evans, but what would I do without you?"

"Not punch people, I expect," Lily said loftily.

"Is becuff 'e wikes 'oo," Sirius said thickly through his mouthful of chicken and mashed potato.

Trying not to smile and failing miserably at it, Lily turned to Sirius. "What?" she said, unable to mask the burst of laughter that accompanied the question. "And watch where you're spitting that food."

Sirius swallowed. "I said it's because he likes you. And you can't tell me what to do, Evans, you're not my mother. Which is good, or else I'd end up with this bloke as my stepdad," he added, gesturing to James with a chicken leg.

"Assuming I'm going to marry this bloke?" Lily said, eyes still on Sirius.

"Why not?" Sirius demanded. "You've got to marry the bloke who defends your honor. Pay attention."

"Pay attention to what?"

"Not Sirius," James cut in, only slightly annoyed that Sirius was much better at making Lily laugh than he was. "It's odd, I'm the one who got his skull beat in, and he's the one suffering brain damage."

"You're such a wanker -"

"Watch it," Remus said.

Lily shook her head and turned back to James. "How is your head, Potter?"

"Worse than Lestrange's nose, which is a right shame," James replied bitterly. "Can't decide if it was worth it or not."

"Can't decide?" Sirius echoed indignantly. "Come off it, Prongs, it was -"

"Padfoot," Remus said, "look, this steak's undercooked. You love raw meat. Eat this."

Lily raised her eyebrows at James, who shrugged in a "Don't ask" kind of way and then changed the subject. "How's Alice? Mulciber got her pretty good with those books."

"She's all right," Lily said. "She had a bit of a headache, but Marlene was quick enough with her wand. They're off telling Frank about how brilliant the whole thing was. He missed it, poor bloke, but I suppose it's for the best, as I'm not sure what he would have done if he'd caught Mulciber hexing Alice."

"Right," James said, remembering that his fellow Gryffindor was rumored to fancy Alice Prewett. "You did rather well in his place, though."

A smile touched the corners of Lily's lips. "Mum always said I had a bad temper."

"Bit of a difference between a bad temper and holding your own against those idiots," James said, his eyes drifting towards the Slytherin table.

Lily followed his gaze. "They didn't used to be so bad," she said. "Not all of them, anyway."

James turned back to his dinner. "We get worse as we get older."

"You didn't," she said, and their eyes met again.

"Was that a compliment, Evans?" James asked, trying to ignore his suddenly erratic heartbeat.

Lily smiled. "Don't get cocky, Potter."

"Hate to break up this love fest," Sirius said loudly, "but James and I've got detention to get to."

James checked his watch. "Oh, right." He stood. "Well, erm... see you around, Evans."

"See you, Potter."

James and Sirius were in the entrance hall before either of them spoke. Sirius shot James a sidelong look and said lightly, "That went well."

And thinking that Lily had smiled at him without having first jinxed him into a face-full of tentacles, James had never enjoyed a walk down to the dungeons more