Chapter 24

                                    

                                          
"What time is it James?"
                          
"2 a.m."
                          
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Siri, make a move it's 2 a.m.!"
                          
"Here you go." Sirius said moving his knight.
                          
"You are just delaying my victory you know that, I would have won easily an hour ago"
                          
"Well I would have won two hours ago if you hadn't delayed it. Then I made a mistake and now you are winning, so who knows I might get to win if I delay you"
                          
"I am not as stupid as you, might take that into consideration mate, eh?"
                          
"Whatever"
                          
"Oi mate! Speed it up a bit,will you? We came down at 8 and it's 2 now! Look poor Pete is fast asleep right now, even I want to sleep now." James whined and to prove himself a yawn accompanied him.
                          
"Rey, make a bloody move!" Sirius yelled.
                          
"I did, it's your turn now you barny idiot." Remus snapped. Sirius formed his lips in an 'o' and started staring the chessboard.
                          
Now James had had enough, he got up and threw the chessboard down with a thump. "That's it! You both BLOODY LOSERS, I win you!" With that he went back and sat on the couch watching the shocked horrified faces of Sirius and Remus, still staring at the fallen chessboard.
                          
"You are a true Git, you know that, eh?" Remus asked angrily and James shrugged and balanced a cushion on now sleeping Peter's head. Sirius joined him grinning and put a book on top of it, which was lying on top of the desk near them, which had a further addition of an ink bottle to it by Remus. The three boys snickered and James added a quill for better effect.
                          
"Hey I have a question!" Sirius said jumping. Who was replied by a cough for Remus which sounded a lot like I bet it's not a good one. 
                          
"Yeah what is it? Not that I thought you were capable of asking questions, but still what can we do." James shrugged. And was gifted a deadly glare from Sirius.
                          
"What does a mirror look like if it doesn't reflect anything?" Sirius said.
                          
Silence. James and Remus both looked at each other and were both welcomed with an extremely blank face.
                          
"Well that's a really good one, Siri" James said. Remus thought for a minute "Oh thanks a lot Siri, now I won't be able to sleep till I get the answer." Both James and Sirius grinned and snickered.
                          
"Black, the mirror will look totally Black." Said a voice from the staircase that leads to the girls dormitory. Remus jumped on the spot and yelled, "Yes! Exactly! It will be black! Merlin my brain doesn't work while I am tired." Sirius nodded and James elbowed him.
                          
The voice, belonged to the fiery red headed girl, Lily. She came to a halt in front of the three boys. They looked at Peter and then at each other and then started to act 'casually' which was not at all casual.
                          
Remus was suddenly very interested in the carpet under his feet. James was whistling and watching the portraits, and Sirius was examining his nails. Lily cleared her throat.
                          
"Oh hey! Evans, didn't notice you here." James said cheerfully. Lily looked at him and hooked up her eyebrows "Really Potter, Don't you think it's really stupid playing dumb, while you are standing right behind poor Peter?"
                          
"Peter who Peter? James do you know any Peter?" Sirius said hastily. James looked at him with the look really?-are-you-kidding-me? And Remus was looking at him with lie-gone-too-far look.
                          
At that Lily looked at him and said. "Are you serious?" James and Remus both face-palmed themselves and took a step back. Sirius grinned at Lily and replied. "I am always Sirius." And was replied with a union of groan from the three of them.
                          
"What are you three doing up at 2:30 in the morning?" Lily asked with her reprimanding look.
"What are you doing up?" James asked.
"None of your business." Lily said bitting her lower lip.
"Exactly." Sirius said.
                          
"We should take our leave, Sirius come help me carry Pete up." Remus said. Sirius and Remus put their wand out and levitated Peter. James acted to follow them but didn't, instead he went back to stand in front of Lily. 
                          
"Why are you sad?" James asked. His voice leveled and very soothing and full of care.
"I am not sad." Lily answered.
"Yes you are, I can tell it by you eyes, they are not that bright emerald green. They are the green of grass green right now, you are sad." James said as a matter of fact. Lily started at him.
                          
He sat Lily on one couch and transfigured cups and and made some tea, something he learned when he was nine, and has always helped him.
He handed Lily a cup full of steaming tea and sat on the floor in front of her.
"Cinnamon tea, it always helps to lift up the mood" Lily took a sip and felt the warmth of the tea warm her inside. She suddenly felt better.
                          
They both sat in the silence and drank tea, Lily was glad that James didn't ask her why she was upset, and James knew better. When the cup was empty, James stood up and leaned in front of Lily. "Hmm... Getting bright again now aren't they?" James said watching Lily's eyes. Lily nodded.
James grinned his that grin. The one that was only for Lily.
"Alright Evans?"
"Never been worse" Lily said sarcastically. James laughed.
                          
He placed the cup at the table and after a moment he said."You know, whenever you need me, just knock on the dorm door, or just yell 'Potter!' and I'll be there for you, I might not look like someone who listens, but I do, whenever you want to talk. Plus it isn't the way that boys cannot go to girls' dormitory, girls can come to boys'"
"That's because the founders know that boys are a total pervert."
"Hey that hurt"
"Whatever Potter"
James stood up straight and bowed. "Forever at your service madam" and with that he marched towards the stairs.
                          
"Good night, Evans" he called from his shoulder.
"Good night, Potter" Lily replied. She sighed when he was gone and then took the cup from the table in her hand. The cup was lined with Gryffindor red lines and was decorated with Lilies. She laughed, and took the cup up to her dormitory and set it on her night stand besides the photograph of her standing with Petunia and her mom and dad, in front of a beach, laughing as there was no moment happier than this. "I miss you 'Tuney, if you would just come back to me" Lily said to Petunia's photo longingly. With that she put her head on her pillow and finally, she slept.