*Lilah POV*

"'Appreciate it' he says," I grumble as I wring my hair, having taken shelter under the roof by the courtyard.

"You loved it," He smiled cheekily, brushing his sopping wet hair out of his eyes.

"As if," I wrapped my arms around my waist, willing myself to warm up.

"No need to lie to me, Love." He swung his arm around my shoulders, tugging me close into his side. "Body warmth," he answered, catching my questioning look before wiggling his eyebrows, "you know what else will warm us up?"

I threw my head back into his shoulder, laughs escaping me as I playfully smacked his stomach. "Git," I berated, not really meaning it.

My arm wrapped around his waist as we neared the Great Hall for dinner, desperately clinging to the warmth he was radiating.

"Alright, Love?"

"Just a bit cold," I shivered.

"Come closer then you twat," he laughed, rolling his eyes whilst pulling me impossibly closer into his side, and despite the wetness of his clothes, I couldn't find it in myself to object one bit.

I leant my head back against his shoulder as we entered the Hall, not noticing the intrigued glances and jealous glares thrown our way. James led us towards the dining table, sitting us a great distance away from our peers.

"I couldn't be bothered making small talk," he explained, filling up our cups with pumpkin juice.

"Not even with the guys?" I flicked my eyes over to the confused group as they realised that James would not be sitting with them – something that was definitely a first.

"Nah, I'm quite content sitting right here with just us."

*Third Person POV*

They sat close by the fire, desperately trying to heat themselves up. There always was the option of having a shower but they seemed to not want to leave the others side.

"Have you talked to Nicholas?" James asked, breaking the comfortable silence between the pair.

"Of course not," Lilah replied, twiddling her thumbs as she tucked her feet beneath her legs.

"Good," James nodded, once again turning his attention towards the fire.

"Good?" Lilah questioned, annoyance leaking into her tone as she turned to face her friend.

"Yeah, good!" James repeated, turning to face the girl as well.

"I don't see how my relationship is any of your concern," She stated coldly, anger beginning to bubble.

"Ex-relationship," James corrected, appearing a little too smug for Lilah's taste.

"What is your problem?" She cried out, rushing to her feet.

"My problem," James copied her actions, towering over her smaller frame, "is Nicholas!"

Lilah's eyes widened as she took in his threatening stance, willing herself not to cower away from him. "And also me, right?"

James refused to look her in the eyes as he breathed out, "Yes."

"Enlighten me, James, what could I have possibly done now?" She forced out, sick and tired of all the drama that came along with being friends with this one man.

"You still love him," He stated calmly, pent up rage and fury beginning to bubble in his deep blue eyes. "Don't think I haven't noticed your stolen little glances and longing looks."

"Of course I still love him, James! Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm still in love with Nicholas!" She yelled out, not caring for the growing audience.

"How could you? Especially once you found out that he was one of them," he spat, his emotions finally beginning to bubble over.

"I can't just change the way I feel, it doesn't work like that!" She yelled out exasperatedly.

"Well, why the fuck not?" He yelled, finally losing his temper as he threw his hands up in the air.

"Because it just doesn't! Why can't you just get that I'm trying?" Lilah cried out, desperately attempting to keep the tears at bay.

"Yeah, well then you aren't trying enough! You're just-" James screamed, only to be cut off.

"Prongs, mate, don't finish that sentence!" Sirius warned, finally emerging from the crowd in an attempt to break up the fight.

"No," Lilah called out, "finish it, James. I want to know exactly what you think of me."

"Prongs-"

"You heard her, Pads, she wants to know," he fisted a hand in his messy waves, glasses slightly askew on his nose. "You-you're a whore that's so desperate that she doesn't give a shit who she gets it from, as long as she gets her fix. You're selfish because you don't give a damn that you keep stringing me along and messing with my feelings. You're sly and you're manipulative, it's a wonder why you're not in Slytherin. It's also no wonder why you're mother died," he spat harshly, his voice rising with every word until he was screaming in my face, "anything to get away from you.,"

The room fell into silence as she stared into James' furious eyes, a single tear falling as she processed his words.

"I pity you," Lilah replied softly, still holding his glare. "I feel bad that you have so many insecurities yourself that you have to constantly destroy our friendship anytime I get too close. I feel bad that you have issues trusting anyone other than your tight-knit group of friends. I feel bad that you have to try tear me down with the death of my mother and my past relationship in an attempt to make me feel like shit and to concede. But I won't. It's not I that should be in Slytherin, but you James, and for that I pity you."

She turned and smiled out at the crowd, not allowing the effect his harsh words had on her to show. "You guys should be getting to bed soon, it's getting quite late." Lilah smiled once more before brushing past James and up the stairs towards the dormitories, only allowing the sobs to escape once she was in solitude as crying was weakness – and weakness was something that she couldn't allow, not anymore.