A/N: I changed the name because I thought this one up while using the bathroom and liked it better. Anyway, I won't change it anymore. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: JKR owns the characters etc. J. Geils band owns the song 'Love Stinks'.


'Bugger off, Potter'

or

'Love Stinks'

(No one's PoV)

"Hey Evans, what's up?" 16-year-old James Potter yelled across the crowded corridor. He'd been in love with Lily Evans for years. She hated him. As much as it hurt him when she turned him down, he persisted because he was James Potter and everyone knew that James Potter never gives up.

"Better before you spoke to me, Potter" Lily yelled back. Usually fierce and caring and responsible, Potter was such an arrogant git in her opinion, always asking her out and annoying her that he brought out only the fiery aspect of her personality. He was the unlucky target of many hexes and jinxes. He was the only Marauder that she had a real problem with; Sirius Black, Potter's second in command was a bit of a git, but he was funny and understanding. And they'd bonded over sibling problems; his younger brother was a git and her older sister was also, though not for entirely different reasons. She'd been friends with Remus Lupin since she was a second year, and Peter Pettigrew was as sweet as he was shy.

"Will you- "James began, but Lily cut him off. Why could the prick never get it through his arrogant head that she would never go out with him?

"No, I will not go out with you, so leave it, drop it, never speak to me again unless you can refrain from being an insufferable git and just shut up already!" Lily screeched, infuriated. The bloody git couldn't refrain from asking her out for just one minute! James looked crestfallen, and dropped his gaze, hurt in his eyes. Lily had already turned away, so she didn't notice the emotions in her nemesis's eyes.

"Tough luck, mate" Sirius chuckled from his side. James glared at his friend. Sirius noticed a hurt in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"You'll get over it eventually and ask her out again" Peter said wisely, with the air of someone who'd had similar experiences. Which he had. James smiled weakly.

"I love her" James contradicted. "Besides, I've tried. And failed. Many times. I can't get the bloody girl to go out with me."

"Calling her 'the bloody girl' probably doesn't help" Remus quipped.

"I'm serious!-"

"No, I'm- "

"Shut up!" Peter covered his ears.

"Don't you dare make that pun" Remus shouted over them all.

"-Sirius!" Sirius grinned.

"- I'm determined to get over her!" James cried. His friends looked at him horrified.

"You can't just give up! You're James Bloody Potter! You never give up!" Sirius glared.

"Yes, I can!"

"Pads is right, you can't just give up!" Remus wheedled.

"We've listened to you whine- "Peter muttered.

"-And sob- "

"-And come up with bloody stupid ways to ask her out! "

"We've listened to you dream about kissing her- "added Sirius.

"-and decide what you're wedding, for eff's sake's will look like!" Remus complained.

"You are never giving up as long as we are your friends!" Peter said triumphantly. James scowled.

"Love stinks."


"Do you think I was too harsh?" Lily wondered looking worried. She and her friends were battling the crowds as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch (they'd just finished double Transfiguration and the whole school was stressing about the impending exams), but as much as Potter annoyed her, she still didn't want to hurt him.

"Maybe a little" Lily's best friend and roommate Marlene McKinnon allowed. Lily scowled, plopping down on the bench and dropping her bag. Mary MacDonald and Marlene sat down on either side of Lily and Mary began putting chicken and ham pie on her mate's plates.

"Thanks Mary" Marlene took a bite of her pie.

"If you feel that guilty, find the git and apologize, but honestly, he'll get over it, he always does" Mary said. Lily sighed.

"Black's coming over" Marlene mumbled, spraying crumbs across the table as the Marauders minus James took seats across from the girls.

"Where's Potter?" Lily inquired, surprised. Usually Potter was everywhere Sirius was.

"Library" Remus answered, picking up the spoon and serving himself.

"I'm surprised he even set foot into such a place" Sirius said. We made a pact that if we had to go to the library, we'd inform the other so that they could come along and keep us from studying too much." Lily raised her eyebrow.

"What if you need a book?"

"Ah, Red, you are sadly misinformed. Six years of putting up with us and you don't know that we don't need books?"

"Firstly, don't call me Red. Secondly, we weren't exactly best mates. Thirdly, I know for a fact that you guys constantly steal Remus's books rather than checking out your own" Lily informed him, scraping up the last bits of crust.

"Ha! She's got you there, Pads!" Remus sniggered. Lily pulled her legs over the side of the bench.

"I'm done, see you later"

"Bye" Mary said glancing up from her notes that were spread around her on the table. After Lily left, Sirius laughed.

"James says that, and I quote 'Love stinks'"

"Poor guy" Marlene said sympathetically, picking a strand of her sleek brown hair out of her mouth and grimacing. Sirius smiled and shrugged.

"He'll get over it, eventually. He always does."


Lily's auburn curls bounced as she hurried down the corridor toward the library. She rifled through her bag in search of the library book she needed to return. As she rounded the corner, she ran smack dab into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she glanced up. She caught her breath as she recognized the group of Slytherins before her.

"Well what have we here?" Mulciber sneered.

"The mudblood!" Avery cackled. Lily sighed.

"Excuse me" she said with fake politeness, glancing at the third member of the group and noticing that the familiar greasy hair fell in sheets around a thinner than usual face. "Snape." She spat. "I should've known you'd be hanging out with these gits." Mulciber's wand was pointing at her before she could continue.

"How dare you treat us with anything but the utmost respect, mudblood!" he snapped.

"I would say the same to you" she hissed back, eyes flashing.

"Let's see how well the mudblood girl, no less, can fight" Avery challenged, whipping out his wand. Lily was furious, now. And if anyone is smart, they know not to challenge a furious Lily Evans. "Levicorpus!" he yelled. Lily dodged the spell, firing one of her own and missing. How dare he attack her! Mulciber laughed.

"You fight like a girl" he jeered. Lily glared at him, infuriated. No one said to Lily Evans, one of the top duelers in her year, that she fought like a girl. Frankly, it was sexist because if girls were great fighters and guys were bad fighters, then it would be a compliment! Lily laughed and shot a spell at him, and the distraction it caused gave her enough time to slip under his guard and punch him in the nose. He fell to the ground clutching his nose. Lily grabbed her now throbbing knuckles.

"Let's go, Avery" Snape pleaded.

"Why would we, when there's still so much fun to be had? Crucio!" he laughed. Lily leapt out of the way, but she wasn't quite fast enough and the spell hit her.

She screamed. Needles were piercing her skin, her muscles were burning, her abdomen was cramping, she was gasping for air, writhing on the ground. She heard footsteps running, then, in a blessedly familiar voice that was usually used for asking her out;

"What the hell, Avery?" Avery's concentration broke and the spell lifted. Lily gasped for breath as she glimpsed James' fist connect with Avery's face. She hauled herself up into a sitting position. Severus slipped over to her.

"Lily, are you okay?" He asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, obviously I'm wonderful. I was just tortured, what do you think?" She snapped sarcastically. "And get away from me, grease ball." Severus looked like he'd been slapped but stood. Lily looked up again to see James hurrying towards her and Severus.

"Move" he said simply, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that almost scared Lily. If she was Snape, she'd be terrified. Severus moved. "Can you walk?" he asked extending his hand, forehead creased with worry.

"I will" Lily said determinedly. James pulled her up and she stumbled. James caught her and she steadied herself.

"Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine. I just need to sit down."

"Are you sure?"

"Just help me get back to the bloody common room, okay?" Lily ordered, squeezing her eyes shut. James looked worried. They walked slowly through the corridors and James helped her up the steps.

"What happened exactly?" he asked.

"I was going to the library, to find you actually and apologize when I bumped into Mulciber. They started insulting me and I tried to walk away but Avery tried to hex me. I shot a spell at them and they taunted me about 'fighting like a girl' the stupid gits, so I punched Mulciber. Avery used the cruciatus on me and then you came" Lily finished.

"You punched Mulciber?" James asked, mouth hanging open in surprise.

"What?" Lily said, a little defensively.

"I just didn't have you marked down as the punching type" he explained. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Password?" the Fat Lady inquired.

"Gillyweed" James answered. The portrait hole opened and James helped Lily climb carefully through. As Lily limped over to the couch, Marlene turned around.

"Lily! What happened? What's wrong?" She asked frantically.

"She was tortured" James growled, eyes dark with anger. "By the Slythergits." Marlene gasped.

"Oh my gosh, Lily. Do you need to go to the hospital wing? Here sit down." She offered Lily her seat and Lily gratefully took it.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest" She insisted. Marlene looked about to protest, but she was stopped as Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Mary clambered through the portrait hole. Sirius noticed the two hovering around Lily.

"What happened, Ginger?" Sirius asked. Lily scowled at the nickname but answered.

"I was tortured"

"By those good for nothing sniveling bigots!" Marlene almost howled with rage.

"Calm down, Marls. No one died" Lily said. The others looked outraged, also.

"I will kill them!" Sirius, Remus, and Mary shouted in unison, turning for the door, hands halfway to their wands.

"Guys, stop. James already offered." Surprisingly, Sirius sighed.

"Fine" he allowed. "But if they ever lay a hand on you again they'll have to answer to me." Remus and Mary turned back and Remus took a seat next to Lily and began questioning her vigorously.

"I'm fine, honestly" Lily protested. Remus ignored her.

"Are you feeling any more residual pain?"

"No"

"Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Faint?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'm just tired, now leave it!" And her concerned friend finally obeyed.


Sirius beckoned for James to follow him up to the boys' dorm. James followed, stealing a glance back at where Lily's friends were clustered around her. When the two boys arrived at their dorm, Sirius immediately whipped around.

"You were awfully quiet down there, Prongs. Is everything okay?" James rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Yes, I'm just brilliant" he said sarcastically. The love of my life just got tortured and she probably still hates me! Yes, I'm wonderful."

"You aren't giving up on her, though. We won't let you."

"Won't let me? These are my feelings, Padfoot. You should try asking the girl you love if she would help you with charms and being rejected without even knowing what I was asking. I'm stopping if I want to. I've been hurt enough by her. I don't want to be hurt again!" He yelled. His friend looked saddened, but let it be. James sighed and flopped on his bed.

"Love stinks" He muttered.


Lily woke with a start to see the fire in the Gryffindor common room dwindling and James Potter quietly reading a book with a plate of food in front of him. She observed him for a moment and watched as he did mundane things like push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The she spoke.

"Hi" He jumped and dropped his book with a thump, sliding out of his chair. He sat up.

"Ow" He deadpanned. Lily started giggling. Then after a while James joined. It was kind of funny after all.

"Snorry!" she forced out through the giggles. I wonder where the old obnoxious Potter went? She wondered. Anyway, she was surprised that he was being so nice and un-prattish.

"Did you just say snorry?" he asked, catching his breath. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Her striking curls tumbled down her back and her emerald eyes lit up beautifully as a slim hand raised to cover her smiling mouth.

"I brought you some dinner" he said, indicating the plate in front of him.

"Thanks" she replied, popping a grape into her mouth. They chatted and laughed for a while in a very un-Lily and James-ish way. Lily was wondering what had come over her to be friendly with Potter. Though he did just save her from being tortured for any longer, so that was something. Finally, Lily finished eating and stretched.

"I'm going to go upstairs" she yawned. James agreed. They stood up and made their way to their respective staircases. Before she ascended the stairs, though, she paused and said, "James?"

"What?" he asked.

"Thank you for today" she smiled grimly.

"Anytime"


A/N: Thanks for reading! This is my first ever long fic, so I hope that you guys like it. I'm not an experienced writer, in fact I've never actually had formal writing lessons, so this probably isn't as good as it could be, but I'm gonna take a writing class this fall so hopefully I will improve. Also, I will try super hard NOT to abandon this story. If you have any CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms, feel free to comment or PM me. I won't tolerate flames, though, so if you have a problem with my story DON'T READ IT!

Now onto more pleasant things. How do you like my characters so far? I've only written one-shots, so I'm not too familiar with character development etc. I have a hard time not rushing through the story and with not ignoring characters. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated!

I love Jily (Why do some people call it Limes? I mean neither are very good ship names, but at least Jily isn't a tropical fruit. Oh well), so it'll be exciting to write a story about them. I'm planning on jumping around the points of view, so I'll let you know at the beginning of each chapter what the PoV is. Also, look up the songs I'm using as chapter titles! I think that the songs have relevant names/lyrics/or both. The songs are the inspiration for the chapters because I was listening to them and I was thinking 'well what if…'

Anyway, enough rambling! I'll hopefully update in a week-ish, maybe sooner, maybe later, depends on how long it takes to write the third chapter (I think it'll be good to always have a backup chapter so you guys aren't kept waiting).

Where-We-Are-Just-And-Loyal

(What possessed me to make such a long pen name? Okay, shutting up now!)