"GRYF-FIN-DOR!, GRYF-FIN-DOR!, GRYFFINDOR! WOOO!"
Lily Evans rolled her eyes, electricity crackling angrily through her body. Here it came. The post-match euphoria.
As soon as the thought had flit through her head, the portrait burst open, and a great stream of people filtered into the Common Room, whooping and hollering.
She scowled, and relocated herself, scanning the Common Room for a peaceful place to read her book.
She spotted a comfy-looking armchair in the corner, and plopped down, curling her denim-clad legs under her, and getting comfortable.
And then he was there. Oh, how she despised him. Anger, and the urge to break his dumb glasses overwhelmed her, and she struggled to squash it down.
"Hey, Evans! Evans! EVANS!" James Potter shoved his way through the crowd frantically, trying to make his way to where Lily was sitting peacefully.
Why, why, why? She rolled her eyes, and whipped her hair over her shoulders. She finally looked up at him, unable to ignore his incessant calls anymore.
When she glanced up, she jumped a little at seeing the flushed face of the infamous James Potter standing above her. He was sweaty, clutching the silver Cup, and when she acknowledged him, his hand leapt to his already windswept hair.
"Hi! We won!" He said brightly, grinning, and lifting the Cup slightly into her line of view.
She stood, and glared, making eye contact determinedly. "Oh, really? Blimey, I hadn't realized. Fantastic. Another ego-booster to inflate your already insufferably large head. You sicken me."
His smile faltered, then faded as he looked at her. She glared daggers at him, but broke eye contact. "Just...go away." She said weakly, mentally kicking herself for showing pity. This was Potter!
A frown creased his face, and when she looked into his eyes, she was shocked to see genuine sadness.
He took a step back, and dropped the Cup. He kicked moodily at the leg of her chair. "Whatever. I'm sorry for...erm...disturbing you. I just thought you'd be interested to know we demolished Slytherin. You know, because you weren't at the match, and I;d just expected you to be there. I'll leave you to your book then Lily.."
She met his eyes, and he looked at ground, sadly. He walked away, hands jammed in his pockets. In his frustration and sadness, he'd forgotten completely about winning the match.
Sirius caught him as he went by and tried to shove a drink into his hands, looping an arm around his shoulders.
"Hey mate! Excellent match! We slaughtered them! I dunno how you--James?" Sirius looked where James had been standing moments before, seeing no one. He glanced into the crowd, and saw James disappearing up to the Dorm, his head hung.
Sirius scowled. This had to be Lily's work. Did she always have to ruin his day? This was James's time, damn it!
His angrily slammed his drink on the table, and saw Remus collapsed in an armchair by the fire, talking half-heartedly to Wormtail. The Full Moon was in two days, explaining his friend's sickly image.
He made his was over to Remus, weaving in between happy party-goers.
"Moony!" He called. Remus looked up wildly, and grinned tightly spotting Sirius.
"What's going on, mate?" Remus said tiredly. Sirius was scowling in Lily's general direction.
Sirius told about how James looked depressed and left the party, not even holding the Cup. Remus sighed, frowning and shaking his head. "What'll we do, Moony?"
Remus stood, downing a goblet of Firewhiskey easily, smacking his lips. "We'd best talk to her. Come on."
They made their way to Lily, who looked up in alarm when Sirius cleared his throat. "Ahem."
She said breezily, "Hello Remus. Black."
Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius cut across him. "So, Evans, what'd he do now? Look at you and blink? Or, no, my apologies, he said hello to you, didn't he?"
"Sirius" Said Remus warningly. He'd recognized the troubled look Lily had given him when he'd greeted her. But Sirius continued.
"God, Evans, when will you take your fat head out of your book long enough to realize that he's in love with you? It's not a silly little game anymore for him! He's grown up! But no, the perfect Lily Evans can't see that, because James bloody Potter isn't good enough for her."
Tears welled in Lily's eyes, and she let her book drop to the carpet.
Sirius continued maliciously, brimming with anger. "You're going to have to face it sooner or later, Evans." he spat. "You love him back. I see it, Remus sees it. It's only you and James. Well, when you get over yourself, let us know, will you? Because I know from experience James is better than most guys. He's decent, Evans. Not like the Diggory bloke you dated last month. Your brilliant friend, Snape?" he spoke the name with loathing, "James hates him. Absolutely HATES him Evans and he saved his ungrateful neck just two years ago. All he wants from you is the time of day! Wake up, Evans. He loves you."
Sirius growled, the shadow of a dog flickering upon his face, and stalked away, to find James.
Remus crouched, and looked at Lily. She was openly sobbing now, leaning back against the chair, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"He's right. Completely right, Remus. Everything Sirius said was true. I've been denying it for so long. But ever since I set eyes on him...I knew it. Someday I'd fall in love with him. Well, Remus, that day's come. I'm in love with James Potter."
He hugged her and she cried softly into his shoulder.
"I-I sh-should go. Thank you Remus."
She stood, in her hurry, lifting the silver Cup James had dropped, carrying it up to her room, and forgetting her book. She bolted up the stairs in a flash, her red hair whipping around the corner. Remus knew she was going to cry in peace.
Oh, the joys of Hogwarts.