"Stop staring at her."

"I said stop fucking staring at her."

James turned his head to look at his girlfriend. "I wasn't staring at her. Will you stop being so paranoid, for just two seconds?" He took a few bites of his mashed potatoes, and looked across the table at Sirius, who shook his head. James glared at him. He hadn't been staring. He had merely glanced down the table where the beautiful redhead was eating dinner with some of the other Gryffindor girls. When did that become such a crime?

"You're always staring at her. I know you can't help fancying her, but when you're with me, can you just pretend that you don't?"

"I don't fancy her, Kara. I asked her out a few times, and she said no. That's it. I'm sick of having this conversation."

"A few times?" Sirius chimed. "A few hundred, maybe. Or a few million—"

"Oh shut it," said James, as Remus and Peter let out a chuckle. He turned to his girlfriend. "I vote we eat at the Slytherin table with your friends tomorrow."

"Oh right, that'd go well. They all think you're a blood traitor, you know."

"Wait, they're calling me a blood traitor? Just for asking out a Muggleborn a couple times?"

"Couple hundred times," Sirius corrected as James kicked him under the table.

"They're such hypocrites," James continued. "Most of them wouldn't think twice about blood status if they thought they had a chance in hell with a bird like Evans."

"Sorry?" asked his girlfriend.

"Not that she's prettier than you, you're prettier, so much prettier," James said quickly, not wanting to start argument. He hoped that she believed him. She was pretty, even though she was no Evans. She had long blond hair and a pretty decent rack. He liked dating her because he knew it made the other boys jealous of him. Except Sirius, he didn't think much of her. But his standards were extremely high.

He glanced over at Lily again, who was laughing at something her friend Alice had said, and was paying the Marauders no attention. Merlin, she was pretty. Dating her would make any bloke overwhelmed with envy. Not that that was the reason he wanted her. He wanted her because she was just so—"

"You're doing it again!" Kara shrieked.

"What? No I wasn't—" James started, but it was too late, Kara had already stormed away from the table.

"Shit," said James. "I should go after her. Shouldn't I?" he asked his mates, though he didn't make any sort of motion to imply he was ready to leave his dinner.

"Maybe she'll break up with you," said Peter. "That wouldn't be so bad, right?"

"She won't though. If the shit the other Slytherins have been giving her about dating a Gryffindor wasn't enough for her to break it off, I don't know if anything will."

"So why don't you break it off with her?" asked Remus.

"Yeah," agreed Sirius. "After all, aren't you just dating her for her looks?"

"What makes you say that, you haven't noticed her shining personality?" James said wryly.

"Well in her defense, your eyes do wander a lot, James," said Remus.

"Oh please," said James. "Who could blame me? I'm not the only guy who's ever drooled over Evans," he added pointedly.

"I've never drooled over Evans," said Remus, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Yeah sure, Moony," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"But why won't you break up with her?" asked Peter.

"And have to deal with all the crying, and the whining, and the begging? I think I'd like to avoid that, thank you very much. And there's also… something… something that I would like to happen first anyway."

Sirius seemed to be the only one who knew what he was implying. "Well honestly, if she hasn't put out for you already, she's certainly not going to now."

"She might," said James. "If she gets desperate enough."

"Good luck with that," said Sirius through a mouthful of chicken.

"Oh shut up," said James, playfully flicking some of his potatoes at him. A glob landed in his hair. "Just because you've gotten more girls out of their knickers than the three of us combined doesn't give you the right to mock me."

"Well of course it does," Sirius replied. "Not to mention I would've only needed to get laid once for what you just said to be true."

There was an awkward silence. James sighed, and glanced over at Lily as she left the Great Hall with her friends.

It was Remus who broke the silence. "You know, mate," he said to James. "Doing—that—with your girlfriend won't make you forget about Lily."

No," James said sadly. "Not permanently, at least."

"Hello, my lovely Evans," James said, catching up to Lily in the hallway on their way up to the Gryffindor tower. "And how are you this fine evening?"

Lily sighed. "I'm fine, Potter," she said in a tired voice.

"Very good," replied James. He had a feeling she could already predict what was coming. "Well… I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch sometime this weekend. What do you say?"

"I say that you have a girlfriend, and should leave me alone before I tell her you're still hitting on me," Lily replied, in the same tired voice.

"I don't have a girlfriend," said James. "If you'd say yes, that is."

"And why would I ever say yes?"

"Oh come on. On chance, how bad could it hurt?"

"Now why should I give you a chance, Potter? You have a girlfriend, and you treat her like crap. Sorry, but I'm not exactly waiting in line to be one of your girlfriends."

"I wouldn't treat you like crap, Evans. I would be the best boyfriend you ever had."

"Based on your track record, I highly doubt it."

"But Merlin, Evans, don't you get it? The reason why I can't be a great boyfriend to other girls is because of how I feel about you. And I don't treat Kara that badly. I buy her things all the time."

"You made her cry during dinner. Really sweet."

"She was just being paranoid, because she thought I was—well, looking at you."

"But you were. Do you think I didn't notice?"

"Evans, I—"

"Enough, Potter. You do realize that I would never, ever date you, not even if you were the last man on earth?

"Not even then? Well, how would you plan on repopulating the earth? With the Giant Squid, perhaps?"

Lily made a noise of frustration. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you."

"Never," replied James.

It didn't take long for them to make up. James was surprised at how he quickly he had managed to smooth things over. And how quickly it led to a heated snogging session on his bed.

He had managed to get her entire shirt off; usually she stopped him after a few buttons. Perhaps she realized she wanted to take things to the next level. Normally he'd go for her bra next, but there was a more important item of clothing that needed to go. Reaching up under her skit, he tried to roll her knickers down her legs.

"Wait, she said softly, and James groaned. "I'm not ready."

"Well, why not?" he asked with frustration.

"Don't be an asshole. Giving one's virginity away is a much bigger deal for a girl than a guy."

James rolled his eyes. "Well," he said slowly. "What would make you ready?"

"I'll let you know."

"When?" James asked. "I mean, if there's one thing that would take my mind off Evans, this would be it."

"Oh sure, James. Good one. You think you're very clever, don't you?"

"I was serious."

"Please. You think I don't know what would happen if I give myself to you? Sure, maybe it'd make you forget about Evans for a day. You fuck me a couple times, and then get bored and toss me aside like an old broomstick. And then you'd be back chasing after Evans, and then when she turns you down again, you'd go and find some other blonde and make her fall in love with you, because who couldn't? But you'd only break her heart too."

Well, she was pretty close, thought James. She knew him better than he thought she did. And she was in love with him, apparently. That was new. James looked at her for a moment, and saw tears begin to well up in her eyes. "I really don't want to hurt you," he said gently. "But I feel like if there anyway that this is going to work, we should just… try it, at least."

"Why?" she asked bitterly. "So you can close your eyes and pretend you're making love to your little Mudblood fancy?"

"Don't you ever fucking call her that again," he said sharply. "I swear—"

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, biting her lip. "But I hate her. I hate her so much… I don't except you to understand."

"I don't care if you hate her. But if you ever use that word around me or anywhere else in the Gryffindor Tower, we're done. Got it?"

She nodded her head. "I'm sorry, James. I know that sometimes I say things that are a bit off color, but that's because I'm surrounded by people who say things like that all the time. And that's why I like being with you so much, because you make me… a better person."

James felt a pang of sympathy for Kara. He put his arm around her. "I understand," he told her. He kissed her forehead.

"I love you," she said.

James' arm tensed around her shoulder, but he managed to get the words out. "I... love you too," he said with as much conviction as he could.

She looked at him. "Really?" she asked timidly. "I don't want you to lie. I only hope that one day you will—"

"Kara, I love you," he said turning her to face him. He kissed her lips.

She smiled up at him, and for a brief moment, James thought she might be convinced. "And do you still love Evans?" she said softly.

James stared at her blankly for a moment. It was just one little word. He had to say it. "No."

His hesitation was too obvious, and her smile faded. "That's what I thought," she said sadly, and with that she got up, and left.