Chapter 1:

Lily Evans flopped onto her four poster bed in the beloved Gryffindor girls' dormitory. She felt stuffed from the start of year feast – which always reminded her of how much she missed the food when she was at home. This last summer had been the worst in her life. She's been used to being well liked and constantly surrounded with friends – before she knew she was a witch, she was adored in her hometown. Even here, at Hogwarts, she was the nice girl, the prefect who was called a teacher's pet. Oh, she was teased. But not meanly and she definitely had friends.

But being absent from Muggle school had sort of put a downer on her popularity with them. It had never mattered much before, her and Severus would amuse themselves. They had spent countless hours talking, practising spells and genuinely having fun every summer. It was magical.

This past summer was different though, as she still wasn't talking to her former best friend. She'd spent the summer with her parents, doing homework and stuck in the house. Petunia – she thought with a pang, Tuney – had been with her new boyfriend and her group of friends every day. Even when she was at home, she never talked to Lily when it wasn't necessary and she'd never invited Lily to come out.

Once or twice she'd seen Severus and he'd waved with a little smile. She'd just replayed the events from their fifth year in her mind and turned away. As she got lonelier, it was harder to turn away. She knew they'd be having so much fun if they were still friends.

"Lily!" A voice brought her back to present.

She shook herself for daydreaming so completely and concentrated on, one of her roommates, Amelia's voice.

"Sorry?"

"Which boy are you claiming in pick a boy? It's your term for first pick!" That was Jenny.

Ever since the third year, when Amelia and Katy had liked and went after the same boy, her roommates had come up with a strategy. At the start of each term, the girls would each claim a boy and the others weren't allowed to touch him – well, not literally. It was so they didn't have as many arguments.

It'd always seemed very stupid to Lily, though. It was hardly the way to go about getting a boyfriend. You didn't claim boys like they were dress robes in the sale.

But then, what would you know, she thought darkly. You've never even been kissed.

She felt embarrassed as she thought this. Sure, it was true but still. She'd never breathed that little fact to another soul. Well, she hadn't told anyone she'd been kissed but the implications had been there when questions were asked.

Was that a horrid thing to do? Almost lie to your friends!

I'll think about it later, she promised herself and focused again on the conversation.

All her dorm mates were staring at her. She hoped it'd appeared as if she'd been thinking. "Do I have to pick someone?" She asked slowly and deliberately.

Victoria sighed, "I told you she'd say that!"

Jenny turned and looked at Lily for a moment. Jenny was a bold girl, and Lily probably liked her best out of all the girls in her dorm. Although, she was very unlike Lily. Jenny had dark hair, big eyes and striking features. She'd also had a crush on one Sirius Black for over a year now.

"What is it with you, Lily?" She asked quietly. "You're really pretty, and I know loads of boys that like you. A certain Gryffindor Seeker included," She dropped a wink. "But you don't seem at all interested in boys! Girls would kill to have James and Ryan want them!"

Lily blushed, she couldn't help it. Ryan Dallas was Ravenclaw Quidditch captain and a seventh year. "Ryan doesn't fancy me, don't be absurd!"

Katy giggled, her girlish voice was high, "But you didn't deny James does!"

"Well, he said as much before summer when..." Lily suddenly cut off. She didn't need to continue. "But it was obviously nothing serious, and I'll bet he'll be snogging someone next time we see him!"

The girls didn't look convinced, and Jenny continued, "Whatever. I think they both like you. Not to mention that vile Slytherin."

Once upon a time, Lily would've insisted that he was lovely. But she didn't see the point, and besides, she didn't really want to.

Tori, who killed you if you called her Victoria, laughed openly at this.

"You have to pick," Amelia chipped in. "Even if you don't do anything with him, you need to pick!"

Lily saw no easy way out of this without picking and sighed.

Let's see, there's James... he certainly was good looking. As Jenny had said, most girls would love him and Ryan to fancy them. She could claim one of them. But if it was true that they had a soft spot for her, they might be encouraged to hear that Lily had chosen them. That truly was the last thing she wanted. There was Sirius... now, even Lily knew that he was handsome. But he seemed like such a troublemaker and he was so vain! Not that James wasn't either. And if James did really fancy her, she wouldn't want to start anything between the best friends...

Plus, whatever the girls said about claims, Jenny would be furious if Lily took Sirius.

That left only one fair choice.

She looked up at her friends and said clearly, "Remus."