Authors Note: This is a story about Lily and James, how their lives unravelled so quickly. The story starts in the fifth year after Snapes Worst Memory. It then will continue into the 6th year with Sirius tricking Severus…. Which is where it all goes wrong for one wizard and right for the other….

Don't own the characters from Harry Potter but I won Erin Jackson, Kirsty Dawson and the Lovejoys.

Lily had always figured her prince charming would be someone other than James Potter, but when events conspire to bring them together she sees a side to James that she never knew was there.

Chapter 1: End of Fifth Year

The noisy chattering of more than a hundred students was a droning, draining volume which consumed he Great Hall. Students were preparing for the end of year feast, there was the usual last minute scramble to get packed ready for the journey home in each common room. And the Gryffindor Common Room was no different, with Lily Evans, Erin Jackson and Kirsty Dawson packing checking every inch of the dormitory and Gryffindor tower.

'Have you seen where I put the Arithmancy book?' Erin said, clearing the bookcase and counting the books.

'You mean your dirty, naughty sex book- have you checked in Sirius' room?' Kirsty said smartly, the socks Erin was holding got flung across the room aimed at white haired Kirsty Dawson.

'I will have you know the last person I leant that too was Remus Lupin,' Erin responded laughing, she threw her hair back as she flounced into the bathroom. Kirsty went a paler shade than her already ice white complexion.

'Are you looking forward to your holiday to Paris Lily?' Kirsty asked attempting to ignore Erins little dig, folding up her quidditch jumper. Kirsty was a chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, she was probably not the best but always tried her hardest.

'Yes, your Remus actually suggested a couple of wizard haunts,'

'Do you think you'll take Petunia with you?'

'Doubt she will even be coming, too wrapped up in her lover boy Vern,' Lily said spitting his name out 'be just me, Harry, mum and dad,'

'That'll be fun, how old is Harry now?'

'13, and a little annoying, but nothing I cannot handle' Lily admitted thinking about her younger brother who unlike Lily was a muggle and attended the local high school where Petunia had gone. The dorm room was almost spotless, albeit Erin's attempt at stripping the bed, a crumpled heap of mess lay at the bottom of her bed.

'I'm going to head down, if you help little Miss Unorganised? ' Kirsty asked, she had all her cloaks, robes neatly folded and in her trunk. She was obsessively tidy, and how she had managed to share a dorm room with Erin Jackson for more than 5 years was an amazement. Kirsty had a place for everything, Erin had everything in every place.

'Erin- Kirsty's off,'

'Bye KD, love to Reemy-poo, don't do page 37,' Erin called

'Sod off, Jackson,' and she pointed her wand at Erin's trunk and all the clothes spilled out 'see you in September ladies, when sweet sixth year will begin,'

The Gryffindor Common room was always quiet he last night before the end of term, most of the parties had ended the week before as a lot of students were now no longer returning home by train, well the majority of purebloods and half bloods at least. Muggleborns took the train with extra security, Auror's were posted in each carriage. Lily was looking forward to her summer, the first time abroad since starting Hogwarts. Her excitement could not be contained. Packing the last of her books and pens, she hurried to the Gryffindor Common Room. And James and Sirius were saying goodbye to Remus at the fireplace, it was strange they were not going with him.

'It was not a problem Moons,' Sirius said hugging his friend tightly who looked like he had run head first into a door, Remus had a scar above his left eye and his nose was broken.

'Oh hi Lily,' Remus said noticing her walking across the room looking at his face 'Sirius got a bit over zealous at practicing quidditch, thought I was the goal post,'

'Be more careful, there's only one Remus Lupin,' and Lily hugged him, turning to Sirius and apparently ignoring James 'have you finished packing because Erin thinks she's lost a particularly important book, help her find it will you? Unless you know where it's gone Remus?' she added smirking

'Must go,' Remus said turning a paler shade of rose he stepped into the fire after hugging Sirius and then James. Sirius, following Lily's instruction made his way up to the 6th year girl dorm room.

'Not talking to me then?'

Lily said nothing

'Take that as a yes, '

Lily rolled her eyes crossing towards the portrait hole to go down to the great hall for the last supper before going home tomorrow. Her dark blue travelling cloak was littered with an embroidered flock pattern that when she passed the windows the dwindling sunshine picked up flecks of silver and gold.

'When are you going to realise it was just retaliation?'

'For what James?' Lily said turning on him in the corridor 'just because he does something to you does not mean you have to lower yourself to his standards,'

There seemed to be no need to explain who "he" was in Lily's eyes he Severus Snape had turned a corner where she could not follow him.

'And let him get away with telling everyone in the school- everyone that you- you-'

'What I do is my own business, I don't need protecting,' Lily implored walking fast now she came to the top of the first landing where other students were milling around on their way to the great hall.

'Lily. You are a Gryffindor. We defend our own,' he said pulling her arm

'That's just it James, I'm not like you,' Lily said outraged 'I don't need a wizard to fight my battles for me,' She pulled her arm away

'I wasn't fighting them for you, I didn't want people to believe those rumours about you and him,'

Lily was now getting cross, her hair, as it so often did and turned a brighter shade of red when she was angry and her eyes were pools of grey storm clouds sifting through an emerald troubled ocean.

'So you believe them, do you?'

'I never said that,' James pointed out quickly 'I just want to protect you, why can I not do that?'

'You're not my brother, I can make my own way James. Let me deal with it,' she added as Severus Snape had appeared at the bottom of the staircase, James marched downwards almost straight away.

'Happy? Do you like hurting her?' he said to Snape who was in his usual pallid slytherin robes, but somehow looked more dishevelled than usual.

'I don't have to answer to you,' Snape said, he looked past James to Lily who was standing on the top of the stairs 'I want to talk to Lily,'

'She doesn't want to talk to you, after what you called her this afternoon'

Lily marched down the stairs, 'James, stop it.'

'For you, you're lucky she was here,'

Lily sighed in frustration, James shrugged and left for the great hall.

'We're done Sev, I told you something in confidence and you told the whole school,' she said, upset. Lily looked at him hoping for some final admission of guilt. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, his black robes smeared with potion stains Lily almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

'I didn't!' Severus protested 'Lily please, I didn't mean to say anything they made me'

'You always say that, Sev, that "they made me", have you considered doing something for yourself for a change?' Lily pointed out. She hugged her lather satchel tighter to her chest, as if protecting herself.

'Lily sometimes, sometimes I don't get a choice. Lucius says I'm part of the gang if I want to fit in I have to-'

'If they are more important than us being friends then I don't even know why I am friends with you, you disgust me,' and Lily walked away from him.