"Hey, Rose, hurry up. You don't wanna be late for McGonagall's class!"

"All right, all right, Lily. How 'bout I race you!"

Then the two girls ran at full speed to the classroom. Lily turned at a corner, laughing when she banged into somebody. Books flew and Lily fell on her butt.

"Ow…" Lily muttered under her breath and looked up to see who she banged into.

"Lily Evans! Can't you just walk for a change!" James Potter shook his head then bent down to pick up their books.

"I didn't mean it…" Lily protested when Sirius Black attempted to help her up. "Get off me!"

"Whoa! Chill. I was only trying to help." Sirius replied with a lopsided grin, and if it weren't under such circumstances, Lily might have understood why her friends were so crazy about him.

Lily rolled her eyes and got up, sweeping the dust from her butt and snatched her books from James.

James raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome."

Lily glared at him and Sirius gave Rose a look that plainly said, "Is it that time of the month or what?"

Rose rolled her eyes and pulled Lily all the way to the Transfiguration classroom where Professor McGonagall was already waiting. Luckily, she had a soft spot for Lily and didn't pursue the matter, but just asked them to return to their seats quietly.

"Jamsie?"

"Don't ever call me that, Sirius."

"Okay, how about Jamie?"

James glared at him.

They were at the Gryffindor common room, doing some Divination homework when Remus burst into the room.

"What's with the rush? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Close. You know what happened today at Transfiguration?"

"What do you mean? We were there, remember?"

"No, no, no. After Transfiguration."

"Nope, Jamsie and I were rushing back to do our Divination homework."

"Don't call me JAMSIE!"

Remus rolled his eyes and continued, "You know Lily Evans?"

"Tell me about her." Sirius laughed. "Today when we literally bumped into her, she acted like she got a niffler down her back!" James snorted into his homework.

"Guys, this isn't funny. After Transfiguration today, McGonagall asked Lily to perform a complicated transfiguration, turning a table into some sort of animal, she couldn't even do it. And even SHE was surprised!"

"Maybe it's really the time of the month… no biggie."

"Maybe… but don't you think it's weird?"

James looked up from his homework, "Remus? Since when?"

"Since when what?"

"Since when did you become such a gossip. Whatever is happening to Lily is none of our business, better not be saying stuff when she's not around." James frowned.

"Oooo… Jamie's MAD…"

James didn't even bother to retort at that statement. He was too busy thinking about what was wrong with Lily.

"Lily, are you all right?"

No reply.

"Lily… it's really okay. It's just a small mistake. Anyone would have made it."

"A small mistake? Anyone would have made it? I could have done it in just one second! But I didn't!"

"Oh, Lily…"

"I need to be alone, Rose." Lily said quietly. She heard a sigh behind her and then footsteps.

She closed her eyes and thought of the blunders she had made today. First she couldn't turn a table into one stupid pig, then in Charms, she couldn't get a heavy object into levitation, then again in Potions, she couldn't answer questions in a sudden test given to them. She knew she was going to flunk that test, for the first time in her life. She groaned inwardly. What was wrong with her today? Then she heard footsteps down the stairs. She thought it was Rose again so she just ignored them.

"Lily?"

Lily swerved around. It wasn't Rose, instead it was James.

"What do you want? If it is to mock at me, then please don't."

"Lily… I'm not going to mock at you, but what happened today?"

Lily turned around in the big armchair. "Go away." James swore there were tears in her voice. He put his hand on one of her shoulders and was surprised to feel it shaking. He turned her around and faced her tear-streaked face.

"Lily, don't be like that. These things do happen. And it's not your fault. Go to sleep and tomorrow will be better."

"You sure?"
"Positive."

Lily heaved a heavy sigh and got up from her armchair. And to James's surprise, she hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Then she ran up the stair to the girls' dormitory. Lily lay down on her four-poster bed and was grinning like a Cheshire cat. What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way? It's just a kiss, right?

James's eyes were wide open. He sat down in the chair and rubbed the cheek Lily kissed until it was warm. He smiled and then headed back to the boys' dormitory, bumping into Remus and Sirius who swore that they were just getting some water. They smiled at each other and Remus yawned. "We should probably get back to bed. Lights were out a while ago." James nodded and he was actually glad that in his four-poster bed, no one was able to see his flushed and delighted face. Why am I so happy? It's just a kiss, right?

But what all of them didn't know was that someone was watching them, right from where James found Lily crying. "Lily's gonna pay for this."