Hi everyone, this is my first posted HP fanfic. Please feel free to leave any comments, especially constructive criticism. I will update soon! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Ever feel like you've got nobody? You can be surrounded by people, people who love you, but you just can't connect. You're alone, even though you appear to be surrounded.

That's how I'd felt ever since fifth year, when my best friend in the world turned on me, hit me in the one spot where he knew could hurt he could hurt me. From that day on, I've felt isolated from everyone.

And I knew it was stupid to feel like that. I had my parents. I had my friends. I had half the guys in my year who were obsessed with me.

But my parents didn't understand about magical stuff. They loved me, sure, and they were proud of their little witch. But they just didn't get it. And I had no solid group of friends. I was the popular kind of kid who could hang out with almost anyone and have a good time, but no one to go to when I needed solid advice or a shoulder to cry on. And the guys at school were all jerks. Especially that stupid James Potter, Head Boy. As fellow Heads, we were technically supposed to be unified and work together, but I'd arranged the patrols so I didn't have to see him more than necessary.

* * * * *

I needed a walk. I needed a breather. I needed some peace. I ran from the owlery, crying, all the way down those many staircases and stories, running to get myself into my secluded corner by the lake, dropping Petunia's latest hateful letter as I went. I was flying across the grounds when I heard someone ask, "Lily? What's going on? Are you all right?"

I whirled around. If it were James, I was going to curse him, but it was Remus Lupin. Sirius, Pettigrew, and James were nowhere in sight.

"Oh, I'm JUST FREAKING DANDY!" I screamed. A few people turned to look at me, but no one interrupted.

He looked scared for a minute, and then a sympathetic look came over his face. "I'm sorry," he said, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, but thanks. It's my family, my sister, actually, and she's just…" I shook my head, trying to calm down. "She's just being really horrible about everything, and I'm stressed. But I shouldn't yell at you. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," he said. "Don't worry about it. Do you want to get something to eat, or talk, or something? That might make you feel better."

I debated for a second. "Sure," I said. Lupin was nice, easy to talk to. I spilled out the entire story to him over the walk back to the castle. We sat together for dinner, and then his friends walked in. My heart stopped. I did not need harassment right now from James.

They sat down around us.

"Hi, Lily," Pettigrew said.

"Hey, Evans," came from Sirius.

"Hi," James said. I was shocked. It appears that he actually noticed my red, swollen eyes, my pale face, the tear tracks on my cheeks, and decided not to annoy me. I had never been happier to be left alone.

Dinner passed in a few jokes between the guys, some teacher-bashing, random Quidditch stuff, all of them polite to me, including me in their conversations. I was actually in a better mood when I left to go to bed early. It was so weird: dealing with the Marauders made me feel better. They sure could surprise me.

* * * * *

Seconds after Lily left, James turned on Remus.

"How the hell did you do that?" he asked. "I've been trying to get her to eat within ten feet of me since our first year! And you get it on your first try! Did I screw it up?"

Remus shrugged. "I saw her crying out by the lake, and I felt bad, and we talked our way back up to the castle, and then she sat down by me, and then you guys came, and I guess she was too polite to just jump up and leave, and—yeah, that's about it."

James sat there for a few seconds, stunned. "I hate you, Moony."

Remus laughed. "I'm so hurt."

"Did I mess up?" James looked nervous for a second.

Sirius shook his head. "Prongs, that girl turns your head to spaghetti. You did fine. Now shut up and stop flipping out."