Disclaimer: I own nothing in the HP world, Ms JK Rowling does.

.

.

"I spy with my little eye..."

.

It is often said that you should never judge a book by its cover; that things are not always as they appear to be. I suppose everything would be much simpler if we actually did this.

There was once a man who said "I can't judge any of you. I have no malice against you and no ribbons for you. But I think that it is high time that you all start looking at yourselves, and judging the lie that you live in."

Looking back that is the attitude I tried to take with Lily, but then I have always been too opinionated for my own good.

.

. . . .

.

"Discretion has never been one of your strong suits has it?"

"What?"

"I said discretion; you're no good at it."

"Oh and what make you say that?"

"Because I saw you sneaking out from behind the tapestry of the seven knights the other night."

"If I didn't know better I would say you were stalking me."

"I have better things to do with my time."

"Well how do you explain how you know everything that is going on in my life Miss Black?"

"Because I am not blind, and you lack discretion."

.

.

"You don't hate me do you?"

"No, why?"

"I just thought that because of what I'm doing..."

"That hardly classes as my business."

"Sirius is your cousin and the way pureblood families are all related means James is a relative too..."

"Sirius is the black sheep of the family, he's been disowned. As for James, he a distant relation. It's hardly worth thinking about."

"Are you sure?"

"Lily why don't you just spit out what you really want to say."

"I... I don't know..."

"You're scared that people will find out and judge you."

"How did you..."

"Because you have always been hung up on image."

"I have not!"

"Really? Miss Perfect Head Girl, Straight O Student and Teachers Pet isn't interested on the image she presents to people?"

"That's not fair! That's the pot calling the kettle black! You care about your image too!"

"Oh course I do, I'm a Slytherin and a Black. But so do you, just look at the boys you're toying with."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're taste in men shows your dedication to maintaining a certain image, despite everything."

"Care to elaborate?"

"There two of the most popular boys in school and both pureblood."

"What has being pureblood got to do with it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's the reason you have both. It's you trying to say you're just as good as everyone else."

"You seem to be have thought about this long and hard. I should feel offended!"

"But you don't."

"Only because it's you and Merlin knows you have t take everything you say with a pinch of salt."

"True but also you know I'm right. The two boys you chose are from powerful families. Sirius, although it may not seem that way now, was born in the purple. If he hadn't turned away from his family, if he was a Slytherin... but it doesn't matter, even now his family name will still get him places, make him practically royalty. As for James, well no one can say he wasn't born without a silver spoon. You picked two people who need only there surnames to get anywhere in life ... how very Slytherin of you."

"You're talking bull! Stop smirking!"

"Hit a nerve?"

"I hate you sometimes."

.

"I don't blame you, you know. You're a Muggleborn; you're just trying to prove to the rest that you are equal to them, if not better. I admire that."

.

...

.

It was once said that circumstances cause us to act the way we do. We should always bear this in mind before judging the actions of others. This was always true of Lily Evans. Everything she did was to prove she was equal to the purebloods that looked down on her. It was to prove she was equal to live amongst them, date them and even fall in love with them.

As for me circumstances caused me to become who I am today. If only the circumstances had been different...