Hello! I think I'm a day late...I think. If I am, I'm sorry. I've been busy. With Disney things. :D So I don't really feel bad. :D Sorry.

Okey dokey lokey, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!


Chapter Three;

Lily jumps as Slughorn roars over her. She should have seen that one coming. For the last three years it has been happening, but each time it does her heart stops for a moment.

She works at a desk with Severus, which is good, because he's still the only person in the school she feels she can share everything with. He's still the only person in the school who feels the same way about the Marauders as her. Their dislike has only grown since their previous years, and Lily now tries to avoid Remus, as well. He may be the nice, easy-going one out of all of them, but he does seem to be the brains behind all of their stupid ideas and she doesn't like the way she has to act like she is all for their stupidity when she's having a conversation with him.

"This is how it's done!" Slughorn booms to the class, holding up the vial Lily has just poured for all to see. "Well done, Miss Evans. Can't say I'm surprised, though, hmm? You've got yourself a good work partner there, Mr. Snape. Keep hold of her!" he said, winking at Severus before marching off to check on his other students.

"This is why I hate being your partner." Severus says in a half-joking way as he gently places his own vial onto the desk in front of him.

Lily rolls her eyes. "Sev, you know your potions are always just as good as mine. Sometimes I feel like Slughorn just makes a big deal out of them because I'm Muggleborn and he doesn't want to seem discriminative."

Severus doesn't have anything else to say about this subject, and snorts, annoyed when Slughorn reaches the table where Potter and Black are sitting. Since being the centre of one of their pranks last year, Lily believes they don't deserve to be referred to by their first names.

"I do believe the brew was supposed to be rich purple in colour, not...orange."

"Can we get just as many marks for having something that looks so...pretty?" Black asks, batting his eyelashes in a joking manner. Almost all of the Gryffindors in the classroom laugh, except for Lily, who rolls her eyes with Severus.

Slughorn thinks this is funny as well, and when he tests their potion and it whistles so loudly the students have to cover their ears, he chuckles instead of yelling and gets rid of their potion with a quick wave of his wand.

"I don't think there are any marks for the quality of the draft here, but I guess I can give you a few for the entertainment it gave us all."

Lily opens her mouth to shout something about that being completely unfair, but releases her anger with a huff and crosses her arms over her chest, turning to face the front of the room until their class is over.

It's lunch time, and she and Severus are walking to the Great Hall to eat. She is unwelcome to sit at the Slytherin table, and he gets dirty looks when he sits at the Gryffindor table, so they usually say goodbye before sitting down. Lily doesn't have a chance to sit in between Lyla and Mary, however, because James Potter interupts her just as she says goodbye to Severus and she raises an eyebrow to question what he wants.

For the first time ever, Lily sees Potter is nervous. He doesn't bother trying to hide it up this time. His thoughts are completely on one thing, and he still doesn't know if he'll be able to do this. He's been watching her all year, and part of the last, as well. In his first two years he'd found her annoying, then entertaining as she tried to end their pranks time and time again. Lately, though, he's picked up on things like how her nose would scrunch when he got a compliment off one of their teachers, and how she would walk long ways to her destination so she could avoid them. He doesn't like it when this happens. He likes it when she has to walk close to them; close enough so he can see the few freckles on her nose.

"Potter?" she asks quietly, aware that there are a few more people than usual watching her. Of course, most of the girls in their year wanted James Potter and Sirius Black, so their eyes never really ever left the two of them.

"Did you want to go out with me?" he spits out, louder than he'd anticipated.

Lily's green eyes widen as he blushes, completely mortified and looks down, wishing he knew a spell that would make him sink into the floor.

Lily doesn't know what to say. She tries to make her eyes more relaxed, but she doesn't really know how to do that, and looks behind him at the Gryffindor table. Black is grinning like a maniac and Remus has his eyes closed, waiting for her answer. Peter is looking at James like he is God, and Lily wonders why.

"No," she said quickly, catching the eye of a couple of Hufflepuff girls who look like they will shave her head if she accepts.

"What?" he asks weakly, leaning forward, as if he had heard her incorrectly.

She shakes her head, knowing her face was probably the same colour as a fire truck by now. "No. Thank you?" she clears her throat and looks around awkwardly.

James is still staring at her, and he wonders what to do now. He is aware that almost all of the hall has realised what is happening and is watching the two of them standing in between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor table, and he can't just turn around and sit down, rejected. Can he?

"James," he hears Remus's quiet voice hiss behind him. "Sit down."

He turns immediately and jumps over the table cleanly, making Lyla Carter shriek loudly, attracting attention from the small portion of the hall that was still oblivious as to what was happening.

Lily stands there for a second longer, still staring at the floor before telling her legs to move. She can't sit at the table, right across from him now. She throws Mary, Lyla and Alice a look and the three of them follow her out of the hall, Scarlet from Ravenclaw running along after them, as well.

"What girl in that hall wouldn't love to be you right now?" Lyla snorts as Lily almost runs from the entrance hall, into the grounds.

"Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened!" Lily says, her face beginning to return to its normal colour.

Alice and Scarlet laugh loudly. "Lily! You just rejected James Potter!"

"What else was I supposed to say? I'm not going out with James Potter! He's arrogant an big-headed and -"

"And handsome, and charming, and one of the most talented Quidditch players in the school, and every girl here would be so jealous if you'd said yes!" Scarlet says, batting her eyelashes. She thinks for a second, then the smile disappears from her face. "I wish he'd asked me out."

"It wouldn't last." Lily says surely. "We're only thirteen. He was just being stupid and trying to prove to the whole school that he could get any girl he wanted. I'm actually kind of glad he chose to ask me out. I must be the one girl in this entire place that wouldn't jump at the chance to accept his offer."

Mary rolls her eyes. "I think he likes you."

Lily gives her friend a strong, unwavering look. "No. He's just being Potter."


Lily had been annoyed when James had asked her out once, so she is beginning to wonder if she should just hex him to get her point across when he begins doing it weekly. Then he starts asking her out a couple of times a week, and she wonders what on earth to do.

Most of the time she just ignores him, but it's difficult on certain days. Especially when they are in the middle of a meal or a class and Black had the rest of the guys in the class chanting for her to say yes.

The worst times are when there are Hogsmeade visits coming up. He gets more persistant than anyone about anything she's ever known.

"No!" she says, completely fed up one night as she pours over a difficult Transfiguration essay on her favourite couch in the corner of the common room. "Why won't you get it through your abnormally large head, Potter? I - DO - NOT - WANT - TO - GO - OUT - WITH - YOU!"

This is more than she usually answers with, and the entire room has gone silent at her outburst, turning to watch the pair. Black gives Potter a tiny, sympathetic look from behind his shoulder as Potter takes a step back, away from the fiery red-head.

Without saying anything, he turns and begins to walk back to where Peter and Remus are waiting, both with disappointed looks on their faces. Lily sighs; she doesn't know why they look so down. It's not like anyone is expecting her to say yes to him now.

Though Lily is very good at her school work, she enjoys the time she has away from the castle. Hogsmeade is quickly becomming her next favourite place in the Wizarding World, second only to Hogwarts. During their second trip to Hogsmeade, she leaves a pub called the Three Broomsticks with Mary, Lyla, Alice and Scarlet surrounding her. They walk down the road, in the direction of Honeydukes; Lyla and Alice's favourite store.

Lily's friends walk on ahead of her as she stops to pick up the Sickles she drops while rummaging in her pocket.

She straightens up quickly, feeling as though someone is watching her. The road is almost completely empty, as the sun is about to set. There is no one close to her, but she still has the feeling... She gives up and walks through the door closely after her friends, her face breaking out into a wide smile as she sees the inside of Honeydukes for the second time.

"Evans!"

Lily keeps her head down when she hears the familiar voice, twenty minutes later. She is standing behind Lyla, who is waiting in line to get served at the counter.

"You're not ignoring me, are you?" Black continues walking closer. He winks at Lyla, who grins, but doesn't say anything. "Have you seen my good friend James? I'm beginning to get worried." when Lily doesn't say anything, he continues, stretching out his palm. "I think he'd want you to have this." there is a small candy in his hand an Lily watches it warily, still completely silent. "Because he thinks your just as sweet."

Lily blushes angrilly as people around them begin laughing and pushes herself out of the line, walking quickly to the door. When she gets outside in the cold air she catches sight of Potter, who is leaning against a wall, waiting for his friends. She shakes her head at him angrilly, marching in the direction of a couple of her friends from Hufflepuff who are making their way back up to the castle.

She thinks it is completely unfair that she gets singled out from all of the other third year girls in the castle. Why her? Why wouldn't Potter just give up and focus his attention on someone else? Someone who actually wanted the attention!


Jame's eyes never leave the back of her auburn head during Transfiguration. She sits at the desk in front of him, beside that ridiculous Slytherin...Snivellus.

He watches with an amused expression as her shoulders slump for the second time in half an hour. Transfiguration, his best subject, is the one she had the most trouble in. It seems to be the only subject she has any trouble in, actually.

"That was good! You're getting heaps better!" Snivellus lies encouragingly beside her.

Lily's red head shakes from side to side. "No, I'm not. I still suck. I'm not getting any better." this isn't entirely true. Every lesson Lily struggles, and then the lesson after she walks in with her head up and performs the previous incantation perfectly. It just takes her more time than anything else ever does. It's almost like she learns like a regular student in Transfiguration, which almost makes James deliriously happy. He wonders all the time how he can try to help her in the common room, but every time he approaches her she knows and turns the other way. Besides, even if she doesn't realise, he gets too worried about her reaction and gives up. He wonders if the Sorting Hat made the right decision about his placement. He's never really brave when around Lily Evans. He just does his best to act it.

She stops after the lesson to speak quietly to McGonagall. The latter shakes her head furiously when she sees James approaching Lily quietly from behind. He looks around to make sure no one else has noticed yet another of his failed attempts to ask Evans out and makes his way out of the room after his three best friends.


Red and green robes fly around James as he grabs the Quaffle and speeds in the direction of the hoops at the far side of the Quidditch pitch. Everything's happening so fast that he can't see who's flying around him or distinguish the voices calling his name. He decides in a split second that he is close enough to the hoop and throws the Quaffle with all the force he has. As soon as it leaves his fingertips he swears silently. He's letting the team down. He doesn't have it.

But the ball sails through the hoop cleanly despite how far away he's positioned and his face brakes out into a wide grin. They are in the lead by ten points.

He catches sight of Lily in the crowd, clapping half-heartedly. Quidditch isn't really her thing, and she's dropped a few hints in the months passed that he is the reason for this. Thinking of Lily only makes him thirst for winning more. He doesn't want Slytherin to win and Snivellus have any satisfaction.

When Bickens, the Seeker that's taken over for Michael Gardener, catches the Snitch he sees the Gryffindor stand and almost all of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw jump to their feet and scream at the top of their lungs. He laughs out loud and does a loop-the-loop, circling the pitch a couple of times before landing and celebrating in a close huddle of Gryffindors. As he's enveloped in a hug from the two other Chasers he sees Lily making her way back to the castle already and feels slightly disappointed. He might have been able to grab onto her if she'd been in this confusing group with the hundred or so other Gryffindors.

The celebration continues in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius won't let anyone sit down for more than a couple of minutes and a few fifth-years keep the music up. Parties after Quidditch matches like this only ever happen if Slytherin's been defeated.

"What'cha lookin' at?" Sirius' sly voice asks over his shoulder. James jumps and gives his friend a slightly guilty look.

"Nothing. I'm tired."

Lily and her friends continue dancing, unaware of the two boys watching her.

"James, I didn't want it to come to this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you my wise words of wisdom." Sirius says, pushing him down, into one of the squishy maroon armchairs. Remus looks across at them and stands behind Sirius, interested in what is going to be said. Peter follows after him.

"I don't want to hear this." James says hesitantly.

"Yes, you do." Sirius insists immediately. His hand suddenly whips out and smacks James across the face. James raises his hand in shock and frowns furiously at his best friend.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

"Get over her!" he says loudly. James' eyes flicker around the room in case anyone's listening, but the music is too loud for that. "There are plenty of girls in this school who are drooling over you because of many, many reasons - the main one being that I'm your best mate - and you're focusing all of your attention on this one stubborn -"

"Sirius," Remus shook his head, then turned to James. "I actually agree with what Sirius is saying...just not the way he's putting it. I get that you like Lily and she's pretty and smart, and...whatever else it is about her you find appealing, but I think you're going the wrong way about it. If she's said no this many times, she might not ever say yes. Maybe it's time to forget about her?"

James gives his friend a long look and the werewolf swallows, a little nervously, and continues. "We're only in our third year. A lot's going to happen in the next four and honestly, I just don't see you two being madly in love during our seventh. No offence." he adds quickly.

There is a long silence between the four friends, during which James' eyes are completely focused on Lily and the way her hair dances when she does.

"Or maybe." Remus continues thoughtfully. "You can start going other ways about it."


Next chapter should be up on Saturday! :)

Chlowie, xo