I…am…so…tired.

Chapter Seven: Bidding Adeiu

"Why are you at breakfast at seven a.m. sharp if you don't have to wake up until like, eight thirty for a nine o'clock class?"

"Because, Padfoot, I'm hungry," James answered, plopping into his seat across from Sirius. "That and Grams is evil…she's programmed me to be up early…it's horrible."

"Morning, James," Peter said after swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

"Good morning, Pete."

"So, James, sharing a dormitory with Lily all year?" Remus said, smirking suggestively and winking at James.

"Yeah," said Sirius sulkily. "It's going to be a long year."

"Moony, quit it," said James, loading his plate. "I'm over that. I'm with Terry now. Sirius, stop sulking, we'll be fine."

"Sirius, she's not that bad," Remus said in Lily's defense. When Sirius had set the Snape-Moony incident into motion, Remus had stopped speaking to him. Lily had been there for Remus-knowing that there had been an argument between the Marauders but not knowing the true reason-and they had become friends.

"Moony, I think you're feverish."

"Padfoot, he's right," said James, shaking his fork slightly at Sirius. Some eggs flew off of it and hit Sirius in the face. "Sorry."

Rolling his eyes at his long time best friend, Sirius decided to change the subject. "What are you doing Friday night?" he asked James.

"Judging by your tone," said James, "I'm taking Terry on another one of your double dates."

"You've got it," Sirius said happily. "Someone get this man a cookie! He deserves it." He winked at James. "I was talking to Fran Johnson, you know…Ravenclaw, sixth year." James nodded. "She's hot. Tell Terry we're all going to the Three Broomsticks Friday night. They're friends, she won't care.

"And, Moony, you need to come as well."

"I told you, Sirius, I'm not interested in you setting me up."

James laughed at Sirius, shaking his head. He was always trying to get Remus to join them on their little dates, but Remus was never interested. He didn't want to see girls like that, he wanted to find the right person. James did have to give Sirius some credit, though, for he had set James and Terry up over the previous school year and it had really worked out.

---

Friday night came and found James sitting in a Three Broomsticks booth next to his girlfriend and across from Sirius and his date. Fran was a brunette with brown eyes from Ravenclaw, but, in James' opinion, she was on Sirius like a Hufflepuff. Terry, who was also a brunette by the way, was staring uncomfortably at the pair.

"Do you want to like…go for a walk or something?" she whispered to James. "She's my friend and I just…this is strange." James nodded and slid out of the booth.

The couple took to the streets of Hogsmeade. It was a mild night with a few clouds in the skies. As they walked further down the street, James silently contemplated his relationship and his life…

"James!"

"Hmm?"

"Merlin, James," said Terry. "You must have been thinking about something good if you've been ignoring me for five minutes." Like Lily Evans, her mind went on.

"I was," James said as he stopped walking. He turned to face his girlfriend of nearly five months. "I was thinking about us…I don't know how I can put this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. I think that I'm in love with you, Terry…I love you."

Terry bit her lip, thinking Shit. "Please don't say that, James."

"What? Why?"

Terry sighed heavily. "Listen, James, we've been dating for a while," she began. "You and Sirius have been taking girls out for forever…I always heard that you guys, you know, sleep with them. According to Sirius' date from Monday night that's exactly what happens with him."

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" James said quietly. Terry nodded. "Because I haven't slept with you." She nodded again.

"Well…that's why I went with you to Hogsmeade in the first place," Terry said, turning to walk away. "I didn't mean to get caught up in this…I wasn't looking for anything long term."

With that, James was left standing alone in the middle of Main Street.

---

It was nearly one in the morning when James returned to his common room. Lily was sitting on the couch in front of the fire when he entered, but upon closer inspection he saw that she was fast asleep.

Trying to keep quiet, James began to tiptoe to his bedroom, but he lost his balance. As he crashed into a table, causing a huge bang, Lily jumped up. "WHAHAPPEN?!"

"Sorry," James whispered, trying to pull himself up but failing miserably. "I'm jus' gonna sleep right here, 'kay?"

"James Potter, are you drunk?" Lily moved across the room to bend down at James' side.

"As a skunk," James admitted with a hearty laugh. He thought that he was hilarious.

"I could have your badge for this!" Lily informed him sternly, a bit of her old self finally coming back to her.

"Oh, don-don-don't do that," James stammered. Lily was caught off guard when tears began to leak from his eyes at an alarming rate. She felt her anger at the boy melt like a snowball on a Hawaiian beach.

"Why are you crying, James?" she asked, her Head Girl voice gone now. James only shook his head. "I promise I won't tell anyone that you were crying if you tell my why…"

"I'm not crying, the wind is making my eyes tear."

"Er, James…dear…we're indoors. There is no wind."

"Damn." James forcefully wiped his eyes on his shirt. He was still laying in an awkward position on top of the fallen table.

"James?"

"Terry broke up with me."

"…I'm sorry?"

"I've been seeing Terry Manning for almost five months and she dumped me because I didn't…you know…sleep with her and junk."

"Why wouldn't you?" Lily said in a surprised tone before she could stop herself. Like the rest of the school, she had believed the rumors…the 'common knowledge' things that everyone thought was true.

"Why does everyone assume that I'm some kind of womanizing bastard?!" James suddenly exclaimed angrily. He struggled to get up and away from Lily. Though it took a lot of effort, James made it into his bedroom, slamming the door.

Lily scrambled to her feet and rushed over to the door to James' bedroom. He had locked it. "James Potter, open up!"

When Lily was given no answer, she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said to the door before turning and moving back to her seat in front of the fire to collect her things before going to bed.

On top of her books lay a single piece of muggle notebook paper.

Dear Lily,

He's getting worse…