Disclaimer – I own nothing in the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to JKR.

Rebound

Chapter Eight

Mary and Alice were surprisingly unsympathetic to Lily's problems.

"Well Lily you wanted to get back at the wanker, and Potter has given you the perfect opportunity!" was Mary's input. "So what if you have to go to his parent's party! It will probably be just a bunch of old people fussing over how cute a couple you make. It's not like it's a big deal!" This just made Alice giggle.

"It's not funny Alice! And Mary how can you say it's no big deal! Argh!" Lily moaned, collapsing onto her old bed back in Gryffindor tower. "He is going to hold it over me forever!"

This just made Alice giggle hard. "I don't think he will help you out. You're doing him a big favour!"

"What the hell Alice? Have you not been listening at all?" Lily groaned into a pillow.

Alice stopped giggling, "Don't you know who his parents are Lils?" she asked.

"I'm going to go with Mr and Mrs Potter for that one." Lily replied.

Alice stared at her in disbelief, and then asked as if for confirmation "You don't know do you Lily?"

"What's the deal with his parents?" Mary chimed in, intrigued as to what Alice found so fascinating about them.

"Oh nothing... his dad just erm... work for the ministry is all. So you know might be a few ministry people among their friends."

"Oh is that all?" Mary asked looking quite disappointed. "I thought you we're going to say his dad was Minister of Magic or something.

"No, not quite." Alice said quietly, giving Mary a look that said she promised to tell her all later.

"Well that's bad enough! Merlin I can't believe this is happening!" Lily continued to complain.

After Mary had declared that Lily had to shut up about Potter or get out of their room, Lily left to do her go get do her homework in her room. It was on the journey back that she literally walked into Terry Anderson and Hestia Jones, kissing in the middle of the corridor.

"Oh sorry I didn't see I..." Lily's apology trailed off as she saw who it was she had banged into. "Oh it's you." She tried to push passed, but Anderson blocked her.

"Lils, I've been meaning to have a word with you. Have you got a minute?" Anderson asked as Hestia tugged on his arm, obviously trying to get his attention back on her.

"Not for you, no." Lily tried again to walk passed, but he grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. "Anderson if you don't let go of me this minute I swear I will castrate you!" Lily practically 2snarled at him.

Slightly taken aback, he reluctantly let go of her arm. "Look Lils, I just want to know if it's true."

"If what is true?" Lily spat.

"That you're going with that bastard Potter to Hogsmeade."

"I don't think you're in an position to call anyone a bastard Anderson." Lily smirked, the fact he was asking her, meant he was bothered by it. "Anyway what I do is none of your business." She attempted yet again to get passed him, but once again he grabbed her arm and stopped her from going.

"So it's true then? You're lowering yourself down to his standards. Going to become one of his little whore's Evans?"

"You're one to talk about lowering standards and whores! You're the bastard who cheated on me! The twat who couldn't keep it in his trousers!" Lily hissed, glancing at where Hestia was standing. Lily glanced at where he was gripping harder to her arm, and then at his face, he was livid.

"You're the little bitch who..." But what Lily apparently did she didn't find out, because at that moment someone interrupted.

"Anderson if you don't let go of her and get out of here in the next five seconds I will rearrange you're face so the only way as your parents won't recognise you!"

He instantly let go of her and taking Hestia's hand pulled her down the corridor after him. But not before yelling at the intruder, "Tell Potter he can have the bitch! He'll soon learn the frigid cow isn't worth the hassle!" He narrowly missed getting hit by the hexes Black sent after him.

"You ok Red? He didn't hurt you do he?" Sirius asked, eyeing the red mark on her arm from where Anderson had been grabbing her.

"I'm fine Black. He was just being his usual jerk like self." She looked him in the eye, "But I'm glad you turned up when you did."

"Yeah sorry my hex missed!" He took her arm gently and pulled her along, "Come on lets get you to your dorms, James is looking for you."

"Why's he looking for me?" Lily asked, curiously.

"This he said something about head duties... or was it Hogsmeade..." Sirius winked at her.

"Oh Merlin he told you didn't he! He told you about the deal!" She went bright red from embarrassment and felt like finding a nice hole and burying herself in it.

"Ah don't worry Red." He said ruffling her hair. "I'm not going to tell anyone. I think it's going to be fun to piss off Anderson! Mind can't believe you agreed to go to the New Year's Ball with him."

"What's so bad about this damn ball that everyone keeps going on about?" Lily asked.

"Oh you'll find out." Black replied with a knowing smirk.

"Great!" Lily said exasperated.

By Monday morning the fact the heads were going to Hogsmeade together was the main topic of conversation. Lily was sure that before she had even finish breakfast every Prefect, (minus the Slytherins of course), had come over and asked her if it was true, along with a considerable portion of Hogwarts female populous. By the time she had made it to Transfiguration she was pretty close to calling all deals off with Potter just so she didn't have to answer anymore mindless bimbos questions of "But are you sure that you're actually going?" and evil glares they gave her after when she replied, "Yes I am perfectly sure thank you very much!"

She noticed someone sit down beside her and thinking it was Mary, as it usually would have been, started to rant, "God I don't get why their so fucking bothered! It's not like Potters that good a catch! I mean sure he can play quidditch but I mean come on how shallow can you get!"

She was surprised when a male voice answered, "Well nice to know you rate my quidditch abilities as an attribute!"

Lily spun around, "Christ Potter! Why the hell are you sitting their? That's Mary's seat!"

"Well she wasn't sitting their when I got here so I didn't think it would matter." He smirked, "Plus what's so wrong about wanting to sit next to the girl I'm taking to Hogsmeade?" He lend in close and whispered into her ear, "In thought you wanted to make this believable, Lilykins."

Lily groaned. "Fine, but don't you dare annoy me, James. I need to concentrate." He just patted her arm and continued to smirk at her.

After the first day Lily got used to James sitting next to her in the lessons they shared, it was when all the Marauders joined her, Mary and Alice at lunch and dinner that she was shocked. But Potter just whispered in her ear to look over at Anderson, which she did. His looked ready to kill James, which made Lily smile smugly and allow them to continue sitting with her and her friends all week.

The week past surprisingly quickly, and next thing Lily knew it was Saturday morning. It had been decided that they would meet in the Great Hall at 10am for breakfast before setting out for "The Day of Torture" as Lily had taken to calling it in her head. But it's just one day. Then it will be over and I will have shown Anderson I don't need him!

She dressed with unusual care for a day in Hogsmeade, and headed down for breakfast. Potter was already their sitting with his friends as well as Mary and Alice, chatting away. As she approached the table he switched his gaze to her and gave her a smile. "Looking good today Lilykins."

"Why thank you." She replied through gritted teeth at the ridiculous nickname he had taken to calling her. "Not too shabby yourself Jamiespoo." Sirius snorted the pumpkin juice he had been drinking out his nose all over Peter.

"Jamiespoo?" He choked, "Isn't that what your grandma calls you James?"

"Shut up Sirius!" James said flinging a piece of toast at him.

"But it suits you!" Sirius continued, dodging the food flung at him. James just ignored him and motioned for Lily to sit next to him.

"So today I finally get to take you to Hogsmeade." He was stating the obvious. "I've got it all planned out. It's going to be great!" Whatever James Potter perceived to be great, Lily figured she was going to find boring, gross or dangerous.

It turned out that Lily was only part right.

Authors Note – I know I said it would be the date this chapter but I promise it will be in the next. I was in luck and got the day off work so was able to update sooner, but I'm sorry if the next chapter takes a while. Hopefully it will be out within the next week. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this and an especially big thanks to everyone who has added to favourites, alert and commented. You guys are great!

Feel free to ask me any questions, and please review! I love know what you guys think!

Thank you xxx