Lily was standing in front of her dormitory mirror. What did James see in her? Wait why was she thinking of James, she didn't even like him! Just try and make it work with Remus, she reminded herself. He's a nice, genuine guy, and not bad looking either. But James is better looking, said a small voice in her head. No, no he isn't, she thought furiously, his hair is messy.....cutely messy....no, no! He thinks he's better then everyone else.....that's because he probably is......Remus is better then him....so?.....Well he isn't always playing pranks and he's a prefect.....you don't want to be one of those stuck up girls who only go out with top of the grade, prefects, do you? Lily turned away from the mirror, the battle inside her still raging. She looked out her window at the perfectly round hill in the distant and the shimmering waters, of the lake. She was wearing a soft blue dress, not too low cut, ending just above her knee. She kept fiddling with the black ribbon around her waist. She better go down, it was almost time to leave. Hopefully James won't be in the common room. She arrived at the foot of the girl dormitory stairs and looked around the common room. There was Remus reading a book as always. He stood up when he saw her enter.

"Hey." Remus smiled, looking quite handsome in his semi formal wear. He was wearing a white shirt, dark brown slacks and his hair wasn't combed for a change which came as a surprise. Lily noticed he had purple shadows beneath his eyes.

"Hi, Remus." She smiled back, taking his outstretched hand, she let him lead her to their destination.

"Can I ask you something, Remus?"

"Sure you can." He chuckled

"Why did you agree to go with me."

"Well." he sighed leading her down another long winding corridor.

"I didn't want you to go alone and your a sweet beautiful girl, Lily." She blushed and looked away.

"But you knew James would be furious?" She added

"I thought he would understand..... and truthfully do you really think this....."relationship" is going to go anywhere, after this?"

"I guess not." This time it was Lily's turn to sigh.

"You like him?"

"No!" They had reached Slughorn's office signaling the end of that particular conversation.

"Ahhh, Lily!" Slughorn beamed, his hand clutching a goblet of mead. "Come in, come in, get yourself something to drink, nibbles over there!" Slughorn rattled off, pointing to several beautifully set up tables. Lily was his favorite student, her being a naturally gifted student in potions.

Lily looked around to see who else was here. She spotted Arthur Weasley in the corner chatting to Kingsley shacklebolt and Andromeda Black. An alone boy, separate from the group, caught her attention.

"Snape!" She called. Snape looked up, his mouth slightly ajar at how wonderful she looked. She checked on Remus, then made her way over to him by the drinks table.

"I thought you didn't want to be friends." He said bitterly. Lily got herself a drink of butter beer before answering.

"I'm not sure anymore." She continued to sip on her drink looking at the different students.

"Lily, you have to know I'm really sorry, I would never hurt you, you know that..... I'll stop hanging out with them if you want.....if that's what you want." He burst. "I can change." He added quietly.

"I'm not sure you can." She said walking off to go find Lupin. She found Remus in deep conversation with Emmeline Vance. She decided to leave them alone to speak in private. At that moment, a boy with black, messy hair and cheeky brown eyes, entered the room......with Alice on his arm. I can't believe it, she thought. James spotted her, whispered something in Alice's ear and started towards Lily.

"Where's your lover, then, or has he already left you for a book?" James was scowling searching the room for Remus.

"For your information, me and Remus aren't a couple." She said coldly, pointing to where Remus was still whispering to an upset looking Emmeline.

"I just couldn't stand taking someone as arrogant and big headed as you, but it seems you got your own invitation anyway!" James and Lily locked eyes for a moment before Snape interrupted.

"Why are you hanging around with him!" Snape was seething, thinking that he had caught them in a intimate conversation.

"She can hang around whoever she likes, Snivellus!" Snape ignored James and continued.

"So your leaving me for him! Is that it! I thought you hated him!.....Remember all our promises, to stay together forever, Lily."

"Sev, that was when we were younger, we've gone our separate ways now." Lily tried to calm him down but there was no point.

"So you are choosing him over me!" And with that Snape grabbed James by the robes and dragged him outside into a deserted corridor.

"What do you think your doing, Sev don't be an idiot." Lily pleaded.

"Is that what I am, just an idiot to you? Poor Snape doesn't have any friends! You were only my friend out of pity, am I right?!?"

"Stop it, Sev, your being stupid!" Snape was thinking of raising his wand at Lily.

"Don't even think about it, Snivelly, you just stay away from her!" James raised his own wand at Snape.

"Come on, Lily." He grabbed Lily's arm, and went to make his way back to the party, when Lily let out a short, sharp scream.

He turned around just in time to see Snape drawing his wand and aiming it at him. Before he could do anything, Lily had rushed in front of him sending him backwards.

When James got up, he looked around for Lily but all he found was a slightly guilty looking Snape holding a yellowy-orange pumpkin in his arms.

"Keep your hands off my pumpkin!" James snatched Lily from Snape and deciding just to be safe he took her to Madam Pomfrey. Remus came out of the party looking for Lily, looked from Snape, to James, then to the pumpkin. He shook his deciding it wasn't worth the bother and went back inside.

"What have I done....oh Lily!" Snape cried sinking to his knees, his voice echoing up the hallway.

"You make it sound like it's fatal, or something, I'll just take her to Madam Pomfrey."

"She'll never talk to me again.....It's all your fault!" Snape rounded on James.

"MY fault? Your the one who came barging up, throwing around accusations!"

"Well if you hadn't been hitting on her!"

"HITTING ON HER......" James shook his head and huffed. "We'll continue this later, I have to go get Lily back."

"Snape turned me into a pumpkin....?" Lily was sitting in the hospital wing, she was still a light orange color but Madam Pomfrey said she could leave in a little while.

"Yeah I guess it was payback..."

"Oh so that was Snape then, the other day?"

"....Yeah."

"Well, I better get going then, you know bed and all....cya." James headed towards the door.

"Cya.....James...." Lily called quietly.

"First name basis now are we?"

"Yeah, yeah I think we are.