A/N- I realized that I messed up in the 3rd chapter. The incident with Sev did not happen yet, since that happens at the end of 5th year after the OWLS. However, there was an incident at the black lake. I'll go back and fix it after I post it this. I got 5 reviews last chapter, so I thought that I would update first! Enjoy!

Chapter 10- What Just Happened?

Lily ran up to the castle, hoping to be able to get to Gryffindor tower without being stopped, but alas, luck was not on her side. She ran towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, but her legs froze as her eyes fell upon the scene before her. Dan was sitting next to the portrait, head leaning against the wall, muttering under his breath. Dan's eyes snapped open when he heard Lily's footsteps.

Dan jumped up from the floor and pulled Lily into a big hug. "Don't run off again, okay? You scared me. I know there is something up with you and I am not going to ask because it is your decision whether you want to tell me. But you have to understand; I'm worried for you. Please, just promise me you won't do something stupid." Dan held Lily close to him as he trailed off.

Raising her head, Lily kissed his cheek and said a simple thank you, before passing through the portrait and walking up to her dormitory. A smile on her tear streaked face. Outside the portrait Dan just stood there, a grin overtook his face as he strutted out towards Ravenclaw tower. What he didn't notice was a certain 5th year Gryffindor hiding behind one of the suits of armor, shocked at what he had just seen. If he had gone up to Lily and tried to hug her, she would have slapped him; if he had said he was worried she would have laughed. 'How am I going to get her to like me?' James sighed as he stepped out from behind the suit of armor and trudged up the stairs to his own dormitory.

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Things began to change the day after Dan and James' fight. Now she ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Dan at the Ravenclaw table. They walked to every class together, but despite what everyone thought, they were not dating. Lily needed an escape from her life and Dan was the answer. He kept her distracted. Lily was now spending all of her free time with Dan, and when she wasn't with Dan they were sending each other notes.

Lily,

You said in your last letter that you had to deal with a lot of crap. What's going on? Are you talking about the fight you had with Petunia at the beginning of Easter break? I know it was hard on you that your mum chose to side with Petunia and made you leave. But you should try to look at it from her perceptive. Her two daughters have been fighting ever since you got your letter, and she hasn't heard from your dad since he left, which was months ago. She is just worried, and she doesn't know how to handle her two girls fighting. Please try to understand, she most be going through a lot.

Dan

Dan,

I was not talking about Petunia in my last letter. It was just things have really been stressful for me lately. I know that my mum is having a hard time with Petunia and I fighting. But she charged at me with a frying pan, and chased me around the house saying '"Die, freak!" And my mum sided with her! I didn't do anything except practice for school. But it's my fault that she overreacted to my levitating the food bowl onto the table. Big deal! Ugh! I don't know what I would have done if your parents didn't let me stay with you. I just don't know how I'm going to go back there for summer break though.

Lily

Lily,

I know this is hard on you, and you probably don't want to do this, but I think you should try to make up with them. They're your family and I know it's hard on you when Petunia acts like that, but deep down you have to know that they love you. Just try to keep your magic away from Petunia, and talk to your mum. Tell her what you're going through, and that you need her. And if you can't stand it over break, come stay with me. My parents won't mind they love you.

Dan

Dan,

Thanks for the offer to stay with you over break. I may take you up on that. But I am going to try to make it at home. However, I am not going to talk to my mother. She doesn't care, and neither does Petunia. They don't need to know what I'm going through. No one does. I'm handling it fine.

Lily

Lily,

You are not handling it fine. You are tired all the time. You freak out every time someone comes close to you. Something is up. And I know you are in pain. I can see it in your eyes. Let me help. Tell me what is going on. Please.

Dan

Lily sat on her bed, stunned by what she had just read. 'How could he have possibly noticed? I didn't tell anyone? Could he really be watching me close enough to tell?' Lily re-read the letter once again. 'Yup, he knows something is up, but should I tell him?'

'He didn't notice anything. Don't tell him anything. You know everyone is going to judge you for it. How could someone care for a freak like you?'

'If he didn't care then how did he notice something was up? Why is he talking to me in his spare time?'

'Because he feels like he has to. You're his sister's best friend. She is probably making him be nice to you.'

'He wouldn't do that. We spend all of our time that means he cares. Right?'

'No. Once he finds out perfect little Evans isn't perfect anymore, he will want nothing to do with you. You'll just be average. There is nothing special about a girl who can't do anything right. If you open your mouth you'll regret it. I promise you that.'

Lily's head was spinning as she read the letter for the fifth time. How could this be uprooting her life so much? All she wanted was to be normal, to be accepted, to fit in. But she could never be that girl. She was the typical outcast. She was a freak, and freaks never get their happily ever afters. All they get is pain.

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Dan paced in his room, thinking about Lily for what had to be the hundredth time that day. What he didn't understand was how she could handle so much pain. That she just accepted this, that she seemed okay with her family hating her, with her being unwanted in their eyes. But she wasn't handling it fine was she? He could tell that she was slowly pulling herself away from the world, and into her own. But what is it that is tearing her up inside? More importantly how can he help?

Dan groaned as he flopped down onto his bed, he didn't have time to worry, but that seemed to be the only thing he could do. The NEWTS were in two weeks and he needed to focus. Sitting down at his desk once more he took out his advanced transfiguration book and started to study. 'When transforming an animate object into another animate object, the spell caster must understand McGulfrey's Laws of Transfiguration. Both animate objects need to be in environments similar to their natural habitat, and must be…blah blah blah…how can anyone read this thing?' Slamming his book closed he glanced out of his window. Big mistake, down on the grounds he saw all the lucky souls who were not cramming for the NEWTS or OWLS. However, he also saw the unlucky chaps who were working their butts off to prepare for the Quidditch finals in two weeks, he was glad that his Quidditch captain was a fellow seventh year and would not schedule a practice right before a test. His heart went out to the fifth years zooming around down on the pitch. Reluctantly he turned back to his book to learn more about McGulfrey's Law.

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James emerged from the pitch covered in mud. Today's practice had been exceptionally brutal. Brown had made the chasers score thirty shots in a row with him guarding the poles, and if they missed they had to do laps around the pitch, running not flying. The amount increased every time they had to do it. His sides ached as he changed out of his Quidditch robes into his everyday robes, waiting for Sirius to get back from his equally trying practice.

James had just pulled his school robes over his head when Jackie walked in thoroughly drenched. "Nice practice, eh?" James called as he cleaned his robes with a flick of his wand.

"Oh, it was just lovely." Jackie said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she pulled her disgusting robes over her head and grabbed her neat school ones.

James sighed as he stepped closer to her, 'You have to do this.' "I have to ask you something." James started, Jackie looked up questionably up at him. 'It's okay; just get it out, no big deal.' "Is Li…err...what I mean is…"

"Oh just out with it all ready!" Jackie said as she spun around to see James blushing. "What is it?" She asked again, a little more polite.

"Is Evans dating your brother?" he let out all in one breath, looking at the ground. 'Okay, you managed to say it, not well but you did it. Now all you have to do is wait for the answer.' James raised his eyes to see Jackie's shocked expression; evidently this was not the question she was anticipating.

"What? That's what you wanted to ask me? Humph and I thought it was important."

"It is important!" James yelled, and then added quietly, "I mean…can you answer my question?"

Laughing, Jackie turned around, "No, they aren't." she said simply before she turned and left. The smile on James' face couldn't have gotten bigger. He sat on one of benches, looking like he was off in his own little world when Sirius entered in a rather fowl mood.

"Oi Prongs, what's with the smile?" Sirius asked as he changed into his school robes, throwing his Quidditch robes at James. But even this couldn't dampen James' spirit; he stood out of the locker room with Sirius at his side, heading up to the Great Hall to take the dreaded O.W.L.s, Why their captain scheduled a practice the morning of their last O.W.L., he didn't know. Laughing they climbed the slope, and entered the Great Hall along with the rest of their year to take the last of these dreaded tests, the Defense Against the Dark Arts. A piece of cake for the marauders, most of the test was on nocturnal beasts, and werewolves were their specialty. They did spend most of their time chasing after one in the Forbidden Forest after all.

As James exited the tests with his four best mates, he still had the sense of euphoria around him. He and his friends were goofing off by their favorite tree by the lake, celebrating the fact that they would never have to take 'those ruddy tests again' as Sirius put it. And now they had two whole months before their results came. Potter felt himself relax for the first time in weeks, when the high he had gotten from Lily and finally putting those test behind him deflated at the sight of one boy, Snape.

He couldn't contain himself, his thoughts flashed back to confrontation a few weeks after school had started up. Snape had cost him his chance with Evans. Snape was the reason Lily was running towards Dan, not him. Without thinking James whipped out his wand and advanced on Snape. "What are you doing here?" James bellowed as he strutted towards him.

Snape's head snapped out of his book to see Potter advancing on him, wand drawn. He reached for his own, but was too slow. "EXPELLIARMUS!" Potter shouted. With a groan Snape saw Black emerge from behind Potter.

He turned to run, but another well-aimed jinx from Potter prevented that. Frantically, he turned over to see Potter and Black closing the distance between them.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" James sneered, looking down at him in disgust.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "I was watching him; his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word." Sirius spat. Laughter echoed around the small crowd that had formed. He tried desperately to get out from the invisible bonds that contained him, if he could only get to his wand. Oh, these people are going to be sorry. Oh, are they going to be sorry they ever messed with him. "You wait…just you wait…" Snape sputtered as he fought hard against his bonds.

"Wait for what? What are you going to do to us? Are you going to wipe your nose on us, Snivelly?" Sirius said coolly, looking down at Snape with a look of utter disgust.

He couldn't control himself, those two just infuriated him, every swearword and hex he knew erupted from his mouth. But nothing happened; his wand lay motionless next to him.

"Wash out your mouth, SCOURGIFY!" James bellowed, and pink, shiny bubbles poured out from his mouth, cutting off his air supply, choking him.

"Leave him ALONE!" A voice from the crowd yelled as it tried to make its way towards the front. The voice distracted Potter and Black, they both turned to see who had yelled at them. Snape crawled slowly, but effectively towards his wand.

"All right, Evans?" Potter said, trying to make his voice sound more mature.

"Leave him alone, what has he done to you?" Lily yelled, looking at both of them with the greatest sense of loathing.

Potter paused as if actually pondering this question. "Well, it's more of the fact that he exists if you know what I mean…" Laughter erupted from the crowd once more; Snape was forgotten as he made his way towards his wand, as the crowd was more interested in the promise of a good fight between Potter and Evans.

"You think your funny, but you're just an arrogant, bullying, toerag, Potter. Now, leave him alone!" Lily spat at him.

"I will if you go out with me Evans, come on go out with me and I will never lay a wand on old Snivelly again." He said quickly, thinking on his feet. What they didn't realize was Snape was getting close to his wand. He just needed a few more minutes.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid!" she spat.

Sirius laughed, "Bad luck, Prongs." Sirius said as he turned to see Snape reaching for his wand, "OY!"

But it was too late, Snape's hand was grasped around his wand, and he was pointing it towards Potter in a menacing way. There was a flash of light, and suddenly there was a huge gash on the side of his cheek. James felt the blood dripping down his cheek and onto his robes. With another flash of light, Snape was hanging upside down by a tree; his robes fell over his face, to reveal skinny legs, and a pair of graying underpants. Cheering erupted from the crowd, but Lily turned on them with a furious glare, "Let him down."

"Certainly," Potter said as he flicked his wand and Snape fell from midair, landing in a heap on the ground. Sirius was quick on the uptake, sending a locomotor mortis curse Snape's way, causing Snape to turn stiff as a board and fall flat on his face.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted, raising her wand, and pointing towards Black and Potter, both of which eyed her wearily. Hey knew what she could do with a wand, and it was scary.

"Oh, Evans, please don't make me hex you." Potter said sadly.

"Then take the curse off of him." She replied smartly. Potter sighed and turned towards Snape, muttering the counter curse.

"There you go. You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus." Potter said as Snape struggled to stand up.

"I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her." Snape spat. She hadn't done anything. He got himself out of this by himself. He could take care of himself. Why couldn't anyone see that?

Lily blinked; stunned at what her best friend had told her, this was the boy who helped her with Petunia and her mom, who stayed with her as she freaked out over her dad's numerous deployments, he was the one who told her about this world, he was her friend, and he had just turned on her. "Fine, I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." She sneered.

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared turning back to Snape.

But Lily just turned and glared at him, "Don't you make him apologize! You're as bad as he is!"

James just stood there stunned. 'How could she say he was as bad as him? He was nothing like him!' "What? I would never call you a…a…a you-know-what!" he sputtered, not believing his ears.

"Ruffling your hair because you think it looks cool to look as though you have just gotten off of your bloody broomstick! Acting like you own this school, perfect Potter, Quidditch hero, transfiguration star, hexing people in the corridors just because you can, well excuse me if I don't worship your every move like every girl at this school!"

He just stood there as Evans ran back up to the castle. 'Is that really what she thinks?' he couldn't believe that she thought so little of him. She thought he didn't care, that he thought of her like that? He stood there in shock. This was not good, and he had to fix it.

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"WHAT?" Dan shouted at the unsuspecting fourth year who had been talking to his friend about the incident at the lake only a few minutes earlier. "What did Potter do?" he said, calming down slightly. He had warned Potter only a few weeks earlier to stay away, and now he'd gone and insulted her in front of the whole school! He was going to pay! Without another word, he stormed off in search of Potter, he had to pay.

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James was sitting next to a tree by the lake when he heard his name being called from the castle. 'Holy Crap, who the hell can yell that loud?' As he turned around he realized who. 'Shit.' He thought standing up to face McKinnon. "Potter! You're dead!" Dan shouted as he strutted towards James. "I thought I told you to back off of Lily!" Dan's face was flushed red and he appeared to have steam pouring out of his ears. "I distinctly remember me telling you that if you mess with her you'd regret it!" Dan was looking down at James as he shouted.

"And I repeat, why do you care? It's not like the two of you are dating!" James bellowed back. 'How dare he yell at me?' "How do you know what happened? You weren't even there!" James couldn't control himself; he got up and yelled right back. 'This guy cost me my chance with Evans! And now he is yelling at me for trying to look out for her? The nerve!'

Dan looked slightly taken aback from the sudden outburst, but it didn't keep him silent for long. "How dare you? What did she ever do to you? Huh? Why are you so freaking hell-bent on ruining her life?"

"Ruining her life? I was trying to make Snape apologize to her for calling her that. But of course I come off as the bad guy!"

"Don't try to act as though you were trying to protect her! Just two minutes before that you were humiliating her in front of the entire school! Honestly asking her out as a joke! How old do you think you are?"

James was outraged. It hadn't been a joke; he really did want to go out with Li...Evans. "What do you mean a joke? I wasn't messing with her. Unlike you! Spending all your time with her, hugging her whenever you see her, basically doing whatever you can to try and get her!" James couldn't stand this kid, acting all high and mighty.

"What…I'm not using her! You are!" Dan looked like he was about to punch James if he said one more thing.

"Yea, of course you're not," James muttered sarcastically. This however, did not go unnoticed by Dan. With a quick blur, James was knocked unconscious by Dan.

After Dan punched James he turned around and stormed back up to the castle, not looking behind him to see Lily's head traveling between Dan's retreating back and James' body lying next to the tree. Without even making the conscious choice, Lily found herself heading towards James.

But Remus beat her and was already levitating James towards the castle before she even got near him. But she kept walking to the tree where it happened. I guess you could say she was in shock. The crowd started to disperse, but Lily just stood where she was. Thoughts were soaring around her head, banging into her skull at a thousand miles per minute. She collapsed next to the tree, putting her head back, as she moved a little to the left, she heard an odd crinkling sound. She looked down and picked up the thin, black wire framed glasses. The right lens was cracked and there was a smidge of blood on the bent frame. She sat there, thinking about what James said, how he had meant it, how he was trying to protect her…and it was Dan who was messing with her. 'No, don't trust James, trust Dan. He has been the one who listened to her, and he was the one who cared, not James. Right?'

'But why would James have yelled at Snape if he didn't care?'

'Maybe he was just trying to mess with you. He loves to annoy you. He is just trying to screw up your life.'

'But then why did he start yelling at Dan if he had already warned him not to mess with me? He got punched in the face…because of me. Ugh, why did he keep insisting on saying he cared for me?' Lily sat next to the tree for hours, trying to get her head on straight, but the voices in her head were determined to not let her think, one voice was set on listening to James, another on listening to Dan, and the last one was completely indecisive siding with both of them and yelling at her for not making up her mind. 'But you are my mind. You're the one who is keeping me from what you want me to do!' What Lily didn't notice was that she wasn't just thinking this; she was saying it out loud, and getting strange looks from the people enjoying their last few weeks of Hogwarts by sitting by the lake. Once it started to get dark, Marissa walked down to the tree and grabbed her arm to take her back inside. Marissa wasn't outside that afternoon and had no idea what had just happened between Lily and Potter, or Potter and Dan. They slowly walked up to the castle, the whole way Marissa was looking at Lily like she had lost her mind, which she just might have.

A/N- Ohhh…weird chapter. I'm sorry for the delay especially since you guys have been so good with the reviews. I have just been relaxing as I have no weekends anymore; winter ball starts this Sunday and doesn't end till like end of February beginning of March. Don't worry I promise to update sooner next time =)