Okay, I know this chapter is RIDICULOUSLY short, but I tried to make it longer and it was really crap, so I decided to just stop. The next one will be extra long! :) I'd also like to thank Orange-Coyote, i love JPLE and FRED DDD, greasergirl0003 and Orion'96, as well as nine-orcids and NoReins94 from before. Thank you so much for reviewing, you make me smile! :D

Millie xxx

Chapter 10

"So, sixth year, huh?" Alice smiled.

"Doesn't feel much different to be honest, Al." Elizabeth sighed. "I miss the holidays already."

"I don't." Lily muttered.

"Was it that bad?" Emily asked sympathetically.

"Bad is an understatement." Lily said heavily. "With the exception of staying at Alice's, it was terrible."

"Petunia?" Marlene asked, looking up from her nails.

"Yeah, but also a never ending load of letters from Severus, and Petunia's new boyfriend's worse than her. He's called Vernon, and saying that he slightly resembled a walrus whose face's been kicked in would be extremely kind."

"Not much of a looker then." Marlene smirked.

"No, definitely not. That's not the worse though. He hates me almost as much as she does."

"Why? He hardly knows you!" Mary asked.

"Yeah, but she's told him her version of what I am." Lily said sadly.

"Is she even allowed to do that?" Alice frowned.

"Dunno. My parents were pretty angry, but there's nothing they can do. She has him now. He proposed last week."

"Urgh. That's disgusting." Marlene spat.

"I know. I probably won't be invited to the wedding though, so at least I won't have to watch." Lily pulled a face.

"Hey, at least you got no less than an EE in any your OWLs Lily." Alice said brightly.

"Yeah, but you can't talk Alice. The lowest you got was an A in Arithmancy." Marlene pointed out.

"D'you think I'll still be able to become an Auror?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Yeah, you'll be fine. So you've decided that's what you're definitely going to do then?" Lily inquired.

"I think so. What about you Marlene?"

She shrugged. "Journalism, maybe. Haven't decided."

"Marlene Prewett, of the Daily Prophet…" Alice said out loud. Marlene shoved her playfully.

"By the way, is it still on with Frank?" She changed the subject.

Alice nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe he's leaving at the end of this year though."

"I think you guys will probably stay together." Marlene said confidently. "Emily? You and Fogg still on?"

"Yeah." Emily answered defensively. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Okay, okay. Calm down." She changed her tone. "Does anyone know if, you know, if Sirius is seeing anyone?"

"Mar…" Alice started.

"I'm just curious!"

"It's been over sixth months!" Alice said seriously. "You've got to get over him!"

A quarrel followed, but Lily wasn't listening. She, to be honest, really didn't care about Marlene and Sirius. Yes, she wished her friend could find someone she was happy with, but the whole thing was so trivial.

"I think I'm going to go and get some air." Lily said, getting up.

"You got all Os and EEs in everything?" Peter asked again, gob smacked.

"Yep." James smirked. "So much for Moony's 'studying'."

"You could of got all Os if you had." Remus said pointedly.

"Whatever. They were easy."

"I didn't think so…" Peter said miserably.

"Okay Wormy. The worst you got was a T in…what was it?" Sirius asked.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Just don't bank on doing anything outside of Muggle Relations." He laughed.

Peter moaned.

"Work hard these two years Wormtail, and you should be okay." Remus said kindly.

"I'm bored." Sirius grumbled.

"So Padfoot. Any ideas on what we're going to treat Snivellus to first?" James yawned.

Remus rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

"A little foetidus curse, maybe? Or a nasimus charm. Not that he needs it." Sirius snorted.

"Perfect." James grinned.

"Are we gonna find him now, or wait?"

"Later."

"Because no one's around?" Remus put in.

"C'mon Moony." James laughed. "What's the point in performing, if there's no audience to see it?"

"You know, Lily would take you more seriously if you didn't-"

"I told you before the summer." James cut in. "She's going to go out with me pretty soon, I'm sure." He grinned smugly.

"If you're sure…" Remus sighed.

James thought he was sure, but knew that Lily wasn't just going to change her mind that quickly. He just didn't know why, and it upset him.

"Back in a second." He muttered, getting up off the seat, leaving before anyone asked what he was doing.

He leant on a railing next to a window, letting out a sigh. He reached over and opened the glass a crack, breathing in the cool, fresh air. He turned around to look at the open carriage. Most of the seats were occupied, but it was the one in front of him that he was interested in. His stomach flipped as he saw Lily's red hair glinting in the sunlight.

"Hey Evans." He said smoothly, running a free hand through his already messed up hair and leaning on the back of her seat. She turned, but made a face and immediately faced the other way.

"Go away." She said through gritted teeth.

"Aw, Evans. Don't be like that." He grinned.

She didn't reply.

"Evans, I was thinking, since you and Snivelly aren't friends anymore, and that there's a Hogsmeade weekend three weeks from now, you would consider going out with me?" He said, trying to cover up a hopeful tone.

"Hmm…let me think about it." Lily said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "No."

"Just one date. C'mon Evans, do this one thing for me." James said quickly.

"Potter, I'm never, in a million years, going to do anything for you. Especially not go out with you. You're a disgusting, pig-headed idiot." She said angrily, pulling herself up of the seat and marching down the corridor.

James shrugged at the several faces now watching him warily, and turned back towards the compartment. A nervous second year crashed into him as he moved.

"Levicorpus." He muttered the spell he's tortured off Snape last year. The boy suddenly found himself hung from the ceiling by his ankle, and began yelping and twisting crazily. James muttered the counter-curse as his 'audience' laughed. The boy fell to the floor and ran off. James felt bad, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it now.

"Hey," he went back into his compartment.

"What was that all about mate?" Sirius asked confusedly.

"Dunno." James shrugged. "Just needed some air."