"Good morning, Mary, Alice," Lily greeted as she sat down in the Great Hall for breakfast. They both looked at her strangely. She had hardly muttered anything to them for the last few weeks. "Are you... Lily?" Mary asked slowly. "Yes, last time I checked I was," Lily snorted. Mary and Alice exchanged looks. "Welcome back, Lily!" Alice screamed, hugging Lily. "I never left," Lily smiled, shaking her head. They continued to eat their breakfast. Sirius, Remus and Peter sat down opposite them. "Good morning, Lily," Sirius smiled pleasantly. "Good morning, Sirius," Lily replied. Remus looked at them questionly. "Did I miss something?" "Yeah, you've got... a little," Sirius said, gesturing to Remus' whole face. Remus punched him on the arm playfully. James and Georgina walked into the Great Hall, holding hands. Lily bit her lip and Sirius snorted. "So there was something we missed?" Mary said hesitantly as James sat down. Georgina looked at the two spots Sirius was occupying and sat down on James' lap. He looked shocked. James looked at Sirius and Lily to see them snickering. "Something funny?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "Yeah, Remus' face," Sirius grinned. Everyone laughed except Remus, who looked mock offended, but Lily bit her lip to stop herself over-laughing. "Anyway, Lily," Mary said, turning around to face Lily. Lily caught James looking at her, and frowned. "What have you been doing then?" Mary smiled. "Paperwork. Homework," Lily shrugged. "Did you finish that Potions essay?" Remus asked. "Yeah, I finished that last week." "How did you do it? It was very difficult," Remus asked, leaning forward. "It wasn't that hard when you have the right books." She shrugged again. "Oh, right," he said leaning back.
It was a Hogsmeade day that weekend, and as Lily was walking back from potions that Friday afternoon, she got flagged down by Matthew Hammerman, a seventh year Hufflepuff prefect whom Lily was good friends with. "Hey, Lily!" Matthew shouted, and Lily turned around to face him. "Hello, Matthew," Lily smiled. "I just wanted to know if you- er- wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" Lily was lost for words. She didn't feel that way about him. And if she did say yes, she knew she would be drowning in guilt. But, she thought, James never stopped and considered her feelings. But she had told him it wasn't going to happen. There was a war of two sides inside her. One side wanted to stay loyal to James, but the other wanted him to feel as much pain as she had. "Er- Lily?" Matthew asked, looking awkward. "Come and find me later, okay?" He turned to leave, but Lily grabbed hold of his arm. "Yes." "Yes what? Yes, you'll come and find me later or yes, you'll go with me?" "I'll go to Hogsmeade with you," she said slowly. He grinned, picked her up and spun her around. "See you later, Lily!" he called over his shoulder as he left. She wanted to punch herself. What had she done? She didn't feel that way about him. She had just played him, like a game. She should have known better. But, then again, if it made James feel pain. Maybe one day she'd fall for Matthew. Maybe it would get rid of her crush. Her stupid, naïve, childish crush. "Lily-kins!" Sirius screamed, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice. "What? I- was-" she stuttered. "I'm not sure." "Well, there's one good thing that came out of this," Sirius shrugged. "And what would that be?" she asked. Her stomach was flooding with guilt, as expected. "James is pissed off," Sirius smiled. "When that Matthew guy was swinging you round in a circle, he huffed and stormed off." "I'm not trying to hurt him," Lily said, shocked. "Then why did you agree to go to Hogsmeade with a no-neck Hufflepuff?" Sirius snorted. "Because, maybe I wanted to!" she exclaimed, glaring at Sirius and storming off. "You'll end up together one day, Lily-bear!" Sirius shouted, grinning. "Enough with the idiotic nicknames!" she screamed.
That Saturday morning, Lily had considered drowning herself in bath, but after realising that she couldn't leave the school to the mercy of James Potter, she, slowly, got out of bed, got dressed and made her way to the Great Hall to meet Matthew for their Hogsmeade trip. It was not a date. No, it was defiantly not a date. "Lily!" Matthew cried as she walked in, and hugged her. She patted him awkwardly on the back. "Good morning," she half-smiled. "You look really pretty," he grinned. "Thank you," she said, blushing. "Oi! Lily-bear!" Sirius yelled from across the room. "We should be going," she said quickly, turning her back on Sirius. Lily and Matthew started walking towards the door. "Hey, Lily!" Sirius yelled again, jumping on Lily's back. She collapsed onto Matthew. "Do you mind if I hang out with you?" Sirius asked, smirking. "I would go with Jamesie, but," he gestured to James and Georgina, who were unfortunately kissing at that moment, "I think that's a bit disturbing. And you won't be snogging all the time, will you?" He smiled at Matthew, who looked uneasy. "Of course we won't," Lily said, eyebrows furrowed and shaking her head. That made Matthew look even more awkward and uneasy. "Cool. So shall we get going?" Sirius grinned, getting in between Lily and Matthew, hooking arms through their arms and dragging them out of the Great Hall. Lily was going to kill Sirius.
It was a Hogsmeade day that weekend, and as Lily was walking back from potions that Friday afternoon, she got flagged down by Matthew Hammerman, a seventh year Hufflepuff prefect whom Lily was good friends with. "Hey, Lily!" Matthew shouted, and Lily turned around to face him. "Hello, Matthew," Lily smiled. "I just wanted to know if you- er- wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" Lily was lost for words. She didn't feel that way about him. And if she did say yes, she knew she would be drowning in guilt. But, she thought, James never stopped and considered her feelings. But she had told him it wasn't going to happen. There was a war of two sides inside her. One side wanted to stay loyal to James, but the other wanted him to feel as much pain as she had. "Er- Lily?" Matthew asked, looking awkward. "Come and find me later, okay?" He turned to leave, but Lily grabbed hold of his arm. "Yes." "Yes what? Yes, you'll come and find me later or yes, you'll go with me?" "I'll go to Hogsmeade with you," she said slowly. He grinned, picked her up and spun her around. "See you later, Lily!" he called over his shoulder as he left. She wanted to punch herself. What had she done? She didn't feel that way about him. She had just played him, like a game. She should have known better. But, then again, if it made James feel pain. Maybe one day she'd fall for Matthew. Maybe it would get rid of her crush. Her stupid, naïve, childish crush. "Lily-kins!" Sirius screamed, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice. "What? I- was-" she stuttered. "I'm not sure." "Well, there's one good thing that came out of this," Sirius shrugged. "And what would that be?" she asked. Her stomach was flooding with guilt, as expected. "James is pissed off," Sirius smiled. "When that Matthew guy was swinging you round in a circle, he huffed and stormed off." "I'm not trying to hurt him," Lily said, shocked. "Then why did you agree to go to Hogsmeade with a no-neck Hufflepuff?" Sirius snorted. "Because, maybe I wanted to!" she exclaimed, glaring at Sirius and storming off. "You'll end up together one day, Lily-bear!" Sirius shouted, grinning. "Enough with the idiotic nicknames!" she screamed.
That Saturday morning, Lily had considered drowning herself in bath, but after realising that she couldn't leave the school to the mercy of James Potter, she, slowly, got out of bed, got dressed and made her way to the Great Hall to meet Matthew for their Hogsmeade trip. It was not a date. No, it was defiantly not a date. "Lily!" Matthew cried as she walked in, and hugged her. She patted him awkwardly on the back. "Good morning," she half-smiled. "You look really pretty," he grinned. "Thank you," she said, blushing. "Oi! Lily-bear!" Sirius yelled from across the room. "We should be going," she said quickly, turning her back on Sirius. Lily and Matthew started walking towards the door. "Hey, Lily!" Sirius yelled again, jumping on Lily's back. She collapsed onto Matthew. "Do you mind if I hang out with you?" Sirius asked, smirking. "I would go with Jamesie, but," he gestured to James and Georgina, who were unfortunately kissing at that moment, "I think that's a bit disturbing. And you won't be snogging all the time, will you?" He smiled at Matthew, who looked uneasy. "Of course we won't," Lily said, eyebrows furrowed and shaking her head. That made Matthew look even more awkward and uneasy. "Cool. So shall we get going?" Sirius grinned, getting in between Lily and Matthew, hooking arms through their arms and dragging them out of the Great Hall. Lily was going to kill Sirius.